Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Jackson Hole is a favorite layover among flight attendants. Nestled between The Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone, the setting is breathtaking. I know that’s a cliche statement, but it really is a re-set. Pick a season, any season. The view is dramatic, cinematic even. 

And my pictures don’t do it justice.

But here’s what the Town Square looked like last week -the beginning of Fall. Giant arches made from antlers stand in all four corners. Each one is constructed with more than 2,000 elk antlers, collected by Boy Scouts.

While I haven’t been to every national park, I have been to some of the most spectacular like the Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde. But Yellowstone, the world’s first national park, is my favorite. Yellowstone is MAGNIFICENT. It looks like the Earth should look: full of wildlife and pristine nature.

But, at the same time, it looks like another planet. Traveling through the park, I kept wondering what the first explorers must have thought when they saw the ground gurgling with sulphur and water shooting out from the geysers. On the day I visited, I was fortunate enough to witness both geological features. I also saw a herd of buffalo come to the river to drink in near silence, right in front of a fly fisherman. And I watched a group of tourists circle a moose to get a close-up picture. That didn’t seem like a good idea to me, and I wonder how that worked out for them.   

On top of the spectacular setting, we layover at the historic Wort Hotel. The Wort is the nicest place in town and the liveliest. On almost any night of the week, the party is at the Wort. The house band plays country/bluegrass music for tourists and locals alike. People of all ages pack the bar and dance floor, and some even stand outside dancing in the open windows. 

The rooms at the Wort are what I call: Rustic Lux. Every detail plays homage to the town’s western roots. And every room comes with a teddy bear to snuggle, which doesn’t seem hygienic but is, nonetheless, charming.

These are some of the carved doors to the Wort’s suites:

So, what is there to do? Anything outside.

In the winter, you can ski or take a sleigh ride through the elk refuge.

In the warmer months, you can hike, bike, or walk a shelter dog. This last activity is a favorite among flight attendants.

But no matter in what season you decide to visit, Jackson Hole feels good. The air is clean, the sky is big, and you feel just the right size standing underneath all those stars and mountains ….small.