"Familiarity Code for Relaxation" - Time Out #195

Just what is the purpose of a vacation?

For me, it totally depends on the destination.

On many of our adventures around Planet Earth, my bride and I visit "new" places; simply put, we are seeing locations we have not seen before in our many years of traveling.

Some of these undiscovered places are seen for the first time via ocean cruise ships, others by way of river cruise vessels, and still others by land excursions. It is always exciting for Ms. Debbie and me to experience these new sights together, and, of course, document these happenings via our always handy cell phone camera photos.

Well, there is an important exception to our usual new discoveries travel that we cherish at least once each year. We always manage to re-visit this spot during our annual calendar outings.

Jackson Hole (JH), Wyoming.

My bride and I first traveled to this remote area of far northwest WY in the early 1980's, so for these 35-plus years, we have been there many, many times, It is truly a place to observe Mother Nature's magic, highlighted by the majestic Teton Mountains and the scenic Snake River, both within only a few miles from their famous town square. All 4 corners of this historic town square have a large, elk horn arch, leading into lovely, tree-shaded Washington Park. This setting is long-remembered after visiting the area once, or in our case, dozens of times.

So, with the historic town, Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), nearby Yellowstone National Park (YNP), and a plethora of activities available to the visitor, what do I enjoy the best when we regularly return?

Relaxation.

Because of our long-time familiarity with this special place, I don't feel under any burning desire to do a certain routine when we arrive on-site, except to merely relax.

We recently traveled to JH again to stay in our town home there, a home we have called ours since 2004. The view from our elevated north deck, looking out over the expansive National Elk Refuge, the majestic, snow-covered Tetons, and the evergreen-covered Snow King Mountain that serves as our immediate surrounding, is absolutely stunning! To smell that fresh, 6,200-foot altitude mountain air is so thrilling each time I step outside onto our wooden deck! It always takes my mind's eye back to our many great family experiences there over the years.

We always try to visit JH during the so-called "elbow" seasons. These occur twice each year, early-mid spring, and early-mid fall. During both of these calendar times, the large tourist numbers are greatly decreased, and the town's permanent population of just under 10,000 residents, are just about the only folks around then. During the hectic summer and early fall peak tourist months, the daily town population numbers swell to around 30,000 people! Wow! Because of these inflated numbers, for decades, my bride and I, have usually elected to visit during the calmer, so-called off-season times.

This year, we dined in several of their many delicious restaurants, and didn't have to make reservations, or face large gatherings of fellow diners. Also, the downtown and surrounding areas devoted to the shopping scene, were not filled with many like-minded people, trying to find that special gift or souvenir purchase. It was SO nice to wander into our familiar haunts, and not encounter any large crowds of American or international tourists.

One 65-degree, sunny, occasional puffy cloud afternoon, we drove our rental vehicle into GTNP, the jewel of the valley. Here, once again, we enjoyed the absolute splendor of watching the spring wake-up around Jenny Lake, Jackson Lake, and the wildlife mecca, the Oxbow Bend in the wild Snake River. Inside the park, there were almost no other humans, except for an occasional biker or hiker. It was just us with Mother Nature. The South Gate entrance to YNP hadn't opened yet, probably due to the Tetons receiving 528" of snow this winter season. On our last full day in town, we were blessed with a heavy late afternoon snowfall, so we truly had all types of weather during this adventure, Both adjacent national parks always inspire me to think about life's "big picture" when my eyes gaze upon their majestic scenery, and breathe deeply their incredible fresh mountain air!

Relaxation, that's what it's all about, readers in Our Town and far beyond. Simply relaxation...