We are here for two more days, so I will share a bit of
history about Jackson. The valley was named for trapper, Davey Jackson. It was
first called Jackson's Hole, around 1829. The “hole” came from early trappers
and mountain men who primarily entered the valley from the north and east
descending along relatively steep slopes, giving the feeling of entering a
hole. They used the name “hole” for any high valley bordered by mountain ranges.
Hence, Jackson Hole.
The Jackson Square is a beautiful piece of paradise in the heart of downtown. All four corners of the square is marked by four magnificent elk antler arches and crisscrossed by an Old West boardwalk around the outside.
The Square's iconic elk antler arches date back to 1953 when local Boy Scouts teamed with the Jackson chapter of Rotary International and a number of community members to erect the very first arch. Three more followed over the next 12 years.
The downtown square culminates at the central sculpture of the square, a war memorial of a cowboy on a bucking horse.
It is the most unique war memorial I have ever seen.
Across town over 10 once-bland utility boxes have been
transformed into head-turners. The beautification project was a collaboration
between the town of Jackson and the nonprofit Jackson Hole Public Art. The art was
placed on the boxes in conjunction with the town’s 100th anniversary
celebration, in 2014.
Before the boxes could be wrapped, they had to be cleaned.
Jackson Public Works employees spent hours scraping off bumper stickers, yard
sale signs and tape residue, then scrubbing the boxes. The Clean Slate Group, based
in Bozeman, Montana, and has wrapped boxes across the West did the
installations with the assistance of Jackson’s Public Art Task Force.
Care was taken in matching each work of art with a
particular spot.
At the intersection of Broadway and Highway 22, Amy Ringholz’s owl swoops down on unseen prey in “Blindsided.”
Nicole Gaitan’s rendering of the Teton Range
enhances the wait for cars turning onto Broadway.
It’s rare when a pizza joint has to worry about
historic preservation before it bakes its first pie. Hand Fire Pizza did. It is
doing business in one of Jackson’s oldest buildings, the Teton Theatre. Built
as a movie house, it was in business from 1941 until it showed its last film in
September 2012. The Teton Theatre, was a victim of movie business economics,
which make it difficult to make a go of a single-screen theater. But the movie
theater marquee, metal and neon, were restored as it was. Hand Fire Pizza has a
separate sign.
Want to see the town from a different point of
view? Ride the Stagecoach. Tour downtown Jackson Hole in the carriage of a
horse drawn stagecoach. Stage coach rides are available around town square all
summer. If you are here in the winter, the alternative is to head to the
National Elk Refuge for winter sleigh rides through Jackson's resident elk
herd. I hate winter and snow, but that would be neat!
Even some of the cops in Jackson are still part of
the wild, wild west … they are on horseback!
Check out the door handles to this business … a
little wild west and a little elk refuge!
This store had a whole section of
purple and we came all the way to Wyoming to find a Florida pillow … kind of
makes you go, hhmmmmmm…
The Jackson Hole American Legion Post No. 43 is a
log building. The post was built in 1928-29 and functioned as a community
center. During its period of significance from 1929 to 1953 the post was
instrumental in the shift of economic and political interests in Jackson Hole
from a rural emphasis to urban interests. It serves lunch all week, in the
summer.
It seems to be a theme …
I found another historic Odd
Fellows building in Jackson. The International Order of Odd Fellows building
here was built in 1934.
We found these guys in the Jackson Mercantile store
and I had to grab a few pictures. I love the fact that they are working
together to paddle a canoe!
Guarding the outside door of the mercantile is a
large moose!
Nancy and I ended our adventure in downtown
Jackson with some homemade ice cream from Moo’s Gourmet Ice Cream.
The way they displayed their flavors was unique!
I had the Huckleberry and Nancy went for the Coco
Loco and Huckleberry! Eat your heart out Pattye! Our evening was a Yankee Event
of dinner and a show at the Jackson Hole Playhouse.
(pic 4209) Jackson's original town site, built in 1915 as a
livery stable, we are currently Jackson's oldest building! It wasn't until 1918
that the building was converted into a Yellow Stone stage coach, taking
visitors to and from this historic park. Two years later, in 1920, it became
the Model T Ford Dealership. As 1930 rolled along it became a bowling alley,
mercantile, and local post office. The original PO Boxes are still there,
behind the concession counter! In 1948, Vera Cheney brought her first piano
player from New York City and transformed the previous mercantile into a theater. Since then they had been known as Diamond Littles, Dirty Jacks, The
Pink Garter, and now we are The Jackson Hole Playhouse.
The proprietress, Vicki Garnick, has run The Jackson Hole
Playhouse since 1978. As a mother of eight, she is passionate about her patrons
experience and is an owner who is committed to bringing people together through
art, fine dining, laughter, and community.
We enjoyed dinner at Jackson Hole Playhouse,
actually dinner was in the Saddle Rock Family Saloon, which is next door and
attached to the Jackson Hole Playhouse. The restaurant is staffed by the young
actors and actresses, in period attire. While we ate, we were entertained by
the wait staff singing a few western favorites.
The dinner included salad in a wig glass jar with an edible flower on top. The dinner choices included Outlaw Meatloaf, Legg's Lemon Herb Chicken, Cutberth's Cajun Trout Filet, Wolf City Stagecoach Tomato and Flat Iron Steak Ballou. Our whole table had the Flat Iron Steak, it was delicious!
Since we had the early seating, we had time between dinner and the show. Originally, we were going to walk the few blocks into town to see the nightly "Shoot out," but timing was not right for that. So, we decided to check out the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and have drinks. It is listed as
It is a unique Western drinking and entertainment venue, established in 1937. True to its name, the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is no ordinary bar. Countless celebrities, presidents, royalty, cowhands, as well as people from all walks of life, have enjoyed great western fun within the walls of the iconic bar.
It is infamous for its unique western cowboy motif, complete with a large collection of western memorabilia, unique knobbled pine, cowboy murals in the shape of belt buckles, animal mounts, and genuine saddles for bar stools. The decor alone can keep you fascinated for hours.
The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is internationally famous for its western dancing and entertainment. Some of the finest entertainers in the country western scene have been known to take the stage here, including Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Jr., Asleep at the Wheel, Glen Campbell, Tanya Tucker, and Willie Nelson. The Cowboy Bar provides six days a week of live music and continues to feature local and nationally recognized bands.
Performance of The Ballad of Cat Ballou at Jackson Playhouse. It is a 1965 comedy Western musical.
The story involves a woman who hires a notorious gunman to protect her father's ranch, and later to avenge his murder, but finds that the gunman is not what she expected and falls in love. The young actors come from all over the US to work at the playhouse for their summers off of school.
Another great Yankee Adventure!
No comments:
Post a Comment