Jackson, Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park

 Our lodging for the next three nights would be the Jackson Hampton Inn.  (BTW, Jackson is the town and Jackson Hole is the mountain valley where the town is located.)  It, like all lodging in the Grand Teton/Yellowstone area, was terribly overpriced, but turned out to be a nice stay.  We had a large accessible room which even had a whirlpool!  But what I'll call the COVID overcrowding began before we even got to Jackson.  A long, single-file, line of cars, RV's, SUV's, trucks and even off-road looking vehicles queued up for a slow crawl into town.  It took over 15 minutes to creep our way to the main square and turn to our lodging. 

Elk Antler Gateway to Jackson Main Square

We used the next day to explore the 40-mile long range of the Grand Teton peaks which stretch along the Wyoming border with Montana.  The park was established in 1929.  The Jackson Hole valley, which runs along the peaks and terminates at Yellowstone National Park, was acquired by John D. Rockefeller in the 1930's and eventually donated to the US to preserve the land for the nation.  That act was strongly opposed by locals who wanted to keep the land in private hands, a small indication of the kind of politics which has ruled Wyoming since.   

The next day we drove the entire length of the park, ending our trek at Jackson Lake Lodge with yet another magnificent view of the peaks.  Park services in all the national parks are still limited because of 

View of the Grand Tetons from the deck of Jackson Lake Lodge

ongoing COVID restrictions.  The restaurants at the Lodge were all closed and we were forced to buy take out and fight for a place to sit down and eat it.  But it was a relaxing day of beautiful views.  We returned to Jackson and a nice dinner at The Local bar and restaurant on the square after another long wait to enter the town. 

View of the Grand Tetons from the interior hall of Jackson Lake Lodge