Every winter, Nick & I have started the tradition of going on a long weekend getaway for a ski trip! The only rule we have: every year, we have to try & go somewhere new! So far we’ve been to Whistler, Vail & this year, Nick surprised me for Christmas with a trip to Jackson Hole! JH has always been on our list and we were so excited to check it off & finally get to experience it this year. Today I wanted to share with you some of the details of our trip that will hopefully be of help if you are planning your own trip to Jackson Hole! Keep in mind, we went in the winter – so some of these recommendations may not be as relevant or active in the summer months. We would love to back in the summertime though, we’ve heard it’s beautiful!

Where We Stayed

There are two main areas in Jackson Hole where you can choose to stay. Downtown Jackson, or Teton Village. The distance between the two is about 20-25 minutes, and it’s a super easy, straight forward (and pretty!) drive. We decided to stay in Teton Village, at The Four Seasons Resort – just because it’s the basecamp of the mountain, and it’s ski-in, ski-out. Our room’s balcony was literally feet away from the basecamp chairlift! We loved that we had the mountain/village feel where we stayed – but had the ability to easily drive to downtown Jackson for meals, shopping, etc. We would always just take an Uber or Lyft to dinner in downtown Jackson. Teton Village also had some great restaurants & bars, which I’ll highlight later!

On deciding where to stay – if skiing is your priority, I would definitely recommend staying in Teton Village for the convenience (and beauty!). If you are more into the downtown, bar-hopping, touristy experience, I would recommend staying in downtown Jackson. You literally can’t make the wrong decision – both are amazing!

The Four Seasons Resort was great! The suites were spacious, the restaurants & bars were top notch – the Ascend Lounge has the BEST spicy margarita! That was always our pregame drink waiting for our Uber! Like I mentioned, we loved that it was the center of basecamp but still felt tucked away. There is a beautiful outdoor hot tub/heated pool that you could reserve ahead of time (COVID protocol!) but we never got around to it! There’s also tons of beautiful outdoor bonfires that you can bundle up and enjoy a drink by.

Where We Ate

Hatch Taqueria & Tequilas: Really yummy Mexican food and good margs in downtown Jackson, right off the square!
Local Restaurant & Bar: This was probably our favorite meal of the trip! We went all out. Nick go the Elk chop, I got the filet mignon. Be sure to try their charcuterie board & bone marrow if that’s your style – it was amazing. Also: if you like bourbon, get The Local or Huckleberry Old Fashioned. So good!
The Mangy Moose: This is a bar that was walking distance from our hotel in Teton Village. It’s rated one of the top Apres Ski bars – it has so much character and had really yummy nachos & bloody mary’s!
The Handle Bar: This is a pub/bar in The Four Seasons – but it’s definitely popular for non-hotel guests given its location! It’s right at the center of basecamp, and you can literally ski up to the entrance! They have a cozy patio and the inside is just as charming. It’s the best for lunch on a ski day. Nick & I shared their famous nachos (they cut them in front of you, in such a cool way!) and I had the egg drop soup for lunch, and a Hot Toddy – which was just what I needed after a few hours on the slopes.
Westbank Grill: This is the fancier restaurant in the Four Seasons – we just went for breakfast two of the three days! The smoked trout/avocado toast was amazing! Also, try their green juice…we loved starting our day with a little health!
Jackson Drug: This is the cutest restaurant on the square in downtown Jackson! We stopped here for lunch one day – they are known for their build-your-own grilled cheese, soda fountain & milkshakes! It was super cute and I can imagine that it’s packed during non-pandemic times!
Persephone Bakery Cafe: This was one of the places we had the most recommendations to go! It’s the cutest little bakery in downtown Jackson (there’s a couple of locations but we went to the one downtown) – the vibe is soo cozy and cute, and they have the best coffee! We got blueberry muffins and wow, so yummy!

Other places we either wanted to try & ran out of time, or were recommended by locals to try:

Million Dollar Cowboy – “the” bar in downtown Jackson
Snake River Grille – downtown Jackson
Yellowstone Garage – Teton Village
Gun Barrel – known for their wild game dishes
The Blue Lion – downtown Jackson
Bin22 – downtown Jackson

What We Did

Explored Downtown Jackson: Exploring a new town is always so fun – but downtown Jackson definitely has been one of our favorites! It’s so unique, has so much character & everything is walkable! We spent an afternoon walking around, going into shops, and got lunch at Jackson Drug. There are tons of Western-style shops with the coolest jewelry, clothing & accessories. My favorite shop downtown was Beaver Creek Hat Co – you walk in and it smells like leather & they have the coolest collection of western-style clothing, furniture, accessories and HATS! I really wanted to get a hat while we were in Wyoming and this was the place. They measure your head, you pick out the hat you want, they shape it to your head, size the brim & I even got to pick the decorative belt that went around the hat. It was the best souvenir ever!

Elk Refuge Sleigh Ride: This was such a cool experience! Although it was freezing and the wind was out of control – we still had so much fun. It’s a one hour sleigh ride through the largest elk herd in North America. They take you up close & personal to one of the herds (where about 400 elk were huddled together!) – but they said that there’s thousands of them in the refuge. We got to learn a lot about elk & the wildlife in the Jackson/Yellowstone area which was so fun! On our way to the airport on the day we were leaving, we also accidentally ended up finding the entrance the refuge and learned that you could drive through the back side! We drove through and that was a really cool experience too!

Ski/Snowboard: We skiied/snowboarded one day of our trip – like I mentioned our resort was right at the center of basecamp so it was super easy & convenient. The skiing was tough but it was beautiful! I recommend getting your lift tickets ahead of time, especially during COVID times!

Other Things You Should Know

National Park Access: Jackson Hole is nearby two of the most beautiful national parks – Yellowstone (57 miles away) & Grand Teton (basically in Jackson)! If we would have had time, I would have loved to do a snowmobiling trip through Yellowstone. We definitely want to go back and experience Yellowstone in the summertime!

The Airport: Okay the Jackson airport is a tourist attraction in itself! I could not believe how adorable and trendy it was. You land outside along the Grand Tetons and it is just so beautiful. It’s also peanut-sized, so you are in and out in minutes!

Look Out For Moose: This was seriously one of the highlights of our trip, haha! We were told by one of our Uber drivers that moose sightings were very rare – and y’all WE SAW ONE! Right on the main road going from Jackson to Teton Village. So keep your eye out!