Christmas in Jackson

It's hard to pick the "best things to do" in the paradise of NW Wyoming. Grand Teton National Park is one of my favorite places on earth, with its lakes, trees, and awesome peaks rising dramatically from the valley. Yellowstone's geysers, whether bubbling or erupting, are sights to behold. In the wintertime, this area is a winter wonderland with great skiing, snowmobiling, and wildlife. It doesn't get better on a sunny winter day to be on skis or a snowmobile here.

While not the quaint Western town of years gone by, Jackson is still a laid-back, friendly town filled with real people. Shopping here for Western art, home decor, and unique jewelry (try Dan Shelley's) is an excellent plus; there are now all the chains, such as Gap and Coldwater Creek.

Quick Tips:

On the west side of town is a large, nice Smith's grocery store that takes your Kroger card.

K-Mart has reasonable 1-hour photo developing.

Best Way To Get Around:

The most convenient way to get around the area is in your own car. However, van service connects the town of Jackson with Teton Village and even Grand Targhee Ski Resort. Most of the snowmobile tour vendors will pick you up at your lodging, whether in town or at the Village.

Best Things Nearby:
Jackson, three ski areas, and Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks

Best Things About the Resort:
It is only 2 blocks from downtown Jackson. The two-bedroom unit is quite roomy.

Resort Experience:
Located just 2 blocks from downtown, Jackson Pines was once a motel. The only amenity is a hot tub out back. The office staff is very friendly, and they have goodies at check-in: hot cider, cookies, etc. They even gave us hot-chocolate packets to take to the room.

The layout is a little odd. You can tell that the two-bedroom unit was made from two motel rooms. As we entered the door of our two-bedroom upstairs unit, there was a bathroom on the left, and to the right, a place to hang coats, store skis, etc. The kitchen, dining area, and living room are a straight shot, completing the first motel unit. The other former motel unit is taken up by two bedrooms and another bath. They obviously didn’t move the plumbing, as both bathrooms are in the front of the unit, making the bath a little inconvenient for someone staying in the second bedroom.

The furniture is rough log. The bedrooms were nice, but the master bath was rather small. The living room furniture wasn’t as nice. The rocker was so rickety that we were afraid to sit in it. The dining table was large and would comfortably seat six people

The kitchen is large and well equipped. I cooked Christmas dinner in it. The appliances were all in good shape.

We took a small Christmas tree, a string of lights, and some cheap ornaments with us. We set it up on the end table near the window. We often walked in the evening and returned through the alley to see it merrily beckoning us "home." The parking is off the street in front of the units, typical of older small motels.

If you are looking for a resort with many activities, this is not the place for you. It does make a good base for the many winter and summer activities to be found in Jackson Hole. We enjoyed our stay.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Fair
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Excellent

The National Museum of Wildlife Art overlooks the National Elk Refuge. The stone building has been designed to blend in with the hillside.

The entry is at the top of the building, giving a view of the beautiful circular common area of the art museum, gift shop, and waiting area for the Elk Refuge Sleigh Rides. More than 2,500 paintings and sculptures depicting wildlife are housed here. Some of the renowned artists represented are George Caitlin, C.M. Russell, and Carl Rungius. Many different genres of art are displayed: realistic, impressionistic, etc. Most of the wildlife featured is from the American West, but some wildlife from other places does appear. Of particular interest is the American Bison exhibit, which was originally created for Wyoming’s centennial.

The museum’s shop has high-quality souvenirs. Food is also available. The museum is open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and also on Sunday afternoons in the summer.

Admission is $8, seniors (60+) and students are $7, and children are free with an adult. There is an AAA discount of 10%. There is also a combination ticket for the museum and the elk refuge tour that saves $3. You can find a $1-off admission coupon and more information on the website, National Wildlife Museum.

