Around the Blogosphere in Wyoming

>> Monday, September 21, 2009

A few weeks ago I was contacted by the Three Bay B Chicks from Moxie Media. They wanted to take a virtual road trip across the U.S. and visit bloggers in each of our 50 states. Sounded like fun to me! They sent their mascot - Moxie Mona - to take a tour of my fair valley. So, today, sit back and learn a little about this wonderful place that I call home!

I am fortunate enough to live in beautiful Jackson, WY. Jackson is a small town (population of about 10,000 permanent year round residents) at the south end of the valley of Jackson Hole. Jackson Hole, with about 20,000 year round residents, is about 80 miles long and 15 miles wide. We're bordered on the north by Yellowstone, hemmed in on the east and west by the Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges and taper to a canyon at the southern end. Grand Teton National Park consumes a good portion of the valley.

Looking down on Jackson from atop Snow King earlier in the summer

Jackson has four distinct seasons - Summer, Fall, Winter, and Mud. Summers are short but divine. Winters are long and can be brutally cold here, but with two ski resorts (the well known Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and the lesser known town ski hill Snow King), who cares! Bring it on! And if you don't downhill ski, you can always snowshoe, cross country ski, snowmobile, or just hunker down by a nice, warm fire. Mud season (otherwise known as spring in the rest of the country) is when residents do their best to leave this beautiful valley to get a warm, green fix elsewhere.

We did our best to show Moxie Mona (aka Supergirl to my daughter) a few of the sights in my small town. First stop, a view of the Tetons!


A tourist hub in Jackson is the town square. There's an antler arch at each corner of the square. Don't worry - no animals were harmed to get these antlers. Elk, deer, and moose naturally shed their antlers each year. Like every good tourist to Jackson Hole, Moxie Mona needed a picture in front of one of the famous arches.

She's there - really - at the very bottom of the arch on the inside left hand side.

While the locals tend to avoid the square in general (can you say tourist central? Though there are some good stores aimed as much at locals as tourists - and great restaurants - on and surrounding the square.), the local farmer's market draws us to the square every Saturday. It's not easy to grow stuff in our high mountain valley, so local fare can come as far away as Washington. It's fall here already, so we took Mona to the last farmer's market of the season - whimper!


Going on at the same time, the Fall Arts Festival. One of the highlights of the festival is the Quick Draw. Selected artists set up on the square with a blank canvas and have two and a half hours to complete a work of art all while a gaggle of people watch. It's fascinating to watch the works of art unfold.

You can kind of see the start of a painting of a bear in the background.

Alas, our time with Moxie Mona has come to an end. Wish we had time to show you more of the wonderful things this valley has to offer, but life is busy and Moxie has more places to visit. Hope she - and you! - had fun learning a little about our home in northern Wyoming!

Head to Mahem & Moxie to check out the other blogs involved in the Around the Blogosphere event. Take a virtual tour of the nation with Moxie Mona!

24 comments:

Tamara Dawn September 21, 2009 at 12:40 AM  

Hi there! Looks like Mona had fun! I love the pictures, so beautiful! I also do Meatless Mondays! I now follow so I can come back!

Unknown September 21, 2009 at 3:14 AM  

Good Morning! Love the pictures. MUD is definitely a season.

Super Healthy Kids September 21, 2009 at 4:01 AM  

Its beautiful! My husband and I went to Jackson Hole our first year we were married (about 13 years ago) and loved it.
thanks for sharing.

Scary Mommy September 21, 2009 at 7:12 AM  

Wyoming looks just beautiful!! Looks like Mona had a blast and she made me want to visit too!

Grand Pooba September 21, 2009 at 8:02 AM  

Oh my gosh I love Jackson! Haven't been there forever but I remember that antler arch, very cool! Looks like Mona had a blast!

MamaJoss September 21, 2009 at 8:23 AM  

MM sure did get to see the sites -- nice photos...and great post - thanks for sharing...I'll make it out there someday - have to!!

