I am finally done with our Jackson Hole trip recap! Warning, this is a long post. I had an overwhelming response with people asking for travel details that I wanted to make sure I covered everything! This trip has been on my bucket list and it did not disappoint. It was by far one of our favorite family vacations to date.
None of this post is sponsored but affiliate links are used in parts. Thank you for supporting this blog!
WHEN WE TRAVELED
We planned our trip around the girls being off for summer and Kris' work schedule, so the first week of August was the best for everyone! It ended up being such a great time of year to visit as well. The national parks were a little crowded, but not terribly so. The weather was SUCH a welcomed change from our South Florida summer weather. It was in the 40/50s in the mornings and would normally reach a high of 80 in the afternoon. Nights were cool and comfortable!
When we started looking at flights we quickly decided to fly into Salt Lake City, Utah instead of the Jackson Hole Airport. We normally fly Delta and we could get a direct flight from Fort Lauderdale. We also saved a significant amount of money by flying to Salt Lake vs Jackson! We got a rental car and made the drive from SLC to Jackson. It took us about 4.5 hours and we drove through Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. It was such a pretty and relaxing drive - one of my favorite parts of the trip!
My travel outfit - we left super early in the morning so I didn't have a chance to take a picture at the airport. Avery in the background LOL
boyfriend fit tee, leopard joggers, similar sneakers
WHERE WE STAYED
We use Marriott Bonvoy points so it was an easy hotel choice for us to stay at the Springhill Suites in Downton Jackson! I have so many good things to say about this hotel. First is the location. It is located about 2 blocks off of the main Jackson Hole Square where so many of the shops, restaurants and downtown attractions are. Each morning we would take a walk to grab coffee/hot chocolate at one of the amazing coffee shops (see below in food for what we loved!).
We use Marriott Bonvoy points so it was an easy hotel choice for us to stay at the Springhill Suites in Downton Jackson! I have so many good things to say about this hotel. First is the location. It is located about 2 blocks off of the main Jackson Hole Square where so many of the shops, restaurants and downtown attractions are. Each morning we would take a walk to grab coffee/hot chocolate at one of the amazing coffee shops (see below in food for what we loved!).
we made it to the hotel after a long travel day! the girls were so excited about the hotel's free lollipops, ha!
loved our experience at this hotel!
morning walks with hot chocolate from the hotel
Charlotte - Chambray button down, similar pink puffer vest, leopard leggings (toddler)
WHAT WE DID
Downtown Jackson
We had so much fun just walking around downtown in Jackson Hole. There are so many art galleries, shops, restaurants and things to see! At each corner of the square, there are elk antler arches; I had never seen anything like it before! There is also a reenactment of a frontier shoot out every night at 6pm in the square. Each night we saw tons of families walking around, people out getting ice cream, etc. It is really lively and fun!
downtown jackson is full of so many pretty spots!
Avery - camo top, sherpa pullover (also love these and the colors), similar pants, boots
Charlotte - Vest, leggings
there are elk antler arches at the 4 corners of the square. so cool!
My pullover, leggings/joggers, similar sneakers, t-shirt, bag, sunglasses
one night before dinner and ice cream in downtown
Teton Village
Downtown Jackson
We had so much fun just walking around downtown in Jackson Hole. There are so many art galleries, shops, restaurants and things to see! At each corner of the square, there are elk antler arches; I had never seen anything like it before! There is also a reenactment of a frontier shoot out every night at 6pm in the square. Each night we saw tons of families walking around, people out getting ice cream, etc. It is really lively and fun!
downtown jackson is full of so many pretty spots!
Charlotte - Vest, leggings
there are elk antler arches at the 4 corners of the square. so cool!
one night before dinner and ice cream in downtown
my favorites!
On our first full day in Jackson, we had a slower morning because of all the travel the day before. And poor Kris was up at 5am fielding phone calls eastern time so the girls and I ventured out to grab us all some coffee and breakfast and let him sleep.
Then we made the 15 minute drive out of the downtown area to Teton Village! It was another pretty drive; the mountains are everywhere! Teton Village is a whole other center of activity! Hotels, restaurants, skiing in the winter, etc. In Teton Village they have an Aerial Tram that you can take up to the top of the mountain (10,000 elevation)! We bought our tickets prior to arriving because they offer a pre-purchase discount. The tram ride to the top of the mountain was incredible and the views were so good! The top of the mountain has several hiking options and a snack station with incredible waffles!
After going on the Ariel Tram we explored the rest of Teton Village. We ate ate the Mangy Moose for lunch, the girls played on the playground (thanks to one of your suggestions!) and then took the chair lift/gondolas to the top of the mountain.
we snapped this photo before getting on the Aerial Tram!
