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8 a.m. Breakfast on the patio of a historic log cabin
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This is Wyoming, where many early settlers in what is now Grand Teton and elsewhere often staked their claims to public land under the Homestead Act of 1862 by building rustic, one-room homes. So it’s only fitting to start the day with breakfast in a 1911 log cabin listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Cafe Genevieve, with a shaded, peaceful patio, is just the spot for vacation fare like chicken and waffles ($22) or breakfast s’mores ($20) — Nutella french toast with toasted marshmallow graham cracker crumble.
10 a.m. Ride the high wire to the summit
Drive west out of town and then north along the Moose-Wilson Road for the 30-minute trip to Teton Village. Take a 12-minute ride ($58 one day in advance, $64 walk-up) on Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s tram to the 10,450-foot summit of Rendezvous Mountain. (Bring a jacket; it’s windy at the top.) Fiddle with your smartphone’s photo features as you fail miserably to adequately capture a fraction of the 360-degree views of the mountains and the vast Jackson Hole valley. Hike along the Top of the World or other summit trails, where you might spot paragliders, mountain bikers or rock climbers. Then watch for moose, foxes, black bears and golden eagles as you ride the tram back down.
12 p.m. Drive the slow road to Moose
Continue north from Teton Village along the eight-mile, final section of the Moose-Wilson Road. This meandering, scenic route (partly unpaved) was once prone to flooding thanks to overly busy beavers. (Today, it is prone to occasional repairs and construction holds.) At the road’s terminus in Moose, stop for lunch at the 100-year-old Dornans, whose adjacent wine shop has been a trailblazer since 1978 in bringing fine wines to the region. Buy a bottle and enjoy it with no corkage fee along with a Thor Peak pizza (caramelized onions, Canadian bacon, pepperoni; $21 for a 12-inch) on the rooftop deck visitors often miss. Drink in your last views of the Cathedral Group, three jagged giants each over 12,000 feet in elevation: Teewinot Mountain, Mount Owen and, at 13,775 feet, the Grand Teton itself.
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