Jaunted - WY

Teton Travel: Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival

sedona — 2008-08-18T10:00:12-05:00

Wrap up summer and welcome fall in the stunning Western Rocky Mountains at the 24th Annual Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival in Wyoming. Much more than your standard, simple art fair, this one runs from September 4-21, with everything from Native American art to cuisine to music to gallery walks to workshops; in all, more than 50 events will take place over the 18 days.

Some highlights? The "Taste of the Tetons," which allows visitors to sample tons of food, dessert and wine in historic downtown Jackson (tickets are just $1 each). Or the QuickDraw Art Sale and Auction, where 30 artists create original works on-site and spectators can then bid on them.

There will also be tons of opportunities to view and buy Western art, jewelry and even to take in a Jackson Hole Cowboy Jubilee Historic Ranch Tour where you can feast on local barbecue, hear cowboy tunes and listen to area ranchers describe their daily lives. It just might help you prolong your summer dreams of escaping to the ranch a while longer.

Related Stories:
· Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival [Official Site]
· Datebook: Jackson [NYT]
· Fall Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: JacksonHoleWy.com]

Bear Bites Camper at Yellowstone

egw — 2008-07-18T11:15:19-05:00

Stephen Colbert was right! Two campgrounds near Yellowstone National Park have been closed at the height of tourist season after a bear attacked a camper Thursday morning.

The bear, believed to be a grizzly, entered a tent at the Soda Butte campground at the park's northeastern end and bit and scratched a man. It is not known whether he was camping alone or how old he was, but it appeared his food was stored correctly (a common draw to hungry animals in and near the park).

The National Park Service said the bear returned to the scene of the crime later on Thursday, proving that bears are not actually that smart.

Related Stories:
· Grizzly Crawls into Bed with Montana Camper [Great Falls Tribune]
· Scary Alaska Travel: Bear Mauls Teenage Girl [Jaunted]
· When Animals Attack coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: tut99]

Summer Vacations With An Edge: Climbing the Grand Tetons

DanielR — 2008-06-05T16:00:01-05:00

Jackson Hole is famous for being the adopted home of VP Dick Cheney, being on the fringe of Wyoming and not having a home for sale for less a couple million. While these three facts may deter some, it's also a mecca for American climbers and average people who want to be guided to the top of the Grand Teton, one of North America's coveted mountains.

Lucky for those with little or no climbing experience, Exum Mountain Guides has been in business in the Jackson Hole area for 79 years, offering more expertise and successful summits of the Grand than anyone else. This isn't for the faint of heart or those inspired from watching those Everest reality shows. If you decide to tackle this in your lifetime it's time to take out your polishing cloth and get those cojones their shiniest.

Trips up the Grand can be arranged in private or group trips, and the Exum guides are always mindful of your skill level, safety being their top priority.

Related Stories:
· Exum Mountain Guides [Official Site]
· Climbing coverage [Jaunted]
· Summer Vacations with an Edge coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Adam Dale]

Time to Buy New Chaps: Man Takes 1500-Mile Mule Trek

egw — 2007-08-21T16:04:34-05:00

Ow, pardner! A Minnesota man who was having trouble getting a job decided to travel to Wyoming with the help of his two mules, and made it -- only to turn back and go home.

Why go mule? Save the earth? Hardly. Rod Maday lost his driver’s license 10 years ago after he was accused in a hit-and-run, and was having a hard time finding work in his home state of Minnesota. Maday heard that Wyoming had plenty of jobs that paid well so he chose to travel nearly 1500 miles by mule even after one of his mules had to be euthanized along the way.

He didn't stay long though. Apparently he was mule taunted on the way into town and discovered quickly Gillette Wyoming was no place for a man and his mule.

Fifteen hundred miles on a mule? Will Ferrell, this is your Oscar calling.

WiFi Wednesday: Yellowstone Park Vacation Edition

pbb — 2007-05-30T11:19:11-05:00

Yellowstone National Park may be the iconic summer vacation spot for families. (Probably because of views like that one, above.) We don't have to tell you about what's happening at the park, but we do have to tell you that you'll only have to be isolated in nature if that's your thing.

That's because Yellowstone Regional Airport--about 50 miles from the park in Cody, WY--has free WiFi for your Internet-obsessed family. Now you certainly won't be getting stuck on a rough layover at YRA with hours to kill. (The airport has only a handful of flights.) But we have to applaud free 'net service anywhere we find it.

If you need to look up some last-minute geocaches or park info, this is the place. Once you're in the park, you won't even be getting online with your BlackBerry as cell service, let alone wireless, is hard to come by.

[Photo: Marc Shandro]

Related Stories:
· Yellowstone National Park [Official Site]
· WiFi Wednesday: Take That, MKE Edition
· Airport WiFi coverage [Jaunted]
· World's Best National Parks Map [Jaunted]

Mormon Pioneer Trail

sedona — 2005-07-29T09:49:47-05:00

Here's an idea for you vacation overachievers. Ever wonder what it's really like to be Mormon? No, not just wearing that 'CTR' ring and a short-sleeve button down. We mean their history of struggle and perseverance.

Now you too can experience the 28-mile trek the group endured as they settled in Iowa, Illionois, Wyoming, Nebraska and Utah in the mid-1800s. The Morman Pioneer National Historic Trail (part of the National Park Service) has gained tons of popularity in recent years. You can drive it in your car and camp out at two campgrounds. Or get provided with a free handcart and drag it in the hot sun as the early settlers did. And the whole gig is free unless you're bringing more then 28 people.

Related Stories:
·   Mormon handcart trek offers glimpse of pioneer struggles [CNN]
·   Mormon Pioneer Trail [National Park Service]
·   Mormon Handcart Companies [Official Site]