I ❤️ Wyoming (but refuse to fly again until after the pandemic)

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Seldom do I get so excited about a place that I don’t want to come back home, but Laramie, Wyoming, certainly accomplished that. While I was walking down Grand Avenue on Monday, I stumbled across some houses for rent and seriously considered calling the numbers listed, just to see what kind of prices I could expect. Simply put, Laramie has everything I could ask for in a place to live, including a lack of crowds. This trip only lasted 4 days, but it was my second experience in the area. This time only served to affirm my first impressions from 5 years ago.

Before I get into my love affair with Wyoming, though, I need to get a few things off my chest when it comes to air travel in the time of Covid. Short answer: just say no! I booked a flight on Frontier Airlines (say what you want, but they are cheap and efficient) with the assumption that the cabin would be socially distanced. It was not. Not at all. While face masks were required at all times, that does not make up for the fact that I was rubbing shoulders with a gentleman the entire flight. The whole cabin was like this. I had read that there would be “no middle seats” for the flight, but all seats were occupied (except maybe 2 in the whole cabin). This was quite distressing. In pre-covid times, no big deal, it’s what you expect. But it was like they did the bare minimum—face masks—to say they complied with safety guidelines. Also it didn’t help that one of the flight attendants kept her mask below her nose every time she passed through the cabin. Trust me, I won’t be taking another flight until this pandemic is over. Besides, I love a good road trip much more than flying.

The Motel 8, just off I-80 on 3^rd Street, was my home for the trip. It didn’t really look like much from the outside, but its reviews were stellar and the price was right, so I jumped at the chance. On a map, it looks like a good distance away from the things I had wanted to visit, but there’s really nothing in Laramie that’s far away. Even the Wal-Mart on the opposite side of town is less than 10 minutes from Motel 8. The reviews were not wrong at all, and I would certainly stay here again on my next trip.

I spent all day Saturday getting a feel for Laramie and then going to the football game at the University of Wyoming. Sunday morning, I chose to get out of Laramie for a little while, just to see the touristy things in the area before I concentrated on the town for the rest of my trip. My first stop was the “smallest town in America,” Buford, WY. It has a population of 1, a guy who runs the general store and the post office. That’s how they get away with the “smallest town,” because they actually have a post office. I couldn’t see anyone working there when I showed up, however. It’s only about 20 miles east of Laramie along I-80, and it’s right off the exit ramp. But all I saw were signs and a closed fence around the general store. Maybe they’re only open in warmer months.

My next stop was going to be the Vedauwoo Climbing Area, heading back along I-80 from Buford. I found contradictory reports online about its opening status; some said that camping was the only thing closed in the winter months, but others said there was nothing to do after camping closed. It looks gorgeous in the pictures, so I thought I would take a chance. I got off the exit, about halfway back to Laramie, and turned right onto the entrance road. This looked like bad news. There were no tracks in the snow, and it was narrow and winding. Pardon my inexperience from being in the South, but I’m not prepared to back up on a snow-covered one-way road if I meet oncoming traffic. So I executed a perfect 15-point turn and got back on the interstate for another 8 miles.

The last thing to see before getting back into Laramie was the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument. It’s the highest point on I-80, and this monument is beside the rest area and pretty hard to miss. It appears to be from the 1930s, and when you look out from the statue’s vantage point—at least in December—you get a panoramic winter wonderland. It was quite a sight to behold, despite the bone-chilling wind ripping through my coat.

After seeing these places, I headed back to Laramie. The rest of my Sunday included seeing the spot where Matthew Shepard was murdered and then relaxing in my hotel while I warmed up. Truly, everything else in town had closed for Sunday, so I took the opportunity to relax. I did pop out and see Mr. Bill’s Burgers for dinner. It was within easy walking distance—just back up to 3^rd Street from my Motel, but it was serving via the drive-through only. I can’t say it was a culinary extravaganza, but I did enjoy their special sauce with the fries.

Monday was the big day of seeing what Laramie had to offer. I parked near the Railroad Museum and set out on foot for the rest of the day. The downtown area has commissioned several artists over the years to paint murals on the buildings, so I enjoyed each one I found in various places and at various times throughout the day (one of them is a panorama at the top of this blog post). The railroad is a big part of Laramie’s past, and indeed why it lasted as a settlement during the late 19^thcentury and into the 20^th. For convenience, but also conveniently touristic, there’s a walkway over all the railroads that gives a panoramic view of the downtown area (you see the panoramic view at the top of this blog post, as well). The stairs had been closed for safety reasons, but the ramp on the side was just fine. I honestly felt more nervous about sliding down the ramp than I would’ve felt climbing stairs.