Sarahviz September 21, 2009 at 8:28 AM  

One of my college roommates lives in Jackson. This reminded me that I sooo need to visit her!

Claremont First Ward September 21, 2009 at 8:53 AM  

Jackson is stunning. I've heard Mona is artsy, so taking her to an arts festival was GOOD thinking.

Anonymous September 21, 2009 at 9:01 AM  

That quick draw thing sounds really cool - I'd love to see that - great tour - looks like you showed Mona a great time!

heidi September 21, 2009 at 9:03 AM  

I love Wyoming. I grew up in Rawlins & Casper and one Christmas we came to Jackson Hole for the week. It was a blast! Of course, our favorite destination was the Wind Rivers - such BEAUTY there! Looks like Mona had some fun.

S Club Mama September 21, 2009 at 11:23 AM  

My husband & I stopped in Jackson and rode up the ski lift on our way to Yellowstone when he proposed in 2005. I love it. :)

Heather of the EO September 21, 2009 at 11:44 AM  

Ah, that Mona, she's such a lucky girl!

Eve September 21, 2009 at 11:48 AM  

What a gorgeous place to visit! Thanks for the tour (lucky Mona)!

Dumb Mom September 21, 2009 at 2:09 PM  

Look @ Mona looking all sexy! Wyoming, looks neat. Like there are actually people there! Kidding! I knew there were people there, just not so many:)! Make sure you stop by when Mona visits Maryland!

Texasholly September 21, 2009 at 5:18 PM  

What fun. What a beautiful place to live.

Elizabeth Jarrard September 21, 2009 at 6:38 PM  

Hello!
I've been reading your blog for awhile and I had no idea you were in Jackson!! I grew up in Lander and just moved to Boston 2 years ago! Little WYO love!
If you are ever in need of a great dietician in the area-Therese Metherell is superb! I made the two hour journey one summer to see her once a month. She's definitely one of the reasons I am now studying to become a Dietician myself.

and the superwoman photo series is great. When i was 7 or 8 I made my mom do the same thing with Barbie-Here's barbie at old faithful. Here's barbie at glacier national park. here's barbie in front of the tetons. lol

have a great monday and take a big deep breath of that great mountain air for me!

cathy September 21, 2009 at 7:30 PM  

Thanks for all of the great comments, y'all!

And Elizabeth - What a small world! My husband hikes with Therese and we go to the same church. She really is a great person who lives the message she teaches others. She writes a regular article for our local newspaper as well. Good luck in your studies!

Anne September 21, 2009 at 7:39 PM  

Those pictures are beautiful and I love those antler arches!

Mayhem and Moxie September 22, 2009 at 6:24 AM  

The line that I loved most in the post? Most definitely, "summer, fall, winter, and mud." I had no idea. My husband spent an extended summer in Jackson Hole while we were in college. It has probably been 10-15 years now since that summer and he still talks about how beautiful your state is. :)

Thanks for playing along and being such an excellent host to Mona!

Live.Love.Eat September 22, 2009 at 9:16 AM  

I once drove through Jackson when I went cross country and it was beautiful!!!! You showed Mona a good time :)

Unknown September 22, 2009 at 10:50 AM  

I saw her! Wow, but that is a BIG arch or antlers! Jackson is a gorgeous place. Been there once, and would love to go back!

Alanna Kellogg September 23, 2009 at 12:21 PM  

Ha! If I'd only known! I spent two weeks in Wyoming in August, including several days in Jackson. Wherever we go, the big joke with my traveling companion is, "I know a food blogger in ____." But I couldn't say that in Wyoming!

I loved your state, the Gros Ventre is just spectacular and I shall never forget the sight of pronghorn antelope -- single file -- in migration.

Kameron September 25, 2009 at 12:08 PM  

What a gorgeous view from the mountain top! My son took to calling her Ginger Woman. I'm guessing that was 2 year old speak for Wonder Woman, but you never know! :o)

viagra online February 1, 2012 at 7:06 AM  

Someday I will visit Wyoming, some people said that is the happiest place is this world.

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