Girls' sweatshirts
My plaid top, jeans, boots, similar scoopneck top, sunglasses, cross body bag
at the top of the mountain! photo credit - Avery
the smaller gondolas behind Avery. there were also chair lifts and the Aerial Tram
the cute playground. the girls loved it. there is a shaded area for parents to sit as well.
Grand Teton National Park
The next morning we were up early and made the quick drive to Grand Teton National Park. Grand Teton is very close to Jackson Hole which made it an easy part to explore. We started off at Jenny Lake in the morning which gets REALLY crowded in the afternoon. It has a great visitor area and then you can venture off from there to hike/explore.
We decided to take the Jenny Lake Ferry across the lake. The ferry dock was just a short walk from the visitor center and helped us to avoid an additional 2+ miles of hiking around the lake that we knew the girls (and us probably, ha!) would struggle with. The ferry ranged from $10-$18 for round trip tickets and the girls had so much fun on the boat! From the dock there are marked trails to hike to the Hidden Waterfall or Inspiration Point which is a bit higher up!
After hiking at Jenny Lake we went to have lunch at the Jackson Lake Lodge inside the park. There are several restaurants and we ate at the Blue Heron which had patio dining with the Tetons as your view! After lunch we kept driving towards the Moulton Barns and stopped to see them prior to heading back to Jackson!
at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center before starting to hike
there were rangers set up to share animal/park information with the kids!
after getting off the ferry and starting to hike
beautiful views!
not the best quality photo but one of my favorites, the girls were playing in the creek!
Snow King Mountain
Snow King Mountain was one of our favorite days in Jackson! It was about 1 mile from our hotel and was literally heaven for the girls. Snow King is another ski area during the winter but during summer they have a ton of activities for families! Some of our favorites were the Alpine Slide, Cowboy Coaster, Trampoline Bungee Jumping, Mini Golf, Maze and the Chair Lift. We ended up buying their family all day pass so we didn't have to buy tickets to each individual activity and we were there all day. I completed our family liability waivers online prior to coming and that saved us some time!
about to start the day at Snow King!
My henley, utility jacket (similar), jeans shorts, boots, cross body bag
Charlotte's similar overalls, jacket
Avery cheetah shirt, similar jacket
kris and avery about to ride the cowboy coaster! it was seriously so fun! I think we did it 3 times!
charlotte in her element, ha!
Bar T 5 Covered Wagon Cookout
After our day at Snow King Mountain we had dinner reservations at the Bar T 5 Covered Wagons! It was one of our favorite experiences from our trip! Basically you sign up for a specific show/dinner time and head out in covered wagons with a large group of people. I think our show had 6 covered wagons head out for dinner. The ride to the dinner spot was so pretty and full of their actors pretending to be bandits and historic figures! The girls were so excited about that!
They had amazing food and the best hot chocolate that I've ever had! When you go up to get your food there is staff there to help moms/dads who are helping multiple kids with plates which was so nice! The show consisted of mini plays, sing alongs and musical performances. It was so much fun!
Avery's outfit - peplum top, boots
Charlotte's outfit - overalls, shirt, boots
My outfit - kimono, tshirt, jeans, shoes, cross body bag
the girls had the best time riding up into the mountains!
Yellowstone National Park
To say Yellowstone was amazing would be an understatement. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen! I will say that we did not see Yellowstone properly, lol! It is HUGE. Like you probably need 4 days to really see it all. Since we were based in Jackson for this trip we really only got a glimpse of the park, but it made us want to come back! We went to see Old Faithful erupt, walked along the Biscuit Basin, saw the Grand Prismatic Springs and walked along the Fountain Paint Pot Trail.
about to head out for Yellowstone! the girls had their hot chocolate in hand!
Avery's outfit: sweatshirt, t-shirt, shorts, shoes
Charlotte's outfit: sweatshirt, t-shirt, shorts, shoes
My outfit: leggings, shirt (similar), vest
such an incredibly beautiful place!
we stopped to get a picnic lunch at the Old Faithful Inn and watched the eruption!
old faithful
one of the ranger stations - these were a highlight for the girls!
hiking in the biscuit basin
Salt Lake City
On our last day in Jackson we walked around town for a bit, had breakfast at The Bunnery and then made the drive back to Salt Lake! We stopped at Fossil Butte National Monument which was on the way back and the girls learned more about fossils! They are currently obsessed with Dinosaurs.
