| Page Views: 1,973 Last Visit to Cheyenne: September, 2006 | State capital or small town? by toonsarah - last update: Dec 12, 2006 |
Cheyenne is the state capital of Wyoming and after two weeks on the road and visits to areas of the state that are among the least populated in the country, it seemed busy and bustling. On the other hand, no one could call it a metropolis, and compared to my home in London it felt like a relaxed and relaxing small town. All this goes to show that everything is relative!
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| Big boot near the farmers' market |
|  | Sights ... However you view its size, we liked Cheyenne a lot. We were there on a Saturday when a farmers’ market was in full sway in front of the attractive Union Pacific Depot building. The shops were interesting and a bit quirky, the state museum had a lot to offer and we found a great place to stay in the Plains Hotel. The only downside was the really strong (and cold) wind that blew the whole day and made the outdoor attractions such as the market a lot less enjoyable than they would otherwise have been.
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| Inside the Union Pacific Depot |
| | ... and history There’s plenty of history to Cheyenne. It was founded on July 4th 1867 by men working on the Union Pacific Railroad, and the railroad’s depot still dominates the town centre. The majority of these settlers though soon moved away but others came, and by 1869 Cheyenne was home to railroad gangs, soldiers and traders.
The population was pretty rough and Cheyenne at that time would have embodied the classic Wild West town, as in places it still does a little. But it would have quite quickly become more civilised and even quite sophisticated, due to the railroad which provided easy access to the East, and thus to the latest trends in fashion and homes. This too is apparent today in the styles of some of the buildings, such as the house on East 17th Street which is home to a fantastic little gallery (see my shopping tip).
Add the more modern buildings, and the rather fun “Big Boots” street art (as seen in Sundance previously, but bigger as befits the state capital!) and I found downtown Cheyenne attractive and liveable – a place that felt comfortable in its own skin. |
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 Comments for toonsarah about Cheyenne | | | | |
Bwana_Brown Thu Oct 29, 2009 00:49 UTC
Sarah, I was glad to see that you enjoyed your beer after a hard day of touring - just the right thing to do in a once wild-west town! Interesting info on Esther Morris. Great tips and photos as always - and Happy Birthday too! | richiecdisc Fri Jul 10, 2009 23:48 UTC
Big mistake not reading this before I went out west. If I'd known Snake River was in Union Pacific Depot I might have made it there. We loved S. River in Jackson so much but this was a bit out of the way. | Trekki Sat Mar 14, 2009 06:33 UTC
Wow, this hotel looks marvellous! Stained glass ceiling... this reminds me of Tortoni's ceiling in Buenos Aires. Ah, now I know where you found the aspen photo print :-) | sourbugger Fri Jan 23, 2009 19:45 UTC
was the coal mining museum section in the basement or below it ? |
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