Saturday, July 16, 2011

WYOMING

CARBON COUNTY
Medicine Bow
Hotels
Virginian Hotel – 404 US 30; 307-379-2377; historicvirginianhotel.vpweb.com/?prefix=www; 100 year-old hotel; 16 antique sleeping rooms, 4 antique suites, 12 motel rooms; recent additions are Scotts’ Cedar Street Addition (4 sleeping rooms) & Virginian Motel (20 motel rooms); features include Eating House, “Back 40,” Shilo Saloon &Owen Wister dining room.
Sights & Sites
Medicine Bow Museum – 405 US 30; 307-379-2383; wyomingtourism.org/things-to-do/detail/Medicine-Bow-Museum/8074; open daily, part-time, winter months; monument made of petrified wood; tribute to Owen Wister & book “Virginian” includes his cabin; caboose from Union Pacific Railroad.

Saratoga
Hotels
Hotel Wolf – 101 East Bridge Street; 307-326-5525; wolfhotel.com; built in 1893, Victorian-style, brick hotel is 9-minute walk from the Saratoga Swimming Pool & Hot Springs and 0.8 miles from Saratoga Museum; traditional rooms & suites have TVs and antique-style furnishings; some have separate living areas, brass beds and/or pull-out sofas; premium suite features gabled windows, wet bar & mini fridge; restaurant, Old West-style saloon & porch.
Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch – 66 Brush Creek Ranch Road; 307-327-5284; brushcreekranch.com; luxury dude ranch.
Restaurants
Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch – 66 Brush Creek Ranch Road; 307-327-5284; brushcreekranch.com.
Sights & Sites
Overland Trail – Highway 130 (14 miles north of Saratoga); uwyo.coalliance.org/islandora/object/wyu%3A4375; can see ruts.
Saratoga Hobo Pool – 110 East Spring Street; 307-326-8335; saratoga.govoffice2.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B775FA3FF-AE3A-4686-9068-133D6BC71C6D%7D; hot springs.

Savery
Lodges
Lodge & Spa at Three Forks Ranch – 1445 Carbon County Road 710; 970-583-7396; threeforksranch.com.



CROOK COUNTY
Hulett
Sights & Sites
Devil’s Tower National Monument – Wyoming Highway 110; 307-467-5283; nps.gov/deto; rocky sentinel that arises above surrounding grassland & Ponderosa pine forests; in 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt established it as our nation’s 1st national monument; believed it got name when Colonel Dodge’s translator misinterpreted Indian name to mean “Bad God’s Tower,” later shortened to “Devil’s Tower”; some Indians call it Mato Tipila, meaning “Bear Lodge,” “Bear’s Tipi,” “Bear Home” and/or “Tree Rock.”



FREMONT COUNTY
Dubois
Shopping
Exxon Country Store – 404 West Rams Horn Street; 307-455-2677; roadsideamerica.com/story/13257; giant ride-me Jackalope; fur frayed in spots from countless tourists.

Lander
Restaurants
Gannett Saloon & Grill – 126 Main Street; 307-332-8228; landerbar.com; can eat outside, weather permitting.

South Pass City
Sights & Sites
South Pass City State Historic Site – 125 South Pass Main Street; 307-332-3684; southpasscity.com; Oregon Trail stage & telegraph station during 1850s; in 1866, gold discovered & year later prospecting began on Carissa mine; in December 1869, Wyoming became 1st US territory to recognize woman’s right to vote based on movement here; now, basically ghost town.



GOSHEN COUNTY
Fort Laramie
Sights & Sites
Fort Laramie National Historic Site – 965 Gray Rocks Road; 307-837-2221; nps.gov/fola; significant 19th Century trading post & diplomatic site located at Laramie & North Platte River confluence in upper Platte River Valley.



HOT SPRINGS COUNTY
Thermopolis
Sights & Sites
Wyoming Dinosaur Center – 110 Carter Ranch Road; 307-864-2997; wyodino.org or wyomingtourism.org/things-to-do/detail/Wyoming-Dinosaur-Center/3113#sthash.jf0eXYTn.dpuf; check website to see if sites available to dig.