North of Jackson, along US 26 and 191, is the National Elk Refuge, about 25,000 acres of winter refuge for elk adjacent to Grand Teton National Park. As the snows cover the higher elevations, the elk come down into the valley to find food. Supplemental feed is provided here as needed to sustain the herd of more than 7,500 elk. The elk can be found here usually from November to March. However, there had been little snow by mid-December in 2004, so the numbers in the refuge were much smaller. By April, the elk have begun moving back to the higher elevations in Grand Teton and Yellowstone Parks and the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

The visitor center for the refuge is now in the National Wildlife Museum. A superb collection of antlers, skins, etc., of the regional wildlife is provided for everyone to touch and lift—a great place for kids. You would be surprised how heavy those antlers are. A wildlife video is also shown. Be sure to allow 30 minutes to explore this waiting area before your sleigh/wagon ride. A shuttle bus takes you across the highway to load for the sleigh ride.

The ride is in a sleigh if there is enough snow. Our ride was a wagon ride. During the 45-minute tour, the wagon circles around, allowing you to get close enough to the elk to get decent pictures. Our driver seemed to always get the sun behind the elk, so it was hard to get good shots. We also saw a couple of bald eagles and some magpies.

We had taken this ride before in blowing snow and below-zero temperatures. This time, the weather was much warmer, but you should wear warm clothing. The first time we wore our ski pants over our clothes to cut the wind. If the temperature is below freezing, be sure to wear a hat and gloves. It can get downright cold out there when the wind blows!

Sleigh rides are daily 10am to 4pm mid-December through March. It costs $12, and ages 6 to 12 get in for $8. A combination museum/sleigh ride ticket is available, saving you $3 if you plan to do both activities. There is more information at National Elk Refuge.

Gone are the days when you can take your own snowmobile into the park and tour at your own pace. Now you must go with a guided group.

The tour to Old Faithful leaves early in the morning. Be prepared for pickup at your hotel around 6:30am. An expanded continental breakfast of rolls, cereal, fruit, juice, milk, and coffee is served at the office. After breakfast you are suited up for the trip: snowsuit, boots, helmet, and gloves. Bring your own gator to keep your neck warm or wear a good turtleneck. Sunglasses may also be needed.

It is still dark when your group leaves on the hour ride to the south entrance of Yellowstone by van. In the Flagg Ranch area the snowmobiles are unloaded, and you have one last chance to go to the restroom and buy a snack at the little shop.

Then it is off into the winter wonderland of Yellowstone for a 100-mile trip. This day is cloudy and cold, but not bitter. The grips on the snowmobile (even the ones on the back for a passenger) are warmed, so your hands stay pretty warm. The wind, though, does bite at your face and neck.

Lots of stops are made to view wildlife and take pictures. We see waterfalls and snow-studded rivers and walk on frozen Lake Lewis. The guide is knowledgeable, and we learned some things about Yellowstone we didn't know, even though we have made many visits there in winter and summer.

We arrive at Old Faithful at lunchtime. We watch it erupt against a gray sky and head for the Geyser Cafe for lunch. We are allowed to order anything on the menu as part of our fee. It serves fairly typical fast food and is quite good. After lunch, we walk the boardwalks in the Old Faithful Basin together, seeing some buffalo, wild geese, and a coyote. There is not enough snow in the park this time to continue on to Biscuit Basin, where usually more wildlife is seen. Snow machines are not allowed beyond Old Faithful.

The return trip has several more stops. The guide shows a place where the water from a small lake flows in two different directions at the Continental Divide at Craig Pass.

It is getting dark again as we pull into the Flagg Ranch area gas station. Hot chocolate sold in the shop is a big hit! We pile back in the van for the return trip to Jackson tired and happy. Once everyone has turned in the snow clothes and picked up their belongings, the guide returns us all to our respective lodgings in the van about 6pm. FYI--Drivers must have a driver's license because this trip is on the roads of Yellowstone.

For information and reservations, call 1-800-647-2561 or log on to the website Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Tours.

An hour’s drive or van ride from Jackson there is a smaller, family-oriented ski area—Grand Targhee. The drive over Teton Pass is beautiful. Snow wasn’t a problem while we were there, but the 10% grade could be tricky when the road is slick. Vans go each morning from Jackson for a $12 fare, returning at the end of the day.

