Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [222]
Snake River Lodge & Spa
7710 Granite Loop Rd. (Box 348), Teton Village, WY 83025. ☎ 800/445-4655 or 307/ 732-6000. www.snakeriverlodge.com. 135 units. May to early June and Sept to mid-Dec $169–$299 double, $300–$900 suite; June to mid-Sept $229–$329 double, $450–$1,050 suite; mid-Dec to Apr $340–$380 double, $450– $1,250 suite. AE, MC, V.
Major renovations were completed here in 2003, and the perpetually changing establishment appears to have gained some stability under the ownership of RockResorts. Wooden walls, stone floors and fireplaces, and a stuffed bison accent the main reception area. The main lodge provides accommodations in which classy overshadows rustic, with exposed wooden-beam ceilings, down comforters, and luxurious furnishings. There are three levels of suites, from oversize standard rooms to three-bedroom versions with top-of-the-line kitchens, good sound systems, and Jacuzzi tubs. Two restaurants are on the mezzanine level: Gamefish serves regional game and seafood, and the bar and grill offers a place to unwind with just about any beer you can think of (including microbrews), pool tables, and sports on television. The 17,000-square-foot Avanyu Spa features everything from hydrotherapy to free weights. Winter visitors can ski directly to a locker room with whirlpool and sauna, and drop their skis off for an overnight tune-up.
Where to Dine
INSIDE THE PARK
COLTER BAY
John Colter Cafe Court
Colter Bay Village, across from the visitor center and marina. ☎ 307/543-2811. Breakfast $3–$6; lunch $5–$10; dinner $8–$18. MC, V. Daily 6:30am–10pm. Closed Oct–Apr. DELI/ FAST FOOD.
These are the two sit-down restaurants in the village (there's also a snack shop in the grocery store). They serve three meals daily during the summer. The deli serves sandwiches, chicken, pizzas, salads, and soup, and prices range from $4.50 for an individual pizza to $13 for a blue-plate special. The breakfast menu at the Chuckwagon Steak and Pasta House features a vast, scrumptious all-you-can-eat buffet. Lunch is soup, salad, and hot sandwiches; dinner is a buffet featuring entrees like trout, lasagna, pork chops, beef stew, and New York strip steak. The ambience is very casual.
JACKSON LAKE JUNCTION
The casual dining choice at the Jackson Lake Lodge is the Pioneer Grill; entrees are light, and less expensive than those at the Mural Room (see below). The Blue Heron lounge at Jackson Lake Lodge is one of the nicest spots in either park to enjoy a cocktail.
The Mural Room
Jackson Lake Lodge. ☎ 800/628-9988. Breakfast buffet $13, lunch $6–$13, dinner $17–$32. MC, V. Summer daily 7–9:30am, noon–1:30pm, and 5:30–9:30pm. Closed rest of year. BEEF/WILD GAME.
Jackson Lake's main dining room is quiet and fairly formal, catering to a sedate crowd as well as corporate groups; it's also more expensive than other park restaurants. The floor-to-ceiling windows provide stellar views across a meadow that is moose habitat, to the lake and the Cathedral Group. Walls are adorned with hand-painted Western murals. Dinner may be a grand, five-course event that includes shrimp cocktail, French onion soup, and Caesar salad, followed by Idaho trout, buffalo prime rib, vegetable lasagna, or rack of lamb.
Signal Mountain Lodge
At Signal Mountain Resort. ☎ 307/543-2831. Breakfast $4–$9; lunch $6–$9.50; dinner $10–$27. AE, DISC, MC, V. Summer daily 7–10am and 11:30am–10pm. Closed rest of year. SANDWICHES/MEXICAN/ECLECTIC.
There are three places to eat here, each serving delicious food in the friendliest style in the park. The fine dining room and lounge are the Peaks and Deadman's Bar, respectively, and the Trapper Grill supplements