Jackson So Far
May 12, 2012We have officially been in Jackson for a week now! It has taken me a while to post, mostly because I feel like I am either exploring a new area or running errands to buy all the little things needed when moving into a new place.
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This is taken from the elk refuge, which is right on the edge of town and has a great trail along it. In the winter, it is full of elk and later in the summer, bison will be here. Jackson is between the two buttes and runs along under Snow King, the one on the left. The ski runs on Snow King may look tame in this picture, but the ones you can see here are double black diamonds!
Overall, we are loving it! There are definitely some notable differences here, and the top difference is probably the weather. The first morning we were here, I went out to take Sammie on a walk as usual... and it was SNOWING! I was pretty much in shock. May? Snow? Seriously?! It was really only a few flurries on and off throughout the day, so it wasn't too bad. Sammie did become quite hyper later in the day when we were at a dog park and it started snowing. The cool weather definitely brings out more energy in her! I have a feeling she will be a major motivating factor in getting me outside this winter when it is truly cold. (30-40 degrees is nothing here!) For the most part, days are in the 60s-70s and rising and lows are in the mid to high 30s. The sun is so strong here, though, so a 70 degree day here feels plenty warm. I think we are both more tan than we were in Charleston!
The hiking here is amazing. Sammie is especially a fan because she gets to go off-leash! Actually, most of the dogs are off-leash even in town. Having one (or more) dogs run out to greet you from every other house can be a little overwhelming sometimes, but the ones that are roaming free are usually very friendly. Since I don't trust Sammie to run around town freely, (mostly because of cars and buses) she only gets this privilege on the trails where it is safe for her. Luckily, we have several trails within easy walking distance of our apartment! This has been so great- much nicer than just walking around town every day. The hikes can be challenging sometimes. I am definitely not used to the hills, but I'll get there eventually. We haven't done any major hikes yet, but we are planning to hike up Snow King this weekend, which is a popular summer activity. It is 2 miles to the top and then I think there are some other trails you can take once you're up there. We'll see how that goes!
You'll never get me back on that leash!
One funny thing that I have to point out is the pedestrian crossings. There are a couple in town that are not part of an intersection, and they take these very seriously! There are actually bright orange flags that your are supposed to take across with you while you walk for safety, even in the daylight. I just can't get over this. I think it's hilarious. One day we were in a restaurant and had a view of the crosswalk and I saw a cowboy (yes, cowboys are real and plentiful here) walk across with the flag in hand. Maybe I'm the only one that thought it was funny? Here they are:
The other day we had to cross this intersection. William carried the flag and I couldn't stop laughing the whole way across. Please also note the Subaru driving by. I may have to buy one of these if I ever want to fit in here. Ok, not really, but they are everywhere.
We have also been lucky that May is off-season in Jackson and lots of great restaurants are running 2-for-1 specials. If that happened in Charleston, I can't even imagine how crowded it would be! Here, it truly is off-season, which never seems to happen in Charleston, so there is always an open table. Both of the restaurants we have been to for this deal have had "southern" food! One restaurant, Cafe Genevieve, had fried chicken, mac and cheese, etc. and the other one was a barbeque place called Q Roadhouse. William got the brisket at Q and it was actually delicious! They also had fried pickles, hush puppies, pulled pork barbeque, and shrimp and grits. Even though both restaurants had other types of dishes as well, this has definitely been interesting to see.
Today we are going to a bike store that is having a used bike sale, as well as free food and drinks, and then to the Jackson Eco Fair, where you can BYO mug for a free, local microbrew!
Thanks for reading! I will try to post more regularly from now on.
2 comments
We are going to try the orange flag pedestrian crossing in Gregg Park.. we'll see how that goes! Did William get a bike?
ReplyDeleteAre the pedestrains supposed to carry the flag across like they are here? That's crazy! Which intersection? No, he didn't... they are actually doing a clean-out of the bikes at our apartment. They put yellow tape on all the bikes in the storage room and any that don't have the tape removed by the 22nd will be taken by the HOA. William has his eye on a bike with no seat or pedals that he will probably take in the morning on the 22nd if no one has claimed it. We'll see!
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