Always Going Back: Jackson Hole, Wyoming

 Red chenille sweater;  Apparis coat;  Spanx leggings;  Free People scarf and hat;  Hunter boots and boot socks;  Zac Zac Posen handbag;  Ray-Ban sunglasses SheIn sweater (c/o – 20% off with code Nik20);  Spanx leggings;  Hunter boots and boot socks;  Free People scarf;  Zara hat (similar here);  Carve Designs coat;  Ray-Ban sunglasses Spanx leggings;  Hunter boots and boot socks;  Carve Designs coat;  Free People scarf and hat;  Ray-Ban sunglasses – view from the deck at The Bird Sleigh ride through the National Elk Reserve Flights at Snake River Brewing The Wort Hotel Madewell jeans;  SheIn sweater and teddy coat (20% off with code Nik20);  Marc Fisher OTK boots (on major sale);  similar plaid scarves;  Zac Zac Posen handbag;  Amazon hat;  Ray-Ban sunglasses – shot at the Wort Hotel A couple of weeks ago, Eric and I and a few friends headed back to one of our favorite spots on the planet: Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Eric had been to this magical place before, but I first experienced it with him and a couple of friends last December.  We had so much fun that we decided to make it an annual thing, head there every December with whatever friends wanted to go.  Buuut, then we couldn’t wait that long and decided to check out Jackson in the summertime too.  Both seasons were amazing, both worth seeing.

This year we once again found ourselves in the penthouse at the White Buffalo Club.  (I highlighted that in this post, and while it sounds and is way bougie, it’s so ideal and actually affordable for a group.)  When people ask why we love Jackson so much, it’s really hard to pin it down.  This trip, we roamed, we listened to live music, some skied or snowboarded, I once again met up with Erin to snap a few photos, we ate ALL the food, and mostly, had all the laughs.  Below are a few tried and true favorites and a couple of new spots that we loved.

Breakfast at Persephone Bakery – The last couple of times that we visited Jackson, we picked up a few delicious pastries from Persephone, but this time, Erin suggested trying the full-on breakfast menu there after we shot a few photos around town.  And OH MAN.  It’s pretty much a full menu of everything I want to eat for breakfast.  I was seriously tempted by the bread pudding French toast, thought hard about the shakshuka, and eventually landed on the Scone Skillet (a gussied-up version of biscuits and gravy) and had no regrets.

Dinner at The Silver Dollar Bar at The Wort Hotel – During our first full day, most members of our group were snowboarding, so when it came time for dinner, we were all pretty beat.  (We even had tickets for a concert in Teton Village that night that we opted to skip.)  So we picked an old favorite that we stop in once (or several times) every time we visit Jackson.  The Silver Dollar Bar is a comfy spot with live music, friendly staff, and hearty food to keep you warm, and we always eat in the bar where it’s casual and cozy.  I usually go for the chili, but a friend ordered the beef pot pie which was the table favorite.

Breakfast at Cafe Genevieve – Be still my Southern heart, Cafe Genevieve was just as good as I remembered.  It’s seriously the coziest little cafe that feels like you’re in someone’s home, and the menu is packed full of things I want to order.  This time we slept in a bit so I was feeling more of a lunch mood.  The grilled cheese and tomato soup did not disappoint, and neither did the bloody Mary complete with candied bacon.  YUM!

Beer flights at Snake River Brewing – With full bellies and a few free days ahead of us, we set out to explore, and what do you know, after a swing through Town Square, I led our group right over to Snake River Brewing.  I remembered that when we visited the year before, there was a wood-burning fire so that we could warm up while having a local brew.  This year, the fireplace was empty, but the $15 beer flights (and a giant soft pretzel for me) kept our group happy for a while.

Lunch or afternoon snacks at Bin 22 – This favorite little wine market is only about a block or two from The White Buffalo Club, so obviously we found ourselves back at the Bin…several times.  Grab a bottle of wine for the road, or sit down and stay a while with meats, cheeses, and small plates.  Eric fell in love with the oxtail soup here this trip, made everyone go back the next day to try it, and has been raving about it ever since.  I can’t really speak on the oxtail soup (I didn’t try it, sorry!), but I was super jazzed on the housemade meatball.

Dinner at The Blue Lion – This one was a new one for us.  It came highly recommended and is located literally about 10 steps from our door at the White Buffalo Club, so it was a no-brainer for dinner one night.  It’s a dinner-only spot situated in an old house and has live acoustic guitar music most nights – basically, it’s cute AF.  Most of our group had the lamb or the elk and enjoyed it, and I loved the trout amandine.  We would definitely go back here on future trips.

Brunch at The Bird – Bird, bird, bird…Bird is the word.  Eric and I LOVED stopping into The Bird over the summer, and on this trip, it was a collective group favorite again.  We Ubered over to The Bird (it’s a bit out of town) and ended up spending more than a couple of hours watching the snow, catching a couple of games, mimosa-ing, and (duh) eating the dank ass food.  For me, the burgers are where it’s at, and with a ton of options to choose from, I’m going with the American cheese, grilled onion, and fried egg covered Slue.  Don’t judge me.  And once you’re fat, full, and happy, hop in their shuttle for a free ride home.

Sleigh ride through the National Elk Reserve – Jackson is home to a huge National Elk Reserve, and the last time that I ventured into it, we were a little too early for the elk.  For this trip, though, we were right on time, so we took a horse-drawn sleigh through the reserve.  The whole tour took about an hour, and while it was admittedly a little uneventful at times, we did get to see some pretty big elk up close and personal which made it totally worth the $25 (per person) we spent.  Also a side note: bundle up because it’s COLD in the winter.

Drinks and chili at the Rustic Inn – After the sleigh ride we headed across the street to the Rustic for a drink before dinner and mostly to thaw out.  The bar slash restaurant area is tiny but so cozy, and the staff that we met was super friendly.  The whole inn (resort really) is situated creekside and boasts some pretty sweet creekside rooms and cabins.  Eric and I hadn’t even heard about this place before, but we’ve decided we definitely want to try and stay here on a future trip.

Apps at Snake River Grill – I’ve chatted about this place in my previous two Jackson recaps, but good God, Eric and I love Snake River Grill.  The main courses are seriously dee-lish, but this time around we stacked up the apps and went IN on the small plates.  The steak tartare pizza is Eric’s go-to, and the lobster spring rolls and truffle tagliatelle pasta are new faves of mine.

Drinks and snacks at Roadhouse Brewing Co. – This is a newer spot right on the Town Square that we stopped into before heading to the airport, and the beers that I tried were GOOD.  I loved that we could create our own flight of locally-brewed beers, but I will admit that the service here was…bananas…in a bad way.  (To be fair, they were brand new, so we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on that one.)

xoxo