Hay fields and antlers

The drive from Idaho Falls to Jackson is a pretty one; at Swan Valley we took the northerly, more winding mountainous Teton Scenic Byway.  Again there were very few cars on the road and we enjoyed the scenery.  The Z4 is made for both mountain roads and highways!  On the plains there are hay fields as far as the eyes can see.

We had bought sandwiches in Idaho Falls and we stopped in the mountains for a picnic lunch.  As we got to the summit, we had views of Les Trois Tetons and the surrounding mountains overlooking Jackson Hole.  The trees are just beginning to change color; we saw lots of aspen, quaking in the wind.  Lots of pines as well.  The forest is reminiscent of the Sierras.

For those of you who don't know, Jackson is the name of the town and Jackson Hole is the valley (valleys were called holes in the old days).  It's a beautiful valley and the drive coming in to Jackson from the mountains is lovely. We stopped at the visitor center, which is shared by the national parks and Jackson town, and picked up lots of brochures.  We then found our way to our motel, the (low) Quality Inn 49er.  It is in major need of renovation and their website is quite misleading.  It is the only place I could find that takes cats, and we take what we can get.  After unloading the car, Mark and I walked around Jackson.  It's a cute little town, well laid out for walking.  Lots of tourists and tour buses around, even at this time of year.  We are glad it's off season, it must be a zoo during the summer.  There is a Town Square and each of the four corners has an arch made of antlers.  These antlers were gathered over a period of years; elk shed their antlers annually.  Boy Scouts also sell antlers, which they gather at the local elk refuge. 

One thing I don't like about Jackson is the prevailing attitude about killing animals.  There are stuffed bears and elk and little critters, animal parts made into souvenirs and clothes, fur stores, rugs of skin, game on menus, you name it.  It's definitely not the best place for an animal lover like me.  While there is an upscale crowd living here (it's hard to find any property under $2 million), it's also still the Wild West.  You see as many grizzled folk as well-dressed folk. 

We stopped in the Million Dollar Bar, which actually has two very long bars and all of the bar stools are topped with saddles.  Later we had a drink at the Silver Dollar Bar in the lovely old Wort Hotel.  The bar has 2032 uncirculated 1921 silver dollars inlaid in its top.  Gambling, mostly illegal, was a primary attraction in the early days of the hotel.  Mark tried the Snake River Lager, mainly because he liked the name, and he said the beer was quite good.

We got dinner to go from the Lotus Cafe.  Most of their dishes are vegan and they have an interesting selection; we very much enjoyed the food.