The husband and I had left Yellowstone National Park (not without regret) and made our way to Jackson, Wyoming. We parked up on a side street and had a bit of a wander, enjoying the Wild West memorabilia stores and eyeing up the heinously expensive offerings on display in the windows of both Christies and Sotheby’s realty.
We stopped off at the Snake River Brew Pub where the Tall, Dark and Handsome husband sampled several choice pints (and a brandy glass of ferociously punchy IPA); while I tucked into an enormous pile of smores. Both mightily satisfied, I took the wheel (TDH unable simultaneously to sing, belch, giggle inanely and drive and so opting for the former three while forsaking the latter), and we made our way out of Jackson town itself into Jackson Hole, the valley in the Grand Teton Mountain Range.
The Jackson Hole Four Seasons in Teton Village is glorious, decorated in the style of an enormous and decadent wooden cabin. The hotel is surrounded by the famed Grand Teton Mountain Range and the alpine slopes are (in winter, at least) easily accessed from chairlifts just outside the hotel. There is a Ski Concierge, and Base Camp provides lift tickets, ski school and guide resources, expert equipment tuning and storage, and ski valet services.All skiing aside, the Jackson Hole Four Seasons would be a superb place to base oneself for exploring Yellowstone National Park during the summer months. Ideally you’d fly into Jackson Hole Airport to avoid any transfer from further afield, and once there you can enjoy a level of comfort not available at any in-park residence or hostelry; whilst still being within not-unreasonable distance of the park entrance (reached via the similarly stunning but entirely different Grand Teton National Park).
An array of artwork adorns the hotel interior and I gazed at several pieces in an achingly covetous manner. We were led to a spacious room with a very comfortable bed facing a sitting area and a super-slick gas-burning, glass-fronted, faux-log fire. There was a balcony looking out across the broad valley plateau to the distant Teton mountains. The bathroom was huge, with a separate bath and walk-in shower, and all sorts of lovely lotions, potions, creams and bath salts arrayed (but of course) on a piece of slate.Once we’d deposited our bags, we headed straight down to the outdoor pool and hot tub for a dip. There were towels in heated cabinets (a minor yet memorable decadence), in which we also hung our bath robes which were toasty when we put them back on. A swift turnaround and we went for dinner at the hotel’s Westbank Grill (reviewed separately).
An early start the next morning meant that we in position on the balcony in our robes and nursing hot mugs of coffee as the sun rose over the mountains to the East – one of a number of truly unforgettable moments during our honeymoon.
Before leaving for Salt Lake City and our flight to San Francisco, we were treated to a quite spectacular breakfast. There were juice menus at each place setting, with around twenty options; and we were to tick those that we wished to have freshly blended. I went for a beetroot, ginger and citrus mix. TDH had orange, pineapple, watermelon and basil (!). This latter arrived, a murky and somewhat ominous green colour, tasting very health-giving and not entirely unpleasant; while my somewhat more conventional cocktail was pleasant indeed.I had an omelette the size of a newborn bison. TDH chose, at the delightful waitress’s very eager suggestion, an astonishing concoction called “huevos rancheros“, which roughly translates from Mexican Spanish as “enormous platter of things that you would rarely if ever consider to be breakfast items. Oh, and some eggs.” Pulled pork, spring onion, red onion, chilli sauce, another chilli sauce, guacamole, two eggs over easy, some cheese and a crispy taco shell. Just writing all of that has made me feel hungry and queasy in almost equal measure. TDH battled through it like a man, safeguarding his place in the clean plate club; but subsequently requiring three large mugs of coffee to “cut through it” and draw him sufficiently from his food coma to allow for safe onward travel.
We packed up, loaded the Explorer and hit the road for the 300+ mile drive back to Salt Lake City; in the gratifying knowledge that we will surely return to Jackson Hole one day soon, have a longer stay at the Four Seasons a chance to enjoy the snow.
Four Seasons Jackson Hole
7680 Granite Loop Road, P.O. Box 544
Teton Village
Wyoming 83025 U.S.A