We spent one night in SLC before our red eye flight the next day. We took the girls to the Children's Museum, walked by the temple and shopped at City Center! The girls went to Claires and I got to shop at Evereve for the first time; we were all happy, ha!
fossil butte national monument
Charlotte - Dress, Shoes, Bow
Avery's Dress, Shoes, headband
my ootd in SLC, shopping at Evereve
My maxi dress, jean jacket, bag
watching the fountains at city center
my travel outfit for the red eye home
exact jumpsuit (similar option one, two, three), jacket
WHAT WE ATE
Ok, now onto the good stuff! Jackson has an amazing food scene! I was so impressed by each meal that we had. Here were some of our favorite spots:
Pinky G's Pizzeria - One of the best pizzas I've ever had! Seriously so good. We did take out from Pinky G's to our hotel the first night that we got into town!
Gather - Gather was SUCH a good dinner. It was one of the nicer restaurants that we went to and it did not disappoint! I had the elk bolognese and loved it!
Moo's Ice Cream - The best local ice cream! Was full of people and they had a kids play/sitting
area!
Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse - Million Dollar Cowboy is a Jackson must do and it is located right in the town square! There is a bar on the first level and then for dinner you walk downstairs to their steakhouse. Kris LOVED his steak and my halibut was awesome!
Kitchen - Kitchen was probably my favorite meal while in Jackson. We ate here after a long day at Yellowstone and basically ordered the whole menu, ha! The restaurant was really nice but also casual so we felt comfortable having the girls there. The food has an Asian influence and we loved their calamari and I had the ramen bowl.
The Bunnery - This cute spot is a MUST for breakfast! Amazing pancakes, oatmeal, bacon, eggs etc and there were so many tables that it was easy to get right in to eat.
Persephone - We stumbled on Persephone on our first morning in town, and I am SO glad that we did! It is a gem! It is a bakery/restaurant with amazing coffee as well! They have an entire outdoor seating area with large reclaimed wood tables and heaters to keep you warm! I had the avocado seed bowl and loved it.
Favorite coffee shops - Cowboy Coffee and Persephone
And that's a wrap! If you have any questions on Jackson Hole or what we did, I would be happy to help! You can comment here or send me a DM on Instagram!
Then we made the 15 minute drive out of the downtown area to Teton Village! It was another pretty drive; the mountains are everywhere! Teton Village is a whole other center of activity! Hotels, restaurants, skiing in the winter, etc. In Teton Village they have an Aerial Tram that you can take up to the top of the mountain (10,000 elevation)! We bought our tickets prior to arriving because they offer a pre-purchase discount. The tram ride to the top of the mountain was incredible and the views were so good! The top of the mountain has several hiking options and a snack station with incredible waffles!
After going on the Ariel Tram we explored the rest of Teton Village. We ate ate the Mangy Moose for lunch, the girls played on the playground (thanks to one of your suggestions!) and then took the chair lift/gondolas to the top of the mountain.
we snapped this photo before getting on the Aerial Tram!
My plaid top, jeans, boots, similar scoopneck top, sunglasses, cross body bag
at the top of the mountain! photo credit - Avery
the smaller gondolas behind Avery. there were also chair lifts and the Aerial Tram
the cute playground. the girls loved it. there is a shaded area for parents to sit as well.
Grand Teton National Park
The next morning we were up early and made the quick drive to Grand Teton National Park. Grand Teton is very close to Jackson Hole which made it an easy part to explore. We started off at Jenny Lake in the morning which gets REALLY crowded in the afternoon. It has a great visitor area and then you can venture off from there to hike/explore.
We decided to take the Jenny Lake Ferry across the lake. The ferry dock was just a short walk from the visitor center and helped us to avoid an additional 2+ miles of hiking around the lake that we knew the girls (and us probably, ha!) would struggle with. The ferry ranged from $10-$18 for round trip tickets and the girls had so much fun on the boat! From the dock there are marked trails to hike to the Hidden Waterfall or Inspiration Point which is a bit higher up!
After hiking at Jenny Lake we went to have lunch at the Jackson Lake Lodge inside the park. There are several restaurants and we ate at the Blue Heron which had patio dining with the Tetons as your view! After lunch we kept driving towards the Moulton Barns and stopped to see them prior to heading back to Jackson!
at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center before starting to hike
there were rangers set up to share animal/park information with the kids!
after getting off the ferry and starting to hike
beautiful views!
not the best quality photo but one of my favorites, the girls were playing in the creek!
the moulton barns on mormon row
Snow King Mountain
Snow King Mountain was one of our favorite days in Jackson! It was about 1 mile from our hotel and was literally heaven for the girls. Snow King is another ski area during the winter but during summer they have a ton of activities for families! Some of our favorites were the Alpine Slide, Cowboy Coaster, Trampoline Bungee Jumping, Mini Golf, Maze and the Chair Lift. We ended up buying their family all day pass so we didn't have to buy tickets to each individual activity and we were there all day. I completed our family liability waivers online prior to coming and that saved us some time!
about to start the day at Snow King!
