8/1/22

I got into my motel on the edge of town after my buffalo traffic jam in the Tetons. I traded in some points to get this motel at a reasonable price for one night but still this room is nothing to write home about for $150. After my long day, I wanted a nice meal. I found a fancy hotel restaurant and got a table for one (again) and myself a nice three course dinner with elk tenderloin as the main. Just like being back at that country club restaurant outside of Banff, I wonder what stories people concocted about me showing up in my motorcycle jacket taking up a whole table and dining by myself.

This might be the best carrot cake I've ever had:

8/2/22

I have a half day to explore Jackson Hole before I go to Salt Lake City to stay with my friend from high school. I drove thru town the night before making my way to the motel and like everywhere else on my trip, downtown was packed with people. So when I got into town at 8 am this morning, it was nice to see it pretty empty and had my pick of parking.

Of course my first stop was Cowboy Coffee for a cowboy latte and a cowboy croissant. It's that kinda cowboy town here. Both were good but something feels off. I walk around town since many shops weren't open yet. I would see buildings like these:

Being constructed next to buildings like these:

I found this shop but they wouldn't give me a family discount:

I absolutely love the history of places like Jackson Hole. They have an authentic history of ranching, trapping, gold rush, and a rich western culture. But over the decades, Jackson Hole has become a resort town catering to the affluent while maintaining it's western exterior. I was a bit disappointed, expecting a place like Dawson City but instead I was in country western Beverly Hills. Money was flowing albeit with the smell of saddle leather. There were multiple interior design studios. Stores selling antler chandlers for $6000 and a knife store selling $2400 chef knives and $200 wine bottle corkscrews. Like Banff, there was a Harley Davidson shop that only sold t-shirts and lifestyle items. After a few hours I was ready to leave but I would like to come back for a more extended stay and dig deeper into this place. Maybe I'll find some real bones and sinews beneath the rhinestone yoke.

Buffalo sausage breakfast sandwich: