Jackson Hole Wyoming & Yellowstone
Pop culture can indelibly point us to new ideas as well as inspire us to travel to see and experience places, peoples and things we hadn’t necessarily considered. As the world shut down in 2020, I found a television series, among millions of other viewers, entitled Yellowstone, written by Taylor Sheridan. I personally was taken by the scenery more than the storyline and set an intention of seeing at least a slither of America’s treasured Yellowstone National Park (2.2 million acres and the second largest national park in the lower 48 states). Jackson Hole, Wyoming seemed the perfect home base for a week, as it is a gateway city to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. It's a popular destination for nature lovers, wellness enthusiasts and art lovers nonetheless.
Jackson Hole’s reputation preceeds itself as a mecca of top-notch Wildlife art, but I had underestimated the countless pieces curated and installed in private galleries and well as public spaces, including its airport. The airport itself offers a unique travel experience and is a lovely introduction to the area’s unsurpassed art and culture. It is a gorgeous structure of stone and wood installed meticulously and thoughtfully with artwork and sculptures by local artists that imbue its surrounding landscape, history and peoples. A personal favorite is a large scale watercolor by local artists Nelson Boren. The whimsical, detailed and bright colored work on paper pays tribute to Wyoming’s cowboy and cowgirl heritage. Through a contemporary scope, Boren depicts an age old tradition of ranch life in a new way, inviting the viewer immediately into the Western life. It is a a wonderful welcome piece upon arrival.
Watercolor created by Nelson Boren.
Just outside of town, the National Museum of Wildlife Art , a 51,000 square foot building with its Idaho quartzite façade (inspired by the ruins of Slains Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland) echoes the hillside behind the facility. Featuring work by prominent artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, Robert Kuhn, John James Audubon, and Carl Rungius, the museum’s unsurpassed permanent collection chronicles much of the history of wildlife in art, from 2500 B.C.E. to the present. Its sculpture trail, designed by award-winning landscape architect, Walter Hood, “underscores the Museum’s commitment to presenting fine art wildlife sculptures within the fabric of Jackson Hole’s incomparable landscape.” First opened in 2012, sculptures individually and collectively play with light and changing seasons, offering an ever-changing view of art in the wild. The ¾ mile Sculpture Trail begins at Bart Walter’s Wapiti Trail and winds up the sage covered hillside. Complementing breathtaking views, the trail stretches along the bluff to the north and south, overlooking the National Elk Refuge.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming is a valley that runs north to south along the eastern side of the Teton Mountain Range. It is quintessentially a quaint “square” with wooden walkways and lined with locally owned ‘mom and pop’ shops, galleries, and coffee houses. A few favorites are noted here:
Some like postcards, I prefer a small piece of jewelry to memorialize each trip. Hide Out Leathers has unique finds and many pieces are by local artisans. Hide Out Leathers also curates beautiful and chic leather tote and cross-body bags, purses and belts.
To get out of the cold and off my snow-covered feet, I found Cowboy Coffee as a home base. They offer vegan options, juices, smoothies and great conversations by locals dropping in and out. Not to mention, hipsters float in and out, so if you want to figure out how to dress more Vogue than thrift in the West’s brutal, cold weather, young dwellers are living displays of how to fashionably pair bright colored bibs, aesthetically pleasing, warm snow boots, branded beanies and vintage Northface jackets.
Just off the square, Inversion yoga is perfect for the non-skier and/or for those who want a warm room to move and breathe. Tag lined “soulful, sweaty, thoughtful Yoga, Pilates, Sculpt, Barre classes in the heart of Jackson Hole designed for the modern practitioner,” it is a fusion of breath work and plyometrics . A heated room, the practice is invigorating, challenging and attracts dynamic students, including my new friend Susan, a 74 year old lady about to tackle her 12th ironman! Before or after class, fuel up with their gourmet coffees, smoothies and vegan muffins at their adjoining cafe. Go for the class and stay to meet some really great yogis, travelers, and locals on a committed wellness journey.
Adam Adams ; Tetons and the Snake River ; negative 1942, print 1973-5 ; gelatin silver ; 16 × 20 inches ; signed
My first awe of Yellowstone National Park and a visual concept of its vastness was generated through through a collection of Ansel Adams landscape photography on view at the de Young Museum in San Francisco where I lived for a summer in the late 90s, Instagram feeds further spurred my desire and willingness to spend spend the day out of town and into the wilderness through Jackson Hole Eco Tour Wildlife Adventures. The avid hunter and skilled outdoorsman is probably rolling his/her eyes right now, but for someone like me, a lightweight in the frigid cold with no rifle or hunting gear, it was an efficient and ‘comfortable’ way to experience some of the park and to see its extraordinary wildlife — such as beavers, buffalo, elk, mountain deer, among others. But mostly it was the open sky, clean air, and a wonderment of God’s creations that was most memorable and truly breathtaking.
This spot on the planet is stunning and something to see. The town of Jackson is magical and offers so many cultural experiences in only a week’s time. Upon departure, follow the rules and don’t check any bear spray or rifles. Make sure you get final glimpse of wildlife art and surrounding scape. And pack a journal filled with notes of what you didn’t see - your first trip here is just a start. Perhaps the only better way to experience all of it - Yellowstone and Jackson Hole - would be a helicopter ride with a 360 degree view. That experience is certainly not in the cards right now, but I am also remembering it is free to dream…