Grand Targhee guarantees their snow. If you are not happy within an hour, you can trade your ticket in for a pass to be used on another day. Normally they have the most snow in the area. On this day, conditions were not the best. You could actually see grass and rocks in a few places. However, the snow was better at Targhee than at Snow King or Teton, and the crowds proved it. It had been a very dry winter so far. Naturally, the day after we left, it snowed 12 inches and continued to snow.

There are two mountains to ski with four lifts (two are high-speed quads), plus a magic carpet for beginners. There is a great children’s area with giant ants and bats, etc., emphasizing different skills. Targhee is an intermediate skier’s paradise—70% of the runs are blue. Only 10% are beginner and 20% advanced. Snowcat skiing is also available. Snowboarders will find a terrain park with rail slides, table tops, and lots of other features.

We have mostly skied in Red Lodge, MT, and Breckenridge, CO, and Grand Targhee is different. At the top there aren’t many trees, and that spooked me a little. Of course, I’ve never been to the top in Red Lodge because the runs from there are black, except for one. Targhee has one green trail from the top, but I found it difficult to distinguish between the green and the blue runs since everything was so wide-open.

I can vouch for the kindness and gentleness of the ski patrol, though, as for the first time, and to my great embarrassment, I had to use their services. I managed to catch a clump of snow with the back of my ski that threw me off balance, and I couldn’t recover. I went down with a twist and a pop to my knee that has probably ended my fun on the ski slopes. (I’m getting too old to take those chances.) They even brought a cardiologist off the mountain to check on me.

The silver lining was driving back to Jackson over Teton Pass as the clouds parted briefly for a spectacular view of those jagged Teton peaks in the late afternoon sunshine.

The resort has a good website, Grand Targhee Resort.

Our family has always celebrated Christmas Eve with a dinner of fajitas or tacos, reading a Christmas story, singing, and the opening of family gifts. Since we were far from home without any family, we decided we would join our Christian family at a Christmas Eve service. While scanning the local paper for churches having a service, I noticed a small article about a Christmas carol sing on the town square. We decided to check it out.

With the temperature falling below 20°F, we pulled out the long johns, hats, and gloves before we set out walking to downtown. The stores, elk antler arches, and trees in the square were all lit with twinkling white lights. We were given candles and carol song sheets as we mixed with the members of the Community Bible Church and other travelers. The candles were lit, and we sang the carols of Christmas under the stars, our voices mingling and harmonizing. Fingertips became numb and the wind tried to snuff the candlelight, but the celebration of Christmas warmed the heart.

We returned to our condo with that wonderful Christmas spirit. A cup of hot cocoa and some cookies restored warmth to our bodies. It was not our traditional Christmas Eve, but one to be remembered.

At about 4pm Christmas Day, we got in the car for the hour trip west and over the pass to the other side of the Tetons. The road goes through a small piece of Idaho to reach the little town of Alta, WY, and Grand Targhee Ski Resort. As we drove the road up the mountain we spotted two moose.

There was plenty of parking at Grand Targhee. At 5pm, the crowd was beginning to gather for the annual torchlight parade. Anyone over 12 can participate in this parade--just sign up at the resort.

Hot cider, hot chocolate, and cookies were being served on the plaza for free! That hot liquid was needed to keep your hands and insides warm! There are some seats in a snack bar with windows facing the slope, but most people stand or sit at the tables outside on the plaza.

Darkness began to descend, and a beautiful moon rose over Fred's Mountain as we waited for that first red glow of light heralding the beginning of the parade. Soon we saw one, two, and more torchlights begin to wind their way down the mountain. The red line zigzagged its way slowly down the slope with 100 or more lights. The skiers eventually arrive at the bottom of the slope to extinguish their torches and put the mountain in the moon glow once again.

We quietly made our way back to the car for the awesome drive in the moonlight back over the pass to Jackson, making plans to come back to ski for a day or two.