Mountain Living Sept./Oct. 2001

A Warm Western Welcome
From the moment you check into the Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, you are aware this is not going to be your average hotel experience. Everything about the Rusty Parrot is comfortable, intimate and personal. It's a small place-with only 31 guest rooms. The beds are more comfortable than any you've ever slept in, the linens are softer than any you own, and the attention to detail is evident right down to the thick terry cloth robes available in each of the rooms. And each night before you go to sleep, you can enjoy gourmet chocolates along with a different cowboy poem for every night of the year, which have mysteriously been left on your pillow while you were at dinner. It is not surprising then, to learn that the Rusty Parrot is Jackson's only Four Star (Mobil) and Four Diamond (AAA) hotel.
The Rusty Parrot Lodge is also home to the Body Sage Day Spa. Guests can enjoy pampering treatments like a mud body wrap and a hot stone massage or an aromatherapy steambath and a deluxe facial. You can schedule your appointments at the spa or have the staff come to you.
The Bistro was added last year, along with a wonderful chef, Jason Sharp, who designs each of the menus and oversees all the preparation himself. As part of owner Ron Harrison's vision for continuous improvement, The Bistro also offers a complimentary breakfast each morning that includes not only a continental breakfast buffet but also any of the gourmet items on the menu. My favorites are the creamy vanilla-scented polenta topped with Vermont maple syrup and cornmeal-encrusted Idaho trout, served with roasted potatoes and two perfectly poached eggs.
In the evening The Bistro offers a small but high-quality wine list to complement dishes like the ripe Brie and sour grape relish and cracked peppercorn creme fraiche, for starters. For me, it is difficult to choose between the pan-roasted beef ternderloin with roasted garlic smashed potatoes and brandy-glazed carrots in a tawny port reduction, and the sesame-encrusted ahi tuna served on a bed of orange-scented coconut basmati, red onion and ripe tomato salad with a lemon-soy vinaigrette.
The Rusty Parrot Lodge is within walking distance of Jackson's Town Square, which offers unique antique and Western art shopping, along with world-class restaurants and, as an extra bonus, a nightly Western "shoot-out" during the summer. In addition, the concierge will make arrangements for anything from skiing at one of the world's best ski resorts to sightseeing, camping, fishing and hiking in one of the two national parks within a 15-minute drive of the lodge.
The 17th Annual Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival kicks off on September 7 with a Palates and Palettes Gallery Walk, featuring an evening of fine dining and arts appreciation right out on Jackson's Town Square. The festival continues until September 16 with visual, performing and culinary arts as well as hand-crafted furniture, folk art and Native American art of the Rocky Mountain West.

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