Fourth of July in Grand (Teton) Style

Yikes, I find myself sitting here on the patio in 70 degree weather with a glass of wine, after a 10.4 mile hike, watching the sun (which is thinking about setting over the Teton Mountain range) and I realize..."I haven't blogged in a very long time!" So, as long as my battery on my computer lasts (cuz there is no way that I am getting up from this comfy chair with a beautiful view and a full glass of wine) I will try to catch you up on our glorious days of summer since my last blog.

I can truly attest now, that summer was definitely worth the very long wait (and who really cares that we didn't have a spring anyway)! As I stated in my last blog, we have been Too Busy Having Fun To Blog! Once the weather "switch" was turned "on" to summer we have had the most spectacular weather. The days are sunny, warm and long - therefore I find myself out and about enjoying until the sun goes down and then all I have time to do is go to sleep to rest up for the next beautiful day. Blogging was much easier when the weather was cold and the days were short! BUT, I really want to share with all of you the beauty and splendor of summer.

The blog seems to be working, as we just welcomed both my Mom and Ernie and Barry's Mom and Jack for a week of fun (see the next blog). And my brother Mike (with Terri and Shayna of course) and Barry's brother Harvey (and Kim) are visiting, as well as the Mazurek's and the Greiners - we can't wait!!! So jump on the gravy train (whatever that really means) and plan a trip out here - the pictures only give a glimpse of the true beauty and grandeur. (My good friend here in JH thinks that I should stop posting all the beautiful pics, but I can't help wanting to share and encourage all of you to visit - it is wonderful...and of course we miss you!)

So back up to the Fourth of July - Jackson Hole is probably one of the few towns that still celebrates in the old fashioned way. I can see why many folks want to raise their kids in this small town...it is like Mayberry...with beautiful views! We started out at our neighbors home for a delicious breakfast of homemade walnut waffles - yum - and no calories since it is a holiday! Then it was into town for the Fourth of July Parade on the Town Square!

Waiting for the Parade to start. It was a cool and almost rainy morning, but cleared up just in time for the parade!

Our Community Volunteer Band

Jackson Hole version of the Statue of Liberty!

Our Mayor - Mark Baron!

Rotary Club is huge in this little town - only real float in the parade!

Elvis "lived" in Memphis when I was there. He has been reading my blog though, and came to JH to celebrate the Fourth of July in style! Thank you...thank you very much Elvis!

Small town USA - gotta love it!!!

The Farmer's Market threw fresh corn on the cob from their float!

Lucky kids collected lots of candy, Frisbees, T-shirts and Corn on the Cob at the Parade!!

The JH Originals

Our Ski Village was well represented in the Town Parade

Yellowstone National Park Tour Bus in the Parade

Our neighbors Mayce and Alex had a "float" in the parade for their company Live Water Properties....anyone interested in a property with Live Waters, we know the folks for you to contact!

After the parade we headed off for a hike in the Gros Ventre Range to Atherton Ridge. The weather changed from overcast and cool to beautiful just in time for our hike. We drove just a bit north and east of town to the Slide Lake area and hiked a 7+ mile hike with amazing views, stunning wildflowers, and 1400 feet of elevation gain...a good workout to burn off that delicious breakfast!

Overlooking Slide Lake

On the ridge line above Slide Lake

You can purchase a Christmas Tree permit for $5 in the fall and then you are permitted to cut down any tree in the Bridger Teton National Forest. I have found my Christmas 2011 Tree...isn't it perfect? Not sure how Barry will get it from the top of the mountain down safely, but he always comes through for me. It will be a very Merry Christmas trimming the tree @ the Nelsons this year! Thank you Santa Barry!!!

Just as we got to the top of the ridgeline, we were welcomed with a beautiful view of the Tetons! We are still awestruck everytime we see them (which is every day we live out here)!

Not a bad view for a Fourth of July Picnic!

On our way back down the canyon (after a few wrong turns) to get ready for the evening Fourth of July festivities!

The Summer Wildflowers are really starting to bloom everywhere.

We came home after our long hike to get ready to “hit the town” for the big holiday. Ashley had a party with the folks that she works with @ Jackson Hole Whitewater in town. Barry & I had a bit of a diversion from our “traditional” 4^th of July BBQ. We went into town and enjoyed Thai food (thanks to Derek’s inspiration, since he had called and told us he enjoyed the same in NYC) at our favorite Thai restaurant and Brewery – Thai Me Up. We then headed to the town ski hill (Snow King) for the fireworks. They were AWESOME! Supposedly ranked in the top 5 displays in the Nation (can’t verify who does the rankings)! They were spectacular, but I am truly a kid at heart and love any fireworks displays (set off by professionals – not my Uncle Eddie’s displays)!

OOOHHHHH!

AAAHHHHH!

LOVE OUR FREEDOM!

 We also were able to enjoy a few other weekend festivities around town on the holiday weekend. Ashley had to work (somebody has to in this family) so Barry & I hiked Ski Lake and then headed to the Village (Ski Area) for a concert on July 3rd. Ashley met us out there and we enjoyed great music and dinner under the stars.

When we completed our hike we went to the village market and stocked our backpacks with some good happy hour gear. Once we got to the village a huge storm cloud rolled in and it started raining - our first summer storm. No worries, happy hour continued in our car! In Wyoming if you don't like the weather, just wait10 minutes and it changes! And that it did... a glass of wine/beer later and we were out in the Village Commons enjoying the concert!

Concert in the Village Commons on July 3rd

 We had looked forward to hiking off the Teton Pass Road (Pass through the mountain to Idaho). What we did not consider was that the elevation was 2,000 feet higher than JH to start and we were planning on hiking to even higher grounds. So needless to say our hike as full of snow and ice - no wildflowers yet! It was a warm day, luckily, but still not quite the time to be hiking to Ski Lake. We arrived at the lake and it was still half frozen, but enough water for Bella to happily swim!

Ski Lake on July 3!

Properly named Ski Lake - we just forgot our skis on July 3rd!

So our weekend started with mountain biking and included lots of hiking, a parade and Thai food. Not what we traditionally get to enjoy on the Fourth of July. But I must say that we can't complain! Hope that next year we will have some friends or family out here to enjoy the festivities with us!

Jackson Hole Interesting Fact:
For those of you who are "Modern Family" fans....

The producers of “Modern Family” have announced that they will film the season 3 premiere of the hit ABC series at Lost Creek Ranch in Jackson Hole. “Modern Family” is a popular television show with over 12 million viewers that follows the trials and tribulations of a large, blended family and how they cope in their own unique ways. The premiere episode will air Wednesday, September 21st at 8:00 pm Mountain Time on the ABC Television Network with filming taking place in mid August. The show considered several locations across the West before settling on Wyoming. Executive producer Steven Levitan says the cast and crew couldn’t be more excited. In Levitan’s words “Jackson Hole will make a wonderful backdrop for a fantastic season 3 premiere.” Officials of the top-ranked show explained in a news release issued Wednesday morning that Lost Creek Ranch became their top choice based on its beautiful scenery and its willingness to be flexible as the production company chooses its production dates. Governor Matt Mead applauded the announcement saying the episode on network television will benefit the state by showcasing Jackson Hole and the state’s iconic western images.

Happy Summer to all!