Charlotte's similar overalls, jacket
Avery cheetah shirt, similar jacket
kris and avery about to ride the cowboy coaster! it was seriously so fun! I think we did it 3 times!
charlotte in her element, ha!
Bar T 5 Covered Wagon Cookout
After our day at Snow King Mountain we had dinner reservations at the Bar T 5 Covered Wagons! It was one of our favorite experiences from our trip! Basically you sign up for a specific show/dinner time and head out in covered wagons with a large group of people. I think our show had 6 covered wagons head out for dinner. The ride to the dinner spot was so pretty and full of their actors pretending to be bandits and historic figures! The girls were so excited about that!
They had amazing food and the best hot chocolate that I've ever had! When you go up to get your food there is staff there to help moms/dads who are helping multiple kids with plates which was so nice! The show consisted of mini plays, sing alongs and musical performances. It was so much fun!
Charlotte's outfit - overalls, shirt, boots
My outfit - kimono, tshirt, jeans, shoes, cross body bag
the girls had the best time riding up into the mountains!
Yellowstone National Park
To say Yellowstone was amazing would be an understatement. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen! I will say that we did not see Yellowstone properly, lol! It is HUGE. Like you probably need 4 days to really see it all. Since we were based in Jackson for this trip we really only got a glimpse of the park, but it made us want to come back! We went to see Old Faithful erupt, walked along the Biscuit Basin, saw the Grand Prismatic Springs and walked along the Fountain Paint Pot Trail.
about to head out for Yellowstone! the girls had their hot chocolate in hand!
Charlotte's outfit: sweatshirt, t-shirt, shorts, shoes
My outfit: leggings, shirt (similar), vest
such an incredibly beautiful place!
we stopped to get a picnic lunch at the Old Faithful Inn and watched the eruption!
old faithful
one of the ranger stations - these were a highlight for the girls!
hiking in the biscuit basin
Salt Lake City
On our last day in Jackson we walked around town for a bit, had breakfast at The Bunnery and then made the drive back to Salt Lake! We stopped at Fossil Butte National Monument which was on the way back and the girls learned more about fossils! They are currently obsessed with Dinosaurs.
We spent one night in SLC before our red eye flight the next day. We took the girls to the Children's Museum, walked by the temple and shopped at City Center! The girls went to Claires and I got to shop at Evereve for the first time; we were all happy, ha!
fossil butte national monument
out to dinner in SLC
the children's museum. it was one of the best i've been to!
my ootd in SLC, shopping at Evereve
watching the fountains at city center
my travel outfit for the red eye home
WHAT WE ATE
Ok, now onto the good stuff! Jackson has an amazing food scene! I was so impressed by each meal that we had. Here were some of our favorite spots:
Pinky G's Pizzeria - One of the best pizzas I've ever had! Seriously so good. We did take out from Pinky G's to our hotel the first night that we got into town!
Gather - Gather was SUCH a good dinner. It was one of the nicer restaurants that we went to and it did not disappoint! I had the elk bolognese and loved it!
Moo's Ice Cream - The best local ice cream! Was full of people and they had a kids play/sitting
area!
Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse - Million Dollar Cowboy is a Jackson must do and it is located right in the town square! There is a bar on the first level and then for dinner you walk downstairs to their steakhouse. Kris LOVED his steak and my halibut was awesome!
Kitchen - Kitchen was probably my favorite meal while in Jackson. We ate here after a long day at Yellowstone and basically ordered the whole menu, ha! The restaurant was really nice but also casual so we felt comfortable having the girls there. The food has an Asian influence and we loved their calamari and I had the ramen bowl.
The Bunnery - This cute spot is a MUST for breakfast! Amazing pancakes, oatmeal, bacon, eggs etc and there were so many tables that it was easy to get right in to eat.
Persephone - We stumbled on Persephone on our first morning in town, and I am SO glad that we did! It is a gem! It is a bakery/restaurant with amazing coffee as well! They have an entire outdoor seating area with large reclaimed wood tables and heaters to keep you warm! I had the avocado seed bowl and loved it.
Favorite coffee shops - Cowboy Coffee and Persephone
And that's a wrap! If you have any questions on Jackson Hole or what we did, I would be happy to help! You can comment here or send me a DM on Instagram!
What a great trip!! Can’t wait to go there!
ReplyDelete