To follow on from my previous post, I wanted to touch on a few more things that make the Grand Teton National Park a great place to visit. I have already covered the Landscape, Walks and Wildlife, now its time to get down to the culture of the area.
The Grand Tetons are located in the state of Wyoming - a state known for its past and Wild West heritage. With wide stretching prairies, and local herds of Bison, Wyoming became known as the land of 'Cowboys and Indians'. The natural, wild, rugged and untamed landscape of Wyoming, attracted people to the area who wanted to find ways of taming the land. And thus, Cowboy culture began with the creation of ranches, and the romantic notion that the lifestyle brought with it adventure and excitement.
The Rodeo
A well known part of the Wild West culture, and still a big part of American culture today, is the Rodeo. The Rodeo became established as the pinnacle of courage, strength and tenacity. It features competitions and displays of skill, and focuses on the use of animals in its performances. Competitions include horse-back riding, bull riding, and lasso tests (catching a bull or horse whilst on horseback with a lasso).
Whilst I was in Jackson Hole, one of the local towns, I attended a Rodeo with my travel mates. I'd never wanted to go to the Rodeo - I am a big animal lover and I hated the idea of using them for entertainment. The main reason I went was because everyone else was going, and I thought I should challenge my views and see what the Rodeo is all about. When I got there I was shocked to discover how well they treated the animals. Bulls were only controlled by ropes for a few seconds, any animal that was lassoed was immediately released once it had been caught to avoid any possible injury, and the riders and Rodeo hosts seemed to show real respect for their animals. Regardless, I can't say I fully agree with the Rodeo, but if you want a quintessential taste of wild west culture, then the rodeo is the way to go!
Jackson
Looking for a more laid-back approach to enjoying the local culture, then look no further than the good town of Jackson. Located in Jackson Hole, this town looks like it was grown specifically for tourists. It has everything from tourist shops (perfect for souvenirs) and local art gallery's (it would seem there is a huge art scene in Jackson), to traditional American Salloon's where the bar seats are made out of saddles - the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is well worth a visit for any tourist passing through this quaint town.
Be sure to walk round the town square on your visit. The square is surrounded by four arches entirely made of Elk Antlers. As discussed in my previous post, the antlers all fall off naturally each winter, and are then collected by the local boy scouts from the National Elk Refuge. Some of these antlers were bought by the town to create these iconic archways - there are four of them surrounding the main square.
If you're looking for adventure there are a number of ways you can get it in the area. You can become a cowboy for a few hours by horse-back riding through Jackson Hole; this is something I did and although it was painful on the hips, I really enjoyed it (how cowboys did this all the time I have know idea!). You can go white water rafting along Snake river - if I had spent more time there I would have done this. You can also take advantage of the terrain and go mountain biking - my travel companions that went really enjoyed it. In the winter the area becomes incredibly popular with tourists looking to take to the snowy slopes - Teton Village is a resort set up for those who want to go skiing and snowboarding.
For more information about the Grand Tetons, feel free to contact me by commenting on this post, or via my contact page.
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