Westward, Ho!

Well, the weather forecast was basically right. The drive through Yellowstone and Grand Teton was grey and cloudy for the most part, with intermittent showers. I drove straight down to Jackson Hole, b/c the weather wasn’t good for sightseeing in Grand Teton. For about half the distance it was too cloudy to even see the mountains, which is saying something, because they’re very large and close! Plus, to be honest, I was about “wildlife and scenery’d” out, and needed a taste of civilization! Checked in to the Quality Inn “49ers Inn and Suites” just a few blocks off the town square, and then went wandering around the pricey downtown shopping district. Aside from the ghoulish (IMO) arches made of elk antlers which adorn all four corners of the central square, Jackson Hole is a very nice town. If I’d just won the lottery I could have had a field day buying lovely things. As I haven’t been so lucky, however, I restrained myself. But it was good to be in a bit of culture, even if it was aimed at high-end tourists. It was good to be in a town with an independent bookstore, and where several of the shops had NPR playing on their sound systems.

Tomorrow I’ll head back up to the Grand Tetons National Park, and simply stare at the awesome scenery.