Jackson Hole Summer Travel & River Trip Blog

 

As a West Coast kid who grew up pearl jam grunge in Seattle with jeans and flannel shirts lining the drawers, I chuckled as I read the New York Times article entitled “Dress for Success, Again,” which profiled these young 20-somethings who are ramping up the office dress code: “Today the well-off 55-year-old is likely to be the worst-dressed man in the room, wearing a saggy T-shirt and jeans. The cash-poor 25-year-old is in a natty sport coat and skinny tie bought at Topman for a song. Young men are embracing the “Mad Men” elements of style in a way that the older men never did, still don’t and just won’t.”

 

The article went on and on describing the younger generation that wants to revitalize fashion and bring back the suit and tie. Poor saps, I thought.  Thank goodness Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where everybody walks around in fleece and gore-tex, doesn’t hold true to the hoity-toity urban style.  Thank goodness we work in a place where the ski-bums can sit right next to the millionaires at the Brew Pub and you would never know who is who.  Anybody in a suit in this town immediately elicits the response, “Well, what’s with him?” 

 

Multiply that by a power of 100 at our Dave Hansen Whitewater office where we’re thrilled when guides show up with clothes that don’t smell like wet dog.  Standard uniform includes chacos, DH hat, board shorts, and a shirt that you bet your lifevest was sniffed that morning before deemed wearable.  About the most GQ we get around here is when our fashionable van driver matches his visor with his t-shirt, which guaranteed, gets an ooooh and ahhhh from the office staff. 

 

This suits my husband and I just fine.  I mean heck, Bud has such an aversion to formality that when he was in furniture sales, he would visit with major buyers wearing his suit and green Tevas on his feet.  No Gucci kicks for this kid. I remember one day when I was a teacher, I was so tired of wearing professional clothes, that when I played volleyball with the staff before school one morning, I pretended I forgot my dress clothes at home.  “Shucks, I’ll have to wear my sweats and tenneys to class today. Hehe”

 

So I read all this New York Times hoopla with smug indifference.  I was haughty, in fact, sighing in superiority as I gazed over at my husband and caught my breath. Not because he’s a 35 year-old hunk who benched 225 yesterday—but because he had on his Target river shorts and white crew socks…. Which suddenly reminded me: Wait, didn’t all those young 20-somethings smirk at his get-ups? Didn’t the office crew chortle when Bud would walk in with yet another mis-matched shirt and short combo? In fact, their regard for Bud’s style of riverguide clothes was so bad that they all pitched in for an end of the season present: new, stylish board shorts. Even a remote outdoor playground has its dress code standards.  The younger generation has spoken.

 

 

 

 

That’s right folks, Dave Hansen Whitewater is open for business! We ran our first scenic rafting trip of the season on Saturday, April 18th. Two customers and two guides, Cristina and Matt boarded a boat under the Wilson Bridge on this beautiful sunny day and floated all the way to the South Park bridge. Not only was it a beautiful sunny warm Saturday, but there was plenty of wildlife to be seen.  We saw eagles, osprey, a red tailed hawk, a falcon, and many American white pelicans.  And the wildlife was not sitting around either, the osprey were diving for fish, the pelicans were herding fish to eat, and we even saw an eagle and a red tailed hawk fighting over hunting territory! We even had our first junior guide for the season! Twelve year old sean got to try his luck on the oars, andhe learned a thing or two about the wildlife we saw.  Whether you live in Jackson or are just visiting, a leisurely float down the Snake River is a great way to spend a day!

The Snake River Brewpub has been a favorite of the local jacksonites for years, and now it is easier than ever for you to experience a local favorite. They have now expanded their location since last summer, and have re-opened bigger and better than ever. What a good way to end your day after a scenic or whitewater river trip with Dave Hansen Whitewater than with a cold frosty micro brewed beer and a tasty meal! Or be sure to check out their $7 lunch specials. The Snake river brewpub offers indoor and outdoor seating, and serves everything from tasty appetizers to delicious salads, pasta dishes, and sandwiches, and even mouth watering wood-fired pizzas. The beer that is served is brewed right there on site, and includes something for every beer drinker’s palate.  Cant decide what to get? Try their sampler, which includes small glasses of different beers of your choice. And brewpubs are not just for adults. Snake River Brewpub is definitely kid friendly, and they do have a kid’s menu. Be sure to keep an eye out for our own Will Pasquill, downing anywhere from 1-3 plates of nachos at happy hour after a long day on the river. Come experience a local favorite!

Down On Glen or D.O.G. is a locals favorite and makes visitors wish that they were locals. Their convenient locations right in town and at the gas station in Wilson make it the best decision for a quick meal to or from the mountain to ski, ride, hike or bike. Without a doubt they are most famous for their breakfast burrito. Probably one of the cheapest things in Jackson besides a pack of gum, at $5 this delicious steal will fill you up until dinner and leave you looking forward to breakfast in the morning.

