It was the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, a time when most Southern California kids are relaxing at the beach or hanging out at the mall. But the L.A.-area family we met on our sleigh ride had just flown in for a few days of frosty fun in Jackson. They’d heard Jackson Hole offers everything from big-time skiing and snowboarding to world-class wildlife viewing, shopping and culture, and they weren’t disappointed.
In fact, it’s remarkably easy to blend the best of Jackson Hole’s indoor and outdoor attractions. From our cozy motel overlooking the National Elk Refuge, my family made the short drive to the National Museum of Wildlife Art, where we played with puppets in the children’s activity center, peeked inside the restored studio of noted artist John Clymer, and prowled through the gift shop. Then it was time to catch the shuttle bus to the elk refuge, where our horse-drawn sleigh waited (and where we met the vacationing Californians). Families huddled close together as our ranch-hand sleigh driver and guide explained how more than 7,000 elk migrate annually from the mountains to winter in Jackson Hole. The sleigh moved slowly through the herd – close enough for photos, but not so close to disturb the animals.