Today, we woke up in a rather chilly cottage. Emerson and I headed off to get breakfast and saw some elk on the way, which was a nice treat. After breakfast, we drove off about 20 minutes south to do the String Lake Loop hike. This afforded some great morning views of the Tetons:
Here’s a view from our hike:
And another:
After our morning hike, we drove down into the city of Jackson. It’s a charming town with a decent amount on offer. Also, given the breathtakingly pricey real estate around Jackson Hole, the town is far upscale than touristy, which suited us fine.
We ate at the Merry Piglets, which provided some pretty decent Mexican food. We then walked around the town a little before heading back to Grand Teton NP.
On the way back through the NP, we stopped at the Mormon settlement. The structures were kind of interesting, and Emerson was really enamored with the ground squirrels. But, ultimately the setting just couldn’t be topped:
In the late afternoon, we did the Lakeshore Trail around Colter Bay. This was another enjoyable, easy hike along the edge of the clear water. We all picked up stones and tried skipping them into the lake.
Views of the Tetons were on offer too:
We had dinner at the Pioneer Grill here at Jackson Lake Lodge. While last night’s meal was kind of forgettable, this was worse. For example, my pulled pork sandwich tasted mostly “gray.” Emerson was particularly funny with her running commentary on the lack of food quality. “If I could take or leave this food, I’d leave it.” She’s so my daughter.
On balance, I don’t think we’d opt to stay here in the NP again, mostly for the lack dining options / quality. The location and beauty can’t be topped, but I don’t think it’s great (or good) value for money. We’d rather be in a nice hotel in Jackson with more dining options.
Tomorrow, we off to Yellowstone NP.