Sample Itinerary
Oh, those lazy days of summer!!
Arrival Day
Whether you drive or fly into Jackson Hole, the scenery will be fantastic! The Grand Teton Mountain Range is visible from all over the valley. Beautiful wildflowers, rivers, streams, lakes and mountains all await you. Be sure to check out airline prices for Idaho Falls, Idaho and Salt Lake City, Utah… sometimes less expensive and an easy drive.
You will be greeted at The Wildflower Lodge with fresh squeezed lemonade, iced tea and charcuterie board. After a welcoming visit and a chance to relax in your beautiful room or on your private deck, we can help you plan your week. You might want to take a casual drive up the Moose-Wilson Road to view the wildlife or perhaps head into the town of Jackson to wander the quaint streets. The “Shoot-Out” at 6 PM is an old time Jackson Hole tradition…complete with stagecoach and the required cowboys…many perched on roof tops. A real old time show.
The galleries and shops are fun and are all located around the charming Town Square. Be sure to drop into the Cowboy Bar for a look and a beverage… (We won’t tell you the secrets of this place… you will see for yourselves!) You can have dinner at many of our wonderful restaurants from 4 star experiences to the local award winning beer pub…all casual. (You will see guests in hiking shorts and boots dining at the Snake River Grill.) After a pleasant evening, you will want to return to the Wildflower to relax in the living area, or sit and have a cocktail on your deck and enjoy the night sky, full of brilliant stars. (Daylight is from about 5 AM to 10 PM)
Day 2
After a wonderful breakfast, we suggest that you spend your first full day in Grand Teton National Park. We have day packs and trekking poles for you to borrow and suggest taking a picnic lunch. Wildflower Lodge has coolers and ice.
A great first day experience is to drive up the Moose-Wilson Road through the former Rockefeller Ranch to the main entrance of Grand Teton National Park. (You might choose to stop at the Lawrence Rockefeller Preserve along the way….a beautiful Center designed personally by Lawrence Rockefeller and limited to 50 cars at one time.) A gorgeous walk to Phelps Lake also starts here.
We also recommend the boat ride (15 minutes) across Jenny Lake and the hike up to Hidden Falls and perhaps beyond to Cascade Canyon. If hiking (more like walking on some trails) is not your “thing” we recommend an excursion with Eco-Tours or a first class wildlife Safari. You can easily enjoy the entire day in this area.
On the way home you may want to stop for a drink or snack at Dornan’s…where you will see a drop dead view of the Grand Tetons. After this full day and a relaxing few hours back at the Wildflower, you may want to pick a special restaurant for a leisurely dinner.
Day 3
How about some adventure today? We recommend a white water rafting trip down the Snake River. This is great fun and it is highly likely you will see beautiful bald eagles or other wildlife along the way. We prefer the smaller rafts that you can help paddle…but there are lovely rafts that you can ride along and just enjoy the view! After a day on the river, you might grab some BBQ in Jackson and attend the Rodeo…this is a real rodeo with real cowboys!
Day 4
How about some more hiking today? Perhaps a longer hike up to the base of the Grand Teton or a shorter hike (3 miles round trip) to a pristine mountain lake? Or perhaps connect with a park ranger and take a free nature walk and learn about the area and the animals. This is a great day to make the loop all around the park and view the terrific mountain views and see all of the different lakes. Jackson Lake Lodge is a perfect stop for a milkshake! The Indian Museum at Colter Bay is fantastic! A very special activity is to take the last scenic float ride down the Snake River. You will float at the base of the mountains and watch the sunset. (This is a different stretch of the river from the White Water trip) .
Day 5
You would not want to miss horseback riding and we have the BEST outfitter in the valley! No matter if you are a novice or an expert, you will love this ride up a mountainside with the valley spreading out below with the mountains encircling you. Your guides will be some of the same cowboys you saw at the rodeo. How about some music tonight? You may choose to attend one of the famous concerts at the Grand Teton Music Festival (just a 5 minutedrive) or perhaps you would like to two step it at one of the local bars and hear some authentic western music.
Day 6
Your last full day…oh what to do? Canoeing on a quiet mountain lake? Mountain Biking along the Snake River? Wildlife Viewing? Photography? Fly Fishing? Golf? Shopping? Tennis? Wait! We forgot Rock Climbing!! You could spend another week and not run out of things to see and do. You may even want to get up at sunrise and drive to Yellowstone for the day.
Day 7
Departure day. After a fond goodbye to everyone you have met at the Wildflower Lodge, we recommend the last trip to the Town of Jackson pick up some great artwork and gifts. This is a perfect time to visit the Museum of Wildlife Art on the way to the airport. Great western art and a world-class building. See you next summer! or how about winter?