Cheyenne, Wyoming: A Beautiful Western Delight

Pulling up at Vedauwoo, I was met with incredible rock formations. Some were small and perfect for a novice like me to climb, but some of them were far more suited to experts. The rocks were all kinds of sizes, and in between the rocks I found perfect trails to hike. All throughout the area, there were people camping and enjoying breakfast with friends in the early morning. What a wonderful way to start the day.

After a low-key hike, I made my way to Curt Gowdy State Park, another gorgeous place in Cheyenne with lakes, places to camp and plenty of trails to bike. I opted to try biking which was more challenging than I had expected but serious fun. I stopped several times on the trails to watch families paddle boarding and kayaking, whilst other groups cooked hot dogs and burgers. Again, like at Vedauwoo, I felt that Curt Gowdy was the perfect place for weekend camping either solo or with a bunch of mates.

If you’re looking for an authentic western experience, Terry Bison Ranch is where you need to go. For starters, they offer cattle drives and western style horse riding. They have a lovely restaurant with some of the best home cooking around, and you can even go on a train ride into the middle of a bison herd to feed them – that was first on my list! During the ride, the driver was full of interesting facts about Cheyenne and the ranch. As it turns out, this particular herd of bison were used in the movie “Dances with Wolves,” so they’re used to being around people. Feeding them was extremely cool. It was quite something to put my hand into the mouth of an animal of that size, and yes, I would do it again!

After spending most of the day outside, I figured some indoor time was in store, so I finished up my day at the Cheyenne Depot in downtown Cheyenne. The Cheyenne Depot Museum is jam-packed with exhibits and a lengthy guide to the railroad. That night, there happened to be a band playing outside the museum, and people were enjoying ice cold beverages and dancing along. I spotted several people taking a horse-drawn carriage tour (which I later did), and simply enjoying the soft breeze and the warm night air. So after a while, I ambled back outside to enjoy the evening events right along with them.