Cross Country – Tacoma to Naples (11)

To Ketchum/Sun Valley, ID, to Yellowstone National Park through Grand Teton National Park to Jackson, WY

Leaving Butte, Montana, our next destination was Ketchum, Idaho. A good part of our drive offered the following view:

Fortunately, we had some interesting diversions, like the Craters of the Moon Lava Field. The field spreads across 618 square miles and is the largest Holocene-aged basaltic lava field in the contiguous United States. The national monument/preserve is well organized, so, it is an easy drive through areas of the fields to see the landscape.

Arriving in Ketchum, Idaho, we checked into the downtown Hotel Ketchum. Ketchum is located in the Sun Valley area and is a “bustling resort town,’ which became a popular ski destination with the settlement of nearby Sun Valley with Bald Mountain drawing world class skiers. Before I comment on our Ketchum/Sun Valley experience (which was good), a bit of history seems appropriate. Sun Valley exists because of three men, Steve Hannagan, William Averell Harriman (He was married to Pamela Averell Harriman who had been married to the son of Winston Churchill. She became a U.S. citizen and much later was appointed as the US Ambassador to France), and Count Felix Schaffgotsch. A trip turned a crazy idea of “building a magnificent palace in the snow into a reality.” Harriman was chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad and had the financial means, Hannagan was a marketing genius and the Count found the perfect spot. The charming count also had the direct line to the best ski instructors in Europe. And so a legend was born.

We spent most of our time in Ketchum but did go to the Sun Valley Resort for lunch at Gretchen’s. As it turns out, there were two professional ice skaters practicing while we had lunch, so, we were well entertained. I was surprised as to the mountains of Sun Valley as they were not tree covered like the mountains on the west coast. Near the Sun Valley Resort we also stopped at the Hemingway Memorial. In 1959 he bought a house in Ketchum and lived there until he committed suicide in mid-1961.

Ketchum is a charming town with a pretty park taking up much of a city block and an array of good restaurants and even better shops. We dined at two restaurants, Enoteca and the Town Square Tavern, and both nights had Idaho trout, which was delicious. Our hotel location also made it easy to walk to and from dinner. Many of the shops were high end, and, we did our duty aiding the Ketchum economy at a fabulous kitchen shop and another shop with wonderful accessories.

Leaving Ketchum we drove to Yellowstone National Park, entering via the West Entrance with our first stop being the Fountain Paint Pot area. Then it was on to Old Faithful before heading to the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, where we spent two nights in a room with a great view of Lake Yellowstone. The hotel was built in the late 1800s and is the oldest hotel in operation in Yellowstone National Park. The “pluses” were our room and view; the “negatives” were that there was no Wifi or cellular service, and, quite honestly, the dining options left most everything to be desired. Buffets meals were the only option, and, the waits to eat were long. The food would have been fine except it was always cold. After an unsatisfactory dinner and breakfast, we stopped at one of the General Stores and bought sandwiches, fruit and snacks and enjoyed them overlooking the lake view.

We spent the next day driving the Grand Loop, visiting the Upper and Lower Falls, the Artist’s Point and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Following are pictures from the Park.

Leaving Yellowstone we drove through the Grand Teton National Park to Jackson, Wyoming. Jackson is a small town in the Jackson Hole Valley, and, again, a popular tourist destination due to its proximity to ski resorts and the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The restaurant in Jackson, which I had selected to try, The Bunnery Bakery and Restaurant, was closed due to staffing issues, which was quite disappointing! It was a quick stop in Jackson and then on to Salt Lake City,