Today was day #3 of preparing the store for our Saturday opening. We drove out of the campground, focused on getting to work on time. What did we see in front of us a few miles down the road? A herd of about 25 bison who wanted to cross the road. And they don't like to be hurried. We grabbed the camera and started taking pictures from the car - with the windows rolled up! Respect for wildlife and sharing this breathtaking environment with them is one of the focus missions at Grand Teton National Park, and this situation is a perfect example.
It was certainly wildlife day, as we also saw a moose on our way along the main road. Unfortunately, the moose was too far from the road to get a good picture.
The pictures taken Thursday morning of the interior of the store show that we are not ready to open just yet. The first picture is a view towards the camping supplies, clothing, and souvenir items side of the store. Cardboard boxes everywhere! We each were supplied with our own personal box cutter to recycle the boxes after we empty them, another focus mission of the park. In the 2nd picture, I am standing at one of the two grocery dept. cash registers preparing an energy drink display that will sit next to the register. Notice the walls of the store are made of logs. We have at least one woodpecker who serenades us in the mornings.
The view of the hallway leading out the back door of the store shows over 40 boxes that contain various camping supplies and souvenirs that still needed to be unpacked and sorted. And this view is after we unloaded boxes for two straight days. We also received basic cash register training as well as store opening and closing procedures.
In response to several of the questions that have been asked in our blog comments. We carry 4 different brands of beef jerky, all in at least three flavors. We also carry about 20 types of trail mixes in several different size packages as well. We do not have "slurpees", but we will have a "smoothie" machine which we have not seen so far. Who needs a smoothie when there are still snow flurries, as there were yesterday. However, we do not sell any alcoholic beverages. Campers in the adjacent campground (tents only) have to bring their own adult beverages.
Wednesday night we took a trip into Jackson, about a 10 mile journey, to enjoy happy hour at one of our favorite places to eat--The Snake River Brewing Company. Besides freshly brewed cold beer and great food, the people watching is interesting as well. There aren't too many tourists just yet, mostly locals. Several looked like they were "outdoors types", as their clothes looked like they hadn't seen a washer for quite some time. Not sure if we can call ourselves locals until we have been here at least a month.
The Jenny Lake Visitors Center, Ranger Station and campground all open on Friday and we open a day later. Saturday morning will be fun!
All must be well in the world now that you have made it to Snake River!
ReplyDeleteLove the updates, the store sure looks interesting. Can't wait to see it in person in July. I had forgotten about the abundance of wildlife and am enjoying the pictures and stories.