Jackson Hole in the SummertimeThe Best of the Westby Dave Shultz Jackson Hole has four fabulous seasons where the landscape changes from green to white with a lot of colors in between but their most important season is tourist season! No matter what else may change in Jackson, the tourists remain the same and they come to Jackson all year long to experience the ambiance that is so unique to this small mountain community with its roots firmly seated in the Historic Old West.
 Jackson (often mistakenly called Jackson Hole) is the center of the hotel, restaurant and shopping district in the valley. The valley itself is in reality Jackson Hole and includes the communities of Wilson, Teton Village, Moran Junction, Hoback, Moose, and Kelly. The biggest draw to the area is Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks but every year, over four million tourists manage to pass through Jackson Hole during their visit.
 In Jackson, everything centers on the Town Square with its famous antler arches at all four corners. Nobody seems to be able to pass the arches without having their photo taken underneath. The famous Jackson WebCam shows the activity around the antlers and is very popular. Early in the morning, the magpies and ravens hang out in the square looking for morsels left overnight by the crowds. They love to get a drink from the freshly washed sidewalks before the sun heats things up and then stick around for the show.
The city is meticulous about emptying trash cans and cleaning up the square at the start of every day. Everything is clean and fresh and cool in the morning. The day starts slow in Jackson. Most of the shops open at 10am with a few exceptions. Early in the day, the European tourists are the first to start wandering around and posing for and you hear excited chatter in a plethora of languages. You’ll hear more languages than a UN meeting. Traffic starts to pick up by 9 and by 10 parking places are at a premium. Grab an early breakfast and head to one of the benches in the square with a hot beverage to enjoy the entertainment of Jackson waking up. As a side note, there is an ongoing discussion among local politicians about parking meters. It seems some of them envy the fancy new parking meters in Scottsdale, Arizona, that take credit cards. You would think that in an area with the highest priced property in the state of Wyoming and some of the richest people in the country, they would not begrudge their visitors free parking. Time will tell of greed and envy overcome common sense. Let’s hope for the best.   The early morning crowd of joggers and bike riders usually avoid the town square, preferring the more scenic areas of the valley but there is always somebody moving about despite the closed shops. There are some restaurants open early for breakfast and one of the popular spots for tourists is the Bunnery Bakery and Restaurant, 1/2 Block North of the Town Square. They offer a good breakfast at a reasonable price and there is usually a line out the door unless you get there very early. It advertises itself as a “local” place but most of the diners were perusing brochures and planning their day in the valley. If you enjoy the baked goods, they also sell mixes to take home and make your own. Breakfast was fast and good but the croissant was disappointingly stale for a bakery.
 All day there is a steady stream of people moving around the square and flooding the shops but Jackson really starts to heat up at night. It doesn’t get dark until about 9:30 in the summer which gives you a false sense of time and when the sun finally does go down, the bars and restaurants fill up with all those tired, hungry and thirsty tourists. Popular restaurants form lines down the sidewalk and the bars are standing room only. If you wander a few blocks off the square, things are a lot quieter. There is parking and seating available just about anywhere. Try the Ocean City China Bistro just three blocks off the square. They feature Cantonese, Mandarin and Szechuan cuisine and have plenty of room even on busy weekends. The atmosphere is very nice with cloth napkins and real chopsticks on the table instead of disposable sticks.
 Everything In Jackson reflects the western heritage of the area. Log structures are commonplace for businesses and even the large Episcopal Church near the square is built of logs. The city has done a terrific job of maintaining the old west atmosphere of Jackson’s roots.
 Although everyone capitalizes on the Old West theme nobody does it better than the Stage Coach Ride that run through the downtown area. It’s fun and only costs $6 for adults and $4 for children. How could anyone come to Jackson and not ride the stage coach? What could symbolize the American West better?
 Well, maybe the Jackson Hole Playhouse production of Cat Ballou. The productions change but Cat is running May 30 to September 27, 2008. Be sure to make reservations and include dinner before the show. The menu is true western  cuisine and includes Reverend Boone’s Pork Roast, Black Jack’s Alaskan King Halibut, Kid Shaleen’s Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Cat Ballou’s Prairie Range Chicken and Cheyenne Rose’s Vegetarian Delight. The Playhouse building is very historical and a very authentic western experience. You almost forget what century you are in. The talent is amazing for a small community. The acting and singing is first class and I promise you will get caught up in the fun. Be sure to make reservations early and sit near the front of the theater. You may really get caught up in the fun. Enough said!
  A popular place to stay in Jackson is the Snow King Resort Hotel. It’s in town and has all the amenities you would expect of a fine resort hotel. Besides the typical pool, hot tub, sauna, fitness room, day spa, wi-fi, restaurant and lounge, it offers a lot of outdoor activities. In the winter, they have their own ski slopes but in the summer, you can ride the Alpine Lift for a spectacular view, zip down the Alpine Slide for a heart racing thrill, go horseback riding or hiking on some of the most scenic trails in the Rockies or play 18 holes of Alpine Miniature Golf. Visit their website for a variety of live cams situated around the property.
Snow King Resort is also the start and stop points for the free Town Shuttle Bus that will take you all around the village. It is highly recommended if you are going anywhere near the town square. Parking is difficult all summer long and the free shuttle is fast and comfortable. Take this opportunity to sit at the front of the bus and converse with the drivers. They are knowledgeable about the area but also have fascinating tales to tell of local happenings you won’t find in the tourist brochures. 
Of course, no matter how fabulous the food and shopping, the main attraction of Jackson Hole is the outdoors. There are so many things to do in the valley that you will never run out of outdoor fun. There are float trips on the Snake River from mild to wild for all ages or you can pick a quiet spot for world class fly fishing. There are hiking and biking trails for any level of expertise and any terrain. Enjoy paragliding, disc golf, horseback riding, gondola rides and top name stars in concert all summer long. You will never run out of things to do in Jackson in the summertime.  
If You Go:Jackson Hole
http://www.jacksonhole.com/ Town Square Web Cam
http://cams.jacksonholewebcams.com/townsquare/ Jackson Hole Bunnery
130 North Cache
Jackson, WY 83001
http://www.bunnery.com/ Ocean City
340 West Broadway
Jackson, WY 83001
307-734-9768 Jackson Hole Playhouse
145 West Deloney
Jackson, Wyoming 83001
307-733-6994
www.jhplayhouse.com Snow King Resort
400 E. Snow King Ave. ~ PO Box SKI ~
Jackson Hole, Wyoming 83001
Toll Free: 1-800-522-KING (5464)
Tel: (307) 733-5200 Fax: (307) 733-4086
www.snowking.com | 
