On Saturday morning we packed up our things to head back to Rexburg in the afternoon. I loved these directional signs to the condos with the buffalo on them.
Here is a picture of part of the inside of the condo. The murphy bed is behind the wood wall on the right. We had a separate bedroom and bathroom. One could get used to such nice accommodations!
The landscaping around the condos was really nice.
We were just a the base of the ski mountain.
We decided to head town to the town square to walk around and maybe get some souvenirs. Little did we know that there was also a farmer's market going on so it was really crowded. This cowboy statue is at the center of the park in the town square.
Sometime when I was growing up we went to Yellowstone - back when we didn't have a DVD player in the van (yikes). We also went to Jackson. As the legend goes, I took one look at these elk antler arches and freaked out. I truly believed that they killed all of those elk just for their antlers. There are four of these huge arches around the town square! I could just imagine all of the elk that died just for some decorations. My parents told me that that wasn't the case and to this day, everyone still thinks that story is really funny.
This sign says that there is an elk refuge just north of town and that the elk shed their antlers each spring. There are 7,500 elk spend the winter in the refuge each year. The local Boy Scouts pick up the antlers on the refuge each spring and they hold an auction in the square each May. In the shops there are a lot of items made out of these antlers including huge candelabras.
While shipping we ran into this stuffed elk. They are really big!
Andrew tried on a buffalo hat. Claire ended up getting a hat to use for her Halloween costume, but you'll have to wait to see that.
After lunch we went to Teton Village which is only about 10 minutes away. It is a really big ski resort with some very nice hotels like the Four Seasons. My mom told us that you can ride the tram to the top of the mountain. Claire and Andrew really wanted to do this, but Danny did not. So, I headed up the mountain with them.
Here they are inside the tram. It was quite spacious inside, but there weren't a lot of places to sit. I guess most people in the winter just stand with their skis. The operator said that from the top of this mountain, it is the longest ski run in the US. I am glad we got a spot to sit down. The trams rock a bit when they go over the towers.
Almost to the top of the mountain, the operator pointed out this ski run. It doesn't look like it from this view, but it is literally straight down the face of the mountain. It is hard to believe someone would ski that!
This is the huge gear at the top. There are two trams and to balance things out, one is always docked at the top and bottom at the same time. Then they leave at the same time. They are about 30 minutes apart.
The views from the top were amazing. That building is actually a restaurant that is open year round.
You can see 360 degrees to different types of terrain. There are more mountains on the backside of the mountain we were on verses another valley.
The flash didn't go off, so this isn't a great picture. Jackson is in the valley behind us.
This is more of the ski mountain down the front side. You can also mountain bike or hike down the mountain. They said it is about 7 miles on the trail. I think that would be really fun when the kids get older.
Andrew and Claire had no fear when it came to looking over the railing. The walk way is cantilevered off the mountain and has a metal grate for the walk way. I even found it a bit scary to walk on.
This is the view north towards Yellowstone.
I loved this cowboy detail they used on the railings all around the tram.
Looking down the mountain from the tram as we headed down the hill.
We got some ice cream when we got down and then head over Teton Pass back to Idaho and Rexburg. Bye Jackson!
Even though it was mostly farm land, it was a really pretty drive back. You could see the Tetons (far right) most of the way back. The farms were green with lots of rolling hills.
Grant was excited to see us when we returned, but from all reports he had a great time with his cousins while we were gone.
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