The snow was pretty deep in the grassy areas, but as the day progressed, the roads became more and more viscous with muddy snow. It really lent the place an air of late 1800s since the muddy roads didn’t look like they had been paved at all. I took some pictures of the older buildings with those muddy roads and imagined myself looking at something perfectly out of the Old West. I imagine there are photos like that from 100 years ago.

Not far from the panoramic views above the railroads, I made my first stop of the day: Coal Creek Coffee. I needed a little warmth, and their Marquise Grey tea definitely perked me up. I’d never heard of it, but it’s basically Lady Grey tea with lavender added. I wouldn’t mind finding some of that back home. I walked around and admired some of the murals with my hot tea, popping into some of the smaller shops as I went. It was nice to just take my time and not have to be anywhere or meet anyone at any time.

For lunch, I made perhaps the best culinary choice of the whole trip: Altitude Chophouse & Brewery. I was only their second customer of the day, so I got my choice of seating. The table next to the bar seemed best, and it made for conversations with the waitress/bartender quite easy. Her biggest complaint was all the Christmas music she had to listen to all day, which meant that her life was pretty good these days. I ordered Crispy’s Mac and Cheese, and y’all, my mouth was in ecstasy. Probably the best mac & cheese I’ve ever tasted. The sauce was so rich, the pasta was tender, and the grilled chicken added some heft to it all. I took my time, not wanting it to be over so soon. I added a little alcohol to my meal, though I can’t for the life of me remember what it was called. In sum, my physical needs had been satiated by the time I left the brewery.

My next stop was the Geological Museum of the University of Wyoming, which entailed a stroll along Grand Avenue. I saw so many colorful houses, and with the snow covering the lawns and sidewalks, the colors burst out even more than normal. This is also where I spied a few places available for rent. Perhaps next time I see this town, it’ll be as a resident.

The Museum closed at 2:00, so I only had about an hour. Of all my stops in Laramie, this was the only one that contained a twinge of disappointment. It wasn’t really all that big, though it was certainly designed with care so as to maximize the space. They did have a couple of fully reconstructed dinosaurs, after all. It’s free to visit, so at least there’s that. And after I walked back outside, I was deposited near the main quad of the University, which I absolutely adore.

While circumnavigating the quad again, I found the bench dedicated to Matthew Shepard; I had to clear the snow off the name plate to get a good look. And then I just meandered around the area, enjoying the solitude and the chilly air, along with the enchanting views. I considered going back inside the Wyoming Union, but I didn’t want to risk spending any more money. Honestly, this place could take all my money if it allowed me to stay there. Perhaps that’s a bit much, but such is the nature of infatuation.

After putting it off as long as I could, I started heading back west, to my car. I found the Old Main, which looks to be the original quad/campus area for the university. Its snow levels were significantly more virginal than where I had visited, and watching the dogs frolic through the area made me wish that I was also a quadruped, if only for a few minutes. My walk down University Avenue brought me past the Ivinson House, a museum of Plains culture in the early days of Laramie; it was closed, but I could see the house up-close even if I couldn’t go inside. Further down, I passed by the Laramie City Hall, in the Art Deco style (which is my favorite).

I had wondered if my car would still be where I left it in the morning. Of course it was. There had been no markings on the curb (not like the curb was visible underneath the snow), nor any signs posted about paying for parking or no parking allowed. Everything was just as I had left it.

I was flying out of Denver the next morning (Tuesday), which meant I needed to leave Laramie around 5:30 AM, so I decided to head back to the room and pack everything up and enjoy a nice (warm) evening just relaxing. This was vacation, after all.

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Comments

[lexispence10]

Travel in the time of Covid...
I too love Wyoming - it's so peaceful! Spent a summer there in the NE part of the state for my field camp for university (go geological museum!!!). But yes, I too am shocked, disappointed, and a bit fearful of the airplane 'regulations'. The only positive on my end I think is that we at least have to take the PCR test before we fly, so in theory people should not be infected, but there is no way to guarantee that, especially with the period of time when you are contagious. But so ridiculous is having to social distance throughout the airport, security, etc and then sit on a flight for 6 hours with someone in your lap. My flights were all packed. I was shocked! Then the nice little reminder when we get off the flight to 'please remember to maintain your social distance.' Say whaaaaat?