Dubois

I used to live here—second through fourth grade, so maybe my memories are a little rusty, but I’ve also visited since then. Dubois is the most amazing little place, tucked away in “the Valley of the Warm Winds,” so the winters aren’t quite as harsh as in some other parts of Wyoming. Wooden sidewalks, surrounded by ranches, filled with honest-to-goodness cowboys who come into the bars at night.

Go to the Rustic Pine Tavern and Steakhouse for good food and drink—my very first place of employment.

If you’re in Jackson Hole for the skiing or Yellowstone for the geisers, think about making time to visit Dubois.

It’s a great little town (population around 1,500), about 45 minutes Southeast of Teton National Park and Yellowstone. It has its roots in logging, but is now a center for wildlife watching (especially the bighorn sheep), cross country skiing, backpacking (via the nearby Bridger-Teton National Forest), snowmobiling, and dog sled racing. Of course, there is also the occasional rodeo, and the Elks Lodge pancake breakfasts, and the rubber duck race down the Wind River, too. It is also the center for the Wind River Valley Artists’ Guild, which sponsors an exhibit of local and regional art each summer. All in all, a nice, small town.