That’s right folks, if you bring your kids down the Snake River with us they could be granted the position of a Jr. Guide! All the guides at Dave Hansen Whitewater love the energy that kids can bring to a river trip, and also recognize the fact that not all kids want to sit still and be quiet through an entire 2 hour river trip. We have come up with some ways to engage your children, while educating them about guiding rivers and about the wildlife that we might see.  Kids on a scenic river trip will receive an activity booklet with a word search, a wildlife bingo card, and a tally sheet for animals spotted.  They will be taught how to spot eagles, and as our official eagle counters they will tally how many eagles we see on a trip (last year’s record was 23 eagles in one trip!).  And then, as if all that is not exciting enough, kids will be encouraged to have a go on the oars, with the guide’s help of course.  And for the more adventurous kids who are going on a whitewater trip, they will get a chance on the oars on the mellow mile and will learn a lot about safety on whitewater rafting trips.  At the end of the trip, the guide will award those who participated a Dave Hansen Whitewater Jr. Guide patch that the kids will get to bring home as a memento of their river trip. Kids of all ages and abilities, come join us!

OK…so when I was running trips for dear old Uncle Stan at Snake River Park back in the college days (check out the my story page on our website… www.davehansenwhitewater.com/about_us.shtml ) Billy’s Burgers might as well been our kitchen.  Everyday, after being on the river all day and maybe just eating a banana or granola bar, we would come back to town, sit on the counter barstool at Billy’s and put away at least one half pound burger, and yes sometimes two!  It was the perfect ending to the day.

This is not only the best burger in Jackson Hole, but one of the best burgers I have ever had…and I do consider myself an expert in the field.  And still, to this day, the price for the half pound buger (with grease and juice dripping down your elbows) and a basket of fries is still just $5.25 with tax.  An absolute steal in Jackson Hole.  The place is usually packed, but don’t be too discouraged because they move people out pretty quickly.  You can also order the burgers inside the Cadillac bar or also order the burger to go and just cruise on over to the Town Square park across the street and eat it there.  If you can though, it is fun to sit inside the Billy’s portion of the restaurant…it is very lively and entertaining.  Whatever you do though, don’t miss this meal!  It is located right on the Town Square, inside the Cadillac restaurant, which is right next door to the Million Dollar Cowbay Bar.

Side note…working on the river could not have been a better job for a college person…but I always had the dream of flipping burgers at Billy’s.  The running commentary with the customers, the chance to say “Order Up!” after every burger that was completed, free burgers all the time (that could have been dangerous though)…it would have been a dream.  Tried to get a part time gig there once, but the shifts just did not work well with the river schedule.  I am still holding out hope though one day…OK…this is getting too deep!

DHWW and Grand Teton Covered Wagon Team team up again this season to give you a great day of activities in Jackson Hole: a river trip down the Snake and a covered chuckwagon dinner with beautiful scenery and a HUGE steak dinner.  We are so excited to be working with the Castagno Family again.  Just talked to Steve today and they are ready to get into summer mode after running the elk tours all winter on the elk refuge that is just north of Jackson Hole.  With the whitewater trips taking place in the Snake River Canyon, the scenic trips giving you views of the Tetons, and the wagon ride taking you through buffalo valley, this package truly gives you the chance to see the entire Jackson Hole area while doing two of the most popular and requested activities during the summer time.  From the scenery that you will see from both trips, to the excitement of the whitewater, to the delicious hand cut rib eye steak you will be eating that evening, there is no better way to spend your day.  Check out our package page (http://www.davehansenwhitewater.com/packages/covered_wagon.shtml) for more info.

So…where does the crew from DHWW go after work.  It is usually to the Snake River for some more rafting or fishing…but if they are hungry, Teton Thai is a very popular stop.  Very informal and casual (and cash only), but the food is very good and authentic Thai.  Definitely the best Thai food in Jackson Hole and one of the locals favorite restaurants.  It is located on Cache just a half block or so south of the Town Square.  Check out their website too: www.tetonthai.com/aboutus.html. There is no problem with bringing your own beer or wine.

Well, this is up for debate, so we are going to have to suggest two places.  The first is Billy’s Burgers.  They are located right inside the Cadillac Restaurant and you can either sit at the diner like counter or inside the Cadillac Bar.  The burgers are solid half pounders and come with a basket of fries…all for $5.50.  Definitely a local favorite.

 Then you got the Buffalo Burger at the Wort.  There are all sorts of way to order this (plain, bacon, chili) and they are all great.  Definitely try the sweet potato fries too.  Not quite the deal that Billy’s is, but still a great meal