Travel Blog 33
Eastern Wyoming
Travel Blog 33
I wanted to make the most of the miles from South Dakota to northern Arizona so I booked 4 nights in Wyoming. First I spent two nights in Casper. The Historic Downtown District is a vibrant and well maintained shopping, dining, and night life area located in buildings mostly from the early 1900s. Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters is huge and has over 10,000 cowboy boots in stock. Also in this area is The David Street Station which is an outdoor complex with a concert stage and a splash pad. I dropped by Fort Caspar, a reconstructed 1865 military post, but the museum wasn't open and I didn't find time to return during my short visit. The North Platte River runs through town and can be enjoyed in several public spaces including Casper Whitewater Park. I took a drive up to Rotary Park at the base of Casper Mountain which offered a wonderful overlook of the city. Rotary Park is the trail head for the five-mile Bridle Trail loop which rises over 1200 feet with views of the Garden Creek waterfall and the city of Casper. The city of Casper sits 5,100 ft above sea level. Two days here is not enough and I plan to spend at least a month in Wyoming someday.
Historic Downtown District
David Street Station
David Street Station
Fort Caspar
Fort Caspar
North Platte River
North Platte River
Casper Whitewater Park
Rotary Park
Rotary Park
Rotary Park
Historic Downtown District
Historic Downtown District
This is a wonderful little campground located just east of Casper on the North Platte River very close to the interstate. There are many nice & wide pull through sites with just enough room to park your tow vehicle in front of the trailer. My site had a small picnic table on artificial turf on the patio area. The roads and pads are gravel and easy to navigate. There was a nice playground area for the kids and the bathhouses, which I didn't use, seemed nice. My favorite feature was the riverside walk area which was great for walking my dog Barron. The grassy area along the river was shaded with benches to relax. I paid $57 per night for 2 nights which is upper end reasonable to me for a nice, well maintained RV park.
River's Edge RV
River's Edge RV
River's Edge RV
River's Edge RV
River's Edge RV
River's Edge RV
River's Edge RV
Located 50 miles west of Cheyenne is my favorite of the 3 eastern Wyoming cities I visited, Laramie Wyoming. Laramie is home to The University of Wyoming which is the only four-year university in the state. The summit between Cheyenne and Laramie is the highest point on the I-80 transcontinental route with an elevation of 8,640 ft and home to The Lincoln Monument. Driving into Laramie is stunning with the distant peaks of the Medicine Bow Mountains. The town itself has a different mountain feel with the aspens, douglas firs, and chokecherry trees among others. Laramie was founded in 1868 as a stop on the Union Pacific Railroad. The city was named after a Canadian fur trapper Jacques LaRamie who lived in the region in the early 1800s. I tried to visit the Wyoming Territorial Prison but it was closed allowing me only a distant photo. This historic site once housed some of the most infamous outlaws of the Old West including Butch Cassidy. Being a college town, there is no shortage of restaurants, sports bars, and live entertainment venues. I must return to Laramie again and maybe boondock in the Medicine Bow National Forest next time.
Laramie, Wyoming
War Memorial Stadium
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
Wyoming Territorial Prison
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
The Lincoln Monument
Cheyenne sits in the southeast corner of Wyoming just 97 miles north of Denver and is the State Capitol of Wyoming. Cheyenne was founded in 1867 as part of the first transcontinental railroad project and the first train arrived in the city in November of that year. The Cheyenne Depot Museum, built in the Romanesque Revival style, is housed in the Union Pacific Depot and said to be a treat to railroad enthusiast. Close by is the iconic Wrangler store along with a collection of giant 8' hand-painted cowboy boots scattered throughout the city. Cheyenne is best known for Cheyenne Frontier Days which is the largest outdoor rodeo in the world. Even if you're not in Cheyenne in July for the rodeo you can visit the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Cheyenne is home to the free admission Wyoming State Museum with exhibits on Wyoming's history including dinosaurs, wildlife, the wild west, and Native American collections. Cheyenne sits 6,000 ft above sea level. Again, two days here is not enough and I plan to spend at least a month in Wyoming someday.
Wyoming State Capitol
Historic Governor's Mansion
Cheyenne Depot Museum
Cheyenne Wyoming
Cheyenne Wyoming
Cheyenne Wyoming
Cheyenne Wyoming
I booked 2 nights at A. B. Camping RV park to explore Cheyenne and Laramie WY. This park was very basic with sparse amenities. The park is close to the interstate and well positioned to see Cheyenne with little time. The spots were pretty tight but manageable. There was one serious problem though. I noticed a little water on my floor in the bathroom and went outside to turn the water off. I noticed my water hose was swollen to nearly twice the size. I installed my pressure regulator and the pressure was over 100 PSI. The next morning I noticed several RVs had water leaking badly into the road so I wasn't alone. I kept the pressure regulator installed for the remainder of my stay and kept the water OFF most of the time and had to buy a new water hose. I paid $58 per night for my stay which I felt was way overpriced for this park.
A & B Camping
A & B Camping
A & B Camping
A & B Camping
A & B Camping
