1. A Custom-Made Cowboy Hat
The silhouette of a bronc rider would not be complete without the large-rimmed outline of a felt cowboy hat, and it is recommended you take as much care in selecting one as the rider does in choosing a horse. JW Bennett creates custom hats and was founded by a multi-generational rancher, Sarah Kjorstad. True to the values of her Wyoming roots, her handmade hats combine quality construction with great style and gritty functionality.
2. Dressing Up Western Style
Start with dressing in style. For a one-stop shopping experience, duck into Kemo Sabe on Center Street. The luxury boutique exudes the cowboy lifestyle built upon the Western heritage of its founders, showcasing a beautiful collection of colorful wool cloaks, leather jackets, fine jewelry, fringed vests, and shearling jackets as well as boots, buckles, and Stetson hats.
3. Watering Holes
For the best in music, drinks, and true cowboy atmosphere, watering holes like Jackson’s famed Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and Silver Dollar Bar, or the Stage Coach in Wilson serve up fantastic live entertainment, colorful characters, and wooden dance floors vibrating with rhythmic, boot-stomping two-steps.
4. Shine on the Country-Western Dance Floor
Before heading out to one of Jackson’s watering holes for a night of music and dancing, refine your Texas two-step and Western-swing moves by taking a dancing lesson at The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. They offer free dance lessons every Thursday before the band starts from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, except during the off season. Here you will learn from some of the best, cowboy boot-wearing dancers around.
5. Steak Out
Dining out would not be “Western” without a tantalizing, top-grade steak dinner. The White Buffalo Club Restaurant, nestled in the subterranean level of the White Buffalo Club caters to steak lovers with the top two percent best quality beef in the country. They are the only certified USDA Prime Steak House in the area, and cutting into one of their delicious, locally sourced Wagyu beef steaks will make you feel as if you are enjoying a campfire cookout on the prairie after a long ride, but in luxury.
6. Wild Gaming
A favorite way to try a bite of Wyoming game is enjoying heaping spoonful of award-winning Buffalo Chili made with bison brisket. The sumptuous recipe created by the chefs at the Silver Dollar Bar and Grill won Jackson’s Chili Cook-Off several years back and has been a favorite on their menu ever since. Flavored with garlic, topped with a cheddar-jack cheese combo, and served bubbling hot, their chili is so good, you’ll be tempted to order seconds or at least award it another blue ribbon.
7. Take in a Rodeo
Bronc riding and barrel racing are synonymous with cowboy culture. Along with the heart-pounding rush of watching a bull rider cling to his mount, there are competitions like calf roping and breakaway roping that showcase ranching skills at their finest in this pageant-like display of Americana. Starting at 8:00 pm, every Wednesday and Saturday throughout the summer, you can experience this fundamental part of the cowboy’s lifestyle at the Jackson Hole Rodeo. Founded in the 1890s, this is one of the oldest shows in Jackson.
8. Saddle Up
The beloved horse and rider are tied to the history and traditions of the West, and a journey through the Teton Range or Gros Ventre Wilderness on horseback offers the thrilling experience of time-tested travel, pioneering style. Many trails surrounding Jackson are suitable for horse rides, and exploring this region by saddle sets you squarely in the stirrups of a cowboy. Teton views will greet and enthrall you at every switchback. Hitch up with local outfitters like Turpin Meadows, Willow Creek, and Linn Canyon Ranch to schedule anything from a day-long ride to an overnight excursion.
9. A Solid Cup of Joe
Real cowboy coffee is made by placing coffee grounds in a sock and tossing it into boiling water. The better version is found at the Cowboy Coffee Co.’s café located on the Town Square. It’s a favorite wake-up spot for locals and travelers who can also purchase coffee beans to savor the brew when back home.
10. Collect the West
Savvy collectors of antique cowboy, Native American, and national park artwork will want to stop by Cayuse Western Americana just two blocks from the Town Square, situated in a white-washed cottage on Glenwood Street. Here, Northern Plains tribal art and early photographs whisper to the collector while honoring the traditions of the past, as authentic spurs, saddles, and chaps, as well as vintage buckles used by yesteryear’s cowboys and cowgirls await a new home. Contemporary silver and gold jewelry, finely crafted in the style of legacy artisans, add to Cayuse’s impressive selection of sought-after art and antiques.
