JACKSON, WY— Alan and Jeanie Mebane have lived a life full of adventure. They’re not about to let aging slow them down.
Which is why they packed up their 2003 Pleasure Way and moved to from Sammamish, Washington to Jackson Hole to settle down in Legacy Lodge—if settling down is what you can call it.
“We made our decision to move here while we’re still relatively active and independent, so we could make the most of living in Jackson Hole again,” Alan said.
Their lives, careers, and trusty RV have taken them to some of the more scenic places in the country including, of course, Jackson. Alan was a park ranger and naturalist for the National Park Service for 31 years. He served in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, and six other parks in the Southeast, Midwest, and Rocky Mountain west.
Jeanie, meanwhile, is a home economist and author. After writing hundreds of articles and columns for adults about natural history, she decided to start writing for children. She has since published five children’s books and written many stories for children’s magazines.
The couple spent the past 30 years in Washington State, but always made time to come back to Jackson. Jeanie spent several years working seasonally for Bridger-Teton National Forest, Alan volunteered in Yellowstone, and they both volunteered at Ring Lake Ranch near Dubois.
So when they started looking for an assisted living residence, Legacy Lodge was a natural fit. They looked in Seattle first, “hoping to find one with outdoor, open space and an informal atmosphere.” But their daughter, a Jackson resident, suggested Legacy Lodge, and they were sold. They moved in in October.
“Having loved this area since we first lived here in the ’60s, it has been like coming home,” Alan said. “Here at Legacy, we found a welcoming atmosphere and interesting group of fellow residents.”
They still make it a priority to play. Their camper may be buried in snow right now, but they’ll take it camping when the weather permits. In the meantime, there’s fun to be found even within Legacy Lodge’s walls.
“It’s been fun to enjoy things like Octoberfest, special music programs both on site and in town and the always beautiful mountain scenery,” Alan said. “Now as we walk down the halls, we enjoy the Christmas decorations on apartment doors as well as the decorated tree in the dining room, and other Christmas decorations.”
