Kelly, WY: J-Hole Adjacent and Wonderful

Kelly, Wyoming is not a big town. There are only a handful of houses and only a single private business — a coffee shop / store / firewood emporium across the street from the seemingly pointless Post Office. On the Post Office is a bulletin board where the community posts messages. There’s a married couple looking for a place to live, some stuff for sale, etc. Kelly is adjacent to two things that make it awesome: Grand Tetons National Park and Jackson, Wyoming.

Being next to the Tetons is pretty cool. There are buffalo nearby. There’s a sign on the store that warns people to stay inside if a buffalo enters the parking lot — don’t leave the store. Good advice. The mountains loom in the distance. You could cross-country ski here all winter, snuggle up next to the fireplace, read, relax … be completely isolated. Well, as isolated as you want to be.

You can be as isolated as you want to be because Jackson is only a few miles away. You could walk there if you’re up for a hike; it’s an easy bike ride on the recreational path. You could go to a restaurant after not leaving your home or hearing a car for days. You could run over to the Albertsons after spending the morning watching the wildlife. The Albertsons may even sell buffalo. You could jump on the ski lift or grab a drink at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.

Jackson is a mix between Gatlinburg and Vail. It’s a tourist-filled madhouse also populated with “J-holes” (which is not a term of endearment). Rich pricks ski here. Richer pricks own million-dollar houses here. Every town needs a couple rich pricks, but too many can be a problem. Jackson is nice, but I wouldn’t want to live there. But Kelly … it’s just far enough outside … just close enough for convenience. I like Kelly.