USA 2024 Day 10 – Explore Grand Teton

We have 8 things on the list to see today. So of course we are up early, bounding out the house at 8am to get the day off and running!

No. Not quite

Today we started in – Jackson, Grand Teton, Wyoming
We finished in – Jackson, Grand Teton, Wyoming
Miles travelled today – 48
Miles so far this trip – 1560
Tonight we are staying at – Four Winds Motel, Jackson

At 9:30 we are browsing a gallery displaying photographs from a local photographers Henry Holdsworth.

At 10am we are queuing for breakfast at a place called The Bunnery Restaurant and Bakery.

At 11:15 we are still in the village square having out photo taken under an arch of antlers. Yes, Jackson Town square is known for having an entrance on each corner, each of which has an Antler Arch, like a gate way to something.

Finally, at around 12:30 we arrive at Jenny Lake.

Eventually at 12:45 we find parking, getting lucky passing another car just as they back out. This tip is a common one when visiting Jenny Lake, but here it is again.

Get there early!!

The place is packed. Not quite swarming with people, but take my word that there are a lot of us.

Families have set up lakeside as their children paddle. Couples stroll, enjoying the view. Hikers with backpacks and bear spray march by, occasionally stopping for a gentle scramble down a track to the lake side.

We, in true Chubb family fashion, debate what to do next.

Go for a walk around the trail, for 30 minutes, enjoy the views, or perhaps get the $50 boat ride across the lake but straight back again. We must come straight back as we have so much to see.

We jump in the queue for the boat, and it is about 45 minutes before we board. It is a super fun crossing. Sitting near the front, on a baking hot day the spray that washes over us is while cold, is totally refreshing and welcome.

The 10 minute journey drops us off and we climb off the boat and onto land.

Then of course, the debate starts.

“We’ve come this way. Let’s do the hike to Inspiration Point”

“What about Hidden Falls?”

“We don’t have bear spray though!”

It was at this point the other stops on our itinerary started slipping away. We follow the signs and the other people. Safety in numbers should a bear appear.

45 minutes later we have made it almost to Inspiration Point. I say almost as we’ve hiked quite a way. The knee is feeling it and we are happy with what we are seeing. So we turn round and head back down.

A slight detour from our trail takes us to Hidden Falls. Again, crammed with people. Some looking for the Instagram moment. Others sitting and enjoying the view.

A few seemed to have climbed out onto some rock closer to the falls. We take some snaps, a quick selfie and we head back to the main trail for the 45 minute hike back to the boat.

This is possibly the moment every other stop on our to do list for today slipped away.

An hour wait for a boat. It’s 3:10 now. It would be 4:10 before we get on the boat, so almost 4:30 when we get back.

A visit where we expected to be for less than an hour has turned into more than four.

We manage to take the Moose Road drive back to town, and take a short tour around Jackson Hole (in the car) but that is about it.

We gave up on the Taggart Lake Hike, the turnouts at Teton Glacier and Mountain View. The Chapel of the Transfiguration and Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor centre I am afraid will be missed too.

Suzanne made the decision to not visit the Jackson Hole Winery, instead making more use of the time seeing more of Jackson then this evening.

We wander around the town again, popping into shops that we maybe haven’t popped into yet. Trying on hats, and buying Christmas decorations to remind us of our visit.

Dinner was had at the Snake River Brewing Company. $135 dollar dinner for the three of us so not cheap. A smart place, though, with an indoor and outdoor area to enjoy. Indoors had an upstairs and downstairs. Plump for the upstairs if you have younger children that may want to enjoy the few arcade games they have,

We retired to bed, kind of looking forward to a bit more of a lazy day tomorrow.