Jackson Hole’s best kept secret – Teton Valley Resort

Early in 2021, my best friend looked at me and said those magic words – “I have flight credits to use, where are we going?”
She knows better than to threaten me with a vacation so after some back and forth, we settled on Wyoming in August.

The itinerary included Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Badlands National Park, and a three day drive back across the country to Maryland. I was in charge of booking hotels, she was assigned restaurants, and as long as he didn’t have to make any decisions – my dad was happy to pay for everything.

One leg of our trip was going to land us in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and if you are at all into winter sports, I’m sure you have heard of this very popular, very expensive, ski town at the base of Grand Teton National Park.
Now, as stated above, there were three of us on this journey. I scoured Airbnb, VRBO, and Google in order to find enough beds and some privacy for all of us. Unfortunately, the closest place I could find that checked all the boxes was in the nearby town of Wilson and it was, hands down, the most expensive place I had booked for the entire trip.

Don’t be fooled, I had a plan. I booked this property because it had a cancellation policy (I do love a good cancellation policy) for a full refund if canceled the day before our check-in date. This way, we were guaranteed somewhere to sleep and I could find something cheaper as we got closer.

More often than not, the best memories are made off the beaten path. Had I known what I know now, I would have skipped Jackson Hole entirely.

Over the mountain and through the woods…

Over the mountain, about 30 minutes west of Jackson Hole, is a place called Victor, Idaho. In this town, at a place called Teton Valley Resort, we found a small cabin for under $300 for the night.

I was born and raised an East Coast girl and this trip to Wyoming was my first time experiencing this part of the world. I will do my best to describe the effect but I know that words, much like pictures, will never do it justice.

As we rolled into town, we were greeted with Grand Teton Brewing. I’m a avid craft beer drinker but that pint hits your soul a little different when sitting in an Adirondack chair next to your two closest friends, overlooking breathtaking mountains for the first time in your life, and breathing in the unique mountain air. Watching the families playing life sized Jenga and talking to the bartender as she so patiently dealt with my father took that East Coast hustle right out of me.

With this new sense of peace (and potentially a small buzz), we swiftly made our way to the hot tub at the resort as soon as we got back. As with any new place, my not so subtle extrovert came out to participate in conversation with others enjoying the relaxing moment – including two friends who had just completed a 16-mile hike in Grand Teton and a couple who quit their jobs and were enjoying nomad life in their camper for a few months.

Waking up the next morning in the peace and quiet to the sunrise coming up over the distant mountains is a good reason to get up early in my book. A quick shower to get the day started and we ended up at a small, locally owned café nearby to grab a delicious breakfast. After that, it was back down the mountain to move on to the next stop.

A small mountain town…

If you have it in your mind what a small mountain town might look like, I guarantee Victor, Idaho would be exactly what you’re picturing (one gas station and three stop lights).

So if you’re looking for an active location and you’ve got money to spare, Jackson Hole is for you. It is what I would easily describe as a “tourist town.”
However, if you’re looking to get away from the tourists and Jerrys to discover something different, I would highly recommend the campgrounds, the restaurants, and the pace you will find in Victor, Idaho.