Six Days in Wyoming

By Saul Schwartz

Fern and I began our first trip to Wyoming in Cheyenne, the state capital.  We then spent the next five days in Jackson Hole as part of a family reunion. 

Cheyenne:

Although Cheyenne has a population of about 65,000, the downtown area is modest in size and easily walkable. 

Wyoming State Capitol – There is no fee to tour the Capitol.  Before we toured around the building, a state employee provided us with information about the building and the state legislature.  The Capitol was built in 1888 but renovated in 2014.  The gold leaf dome was added in 1900.  The style is Renaissance Revival. 

Highlights included the large 1980 mural in the Joint Appropriations Committee meeting room titled Wyoming, Past and Present.  From the Rotunda, we looked up to see four sculptures within the niches on the third level entitled The Four Sisters, representing key values and attributes (truth, justice, courage, and hope).   We were able to go in the House and Senate Chambers, as well.  The building included colorful stained-glass ceilings.  Outside the building, there is an engraving of the state seal and a statue of a bull.

Woman’s Suffrage Mural – In 2019, the mayor of Cheyenne unveiled a new mural honoring the woman’s right to vote.  The date of the installation coincided with the 150-year anniversary of the woman’s right to vote.  Next to the mural there is a plaque which is commemorating the resolution allowing women’s votes.  Both are located on Carey Avenue at West 17th Street.  Wyoming was the first state to allow women the right to vote. 

Dining – We had a very nice dinner at The Metropolitan Downtown, located at 1701 Carey Avenue.  Service was excellent.  We really enjoyed our salads with salmon, as well as the brussels sprouts appetizer.  Prices were moderate on the classic “all American menus.”  The ambience was above average. 

Lodging- We stayed at the Tru Hilton on 423 West Fox Run.  This hotel has a small gym and a modest free breakfast.  The rooms are small but comfortable. 

Jackson Hole:

Jackson Hole Rodeo – In August, the rodeo takes place two or three times per week, at 8 p.m.  General admissions tickets start at $21.  There is a slight upcharge for covered seats.  The two-hour event was full of authentic western events, such as barrel racing, calf roping, bull riding, bareback bronc riding and saddle bronc riding.  The rodeo made for a very lively evening!

Astoria Hot Springs – In Jackson, but about 10 miles outside of the downtown area, is the Astoria Hot Springs and Park.  Located at 25 Johnny Counts Road, Astoria offers two-hour sessions in the hot springs within the scenic Snake River Canyon.  There are seven pools of different temperatures.  Adult tickets are $18.  Advanced reservations are required because a limited number of individuals are admitted per session.  It made for a relaxing evening. 

Town of Jackson – Although the town only has a population of about 11,000, the loads of tourists make the town more crowded, even in August.

In Jackson’s town square, each corner of the square has elk antler arches.  The antlers were shed by elk from Jackson’s National Elk Refuge.  The town square is also called George Washington Park.  In the middle of the town square, the Veterans Monument honors local Veterans beginning with the first World War.  Dedicated in 1976, the Monument is topped by a bronze statue of the famed Wyoming state symbol the bucking bronco Steamboat. 

Grand Teton National Park – This park begins just a few miles outside of Jackson.  The park features the Grand Teton Mountains.  We drove a portion of the 42 miles Teton Park Road which offers stunning views of the Teton range.  Glaciers could be seen from various locations including at the Teton Glacier at the Teton Glacier turnout, the Skillet Glacier from Coulter Bay, and the Falling Ice Glacier from the Mount Moran turnout.  We stopped briefly at the Jackson Lake Lodge which offers panoramic views of the Tetons.

Our hike starting at the Colter Bay Visitor Center was full of amazing views of the Teton range.  Located in the northern portion of the park, the bay sits on Jackson Lake.  From the visitor center, our Lakeshore Trail hike was flat, but over various surfaces.  As the sun or clouds hit the mountains, we were able to see all types of interesting scenic views of the Teton range and the lake. 

Yellowstone National Park – From Jackson, we drove about two hours to the south part of Yellowstone.  Our first stop was to see the Old Faithful Geyser erupt as scheduled at 11:06 a.m.  The cone geyser is highly predictable and currently erupts about every 90 minutes.  A large crowd gathered to view this famous geyser.

Behind Old Faithful we walked on a boardwalk which took us by a series of small geysers and hot springs.  We briefly sat on the rocking chairs outside the Old Faithful Inn. 

We then went on to the Grand Prismatic Spring within the midway geyser basin.  This is one of the world’s largest hot springs.  We walked along a boardwalk to view the Spring from different locations.  It is the most photographed feature in Yellowstone because of its crazy bright colors and enormous size.  The rainbow of colors include bands of orange, blue, yellow and green.  Extremely hot water travels from a crack in the earth to reach the surface of the spring.

Next to the Spring is the world’s largest geyser, Excelsior.  The geyser is currently dormant.  It discharges more than 4000 gallons of water per minute into the Firehole River.  It is brilliant blue in appearance. 

Bridger – Teton National Forest – Just outside Jackson Hole, this national forest has several challenging hike options.  We did a moderately challenging hike that gave us great views of Jackson the town and the Teton mountain range.

In Jackson Hole, we stayed at a Vacation Rental by Owner about 10 minutes from the town center, so we could stay with other relatives. 

Food options – We purchased some food to eat at the VRBO from the large Whole Foods Market and Smith’s.  Whole Foods offered a much better variety than Smith’s.  The local Albertsons supermarket also had many options and selections.

Eating out in Jackson is expensive, so be prepared.  The ice cream at Moo’s Gourmet Ice Cream was excellent, but very expensive!  Moo’s is located at 110 Center Street.  Cowboy Coffee is extremely popular.  Located at 125 North Cache Street, the coffee is roasted in Jackson Hole.  The café also offers teas and a limited food menu.  We had drinks and snacks at the Roadhouse Brewing Company, a pub and eatery.  Located at 20 East Broadway, we really enjoyed the beer pretzels and the mocktails!  Liberty Burger had surprisingly good salads, along with a wide variety of burgers of various types.  However, we did not enjoy the spicy tuna burger at all.  Located at 160 N. Cache, this restaurant is informal.  For both drinks and baked goods, Persephone Bakery on 145 E. Broadway Avenue is excellent.  The bakery has a wonderful courtyard with outdoor seating.  Another restaurant with great outdoor seating is Snake River Brewing on 265 South Millward Street.  Fern and I enjoyed the salads, as well as a trout appetizer. 

A Day at the Ranch – We had a fun day at the ranch in Boulder, Wyoming.  Boulder is about 2 hours from Jackson Hole.  The ranch brought in ATVs and horses to ride.  Food was brought in from Pitchfork Fondue.  Pitchfork provides a western cookout.  The unique cooking style here is that various foods are made in a huge pot with oil.  We ate trout, salads, and corn. 

Fern and I were both very impressed with Jackson Hole.  The town is hopping with loads of activities and restaurants.  We then moved on east to Idaho!