JOHNSON COUNTY
Buffalo
Hotels
Occidental Hotel – 10 North Main Street; 307-684-0451; occidentalwyoming.com; 1880 hotel restored in 1990s.
Paradise Guest Ranch – 282 Hunter Creek Road; 307-684-7876; paradiseranch.com; furnished cabins with fire places, kitchenettes, washers-dryers, outdoor porches, dining hall, recreation room & swimming pool.
Sights & Sites
Jim Gatchell Museum – 100 Fort Street; 307-684-9331; jimgatchell.com; focuses on Indian War period.



LARAMIE COUNTY
Cheyenne
Hotels
Nagle Warren Mansion – 222 East 17th Street; 307-637-3333; naglewarrenmansion.com; fully restored cattle baron mansion, now bed & breakfast.
Plains Hotel – 1600 Central Avenue; 307-638-3311; theplainshotel.com; built in 1911; renovated in 2003; stained-glass ceiling; lobby is multi-pillared space with original tile floor & retouched mural on walls ringing ceiling.
Restaurants
Nagle Warren Mansion – 222 East 17th Street; 307-637-3333; naglewarrenmansion.com; serves high tea and “murder mystery” dinners; by reservation.
Steamboats Steak & Smoke House – 1947 Dell Range Boulevard; 307-514-5937; wysteamboats.com.
Sights & Sites
Cheyenne Depot Museum – 121 West 15th Street, Suite 300 (in Union Pacific Depot, on Capitol Avenue); 307-632-3905; cheyennedepotmuseum.org; part of Cheyenne Depot Plaza, designated National Historic Landmark; former Union Pacific Depot restored to original glory; also home to visitor center & restaurant.
Cheyenne Frontier Days of Old West Museum – 4610 Carey Avenue; 307-778-7290; oldwestmuseum.org; history of rodeo and outdoor celebration in old West.
Cowgirls of West Museum – 205 West 17th Street; 307-638-4994; cowgirlsofthewestmuseum.com.
Nelson Museum of West – 1714 Carey Avenue; 307-635-7670; nelsonmuseum.com; dedicated to preservation of cowboy and Native American objects, as well as fine Western art.
Wyoming State Museum – 2301 Central Avenue; 307-777-7022; wyomuseum.state.wy.us.

Laramie (includes Fort Laramie)
Bakeries, Coffee, Ice Cream, Juice & Tea
Night Heron Books & Coffeeshop – 107 East Ivinson Avenue; 307-742-9028; nightheronbooks.com.
Shopping
Night Heron Books & Coffeehouse – 107 East Ivinson Avenue; 307-742-9028; nightheronbooks.com.
Sights & Sites
Laramie Plains Mansion – 603 East Ivinson Street; 307-742-4448; laramiemuseum.org; major historic gem; 3-story house built in 1893 during Victorian Queen Anne period.
Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site – 975 Snowy Range Road; 307-745-3733; wyomingterritorialprison.com; historical park with stagecoach rides, farm animals & other activities at former prison site.



NATRONA COUNTY
Casper
Sights & Sites
Fort Caspar Museum – 4001 Fort Caspar Road; 307-235-8462; fortcasparwyoming.com or casperwy.gov; tour reconstructed 1865 military post located at major river crossing on Oregon, Mormon Pioneer, California, Pony Express, and transcontinental telegraph trail corridor; regional history museum features exhibits on prehistoric peoples, Plains Indians, ranching, energy industry & city of Casper, as well as western emigrant trails and frontier army.
National Historic Trails Interpretive Center – 1501 North Poplar Street; 307-261-7700; blm.gov/wy/st/en/NHTIC.html; interprets significant role of area’s historic trails in US history; seeks to promote public understanding of both America’s western Native cultures & historic westward expansion while highlighting BLM role as active stewards of public lands.



PARK COUNTY
Cody
Hotels
Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel – 1192 Sheridan Avenue; 307-587-4221; irmahotel.com; built by Buffalo Bill in 1902; historic hotel in central Cody.
Chamberlain Inn – 1032 12th Street; 307-587-0202 or 888-587-0202; chamberlininn.com; boutique.
Restaurants
Proud Cut Saloon – 1227 Sheridan Avenue; 307-527-6905; facebook.com/pages/Proud-Cut-Saloon-Steakhouse/132318613494753.
Wyoming’s Rib & Chop House – 1367 Sheridan Avenue; 307-527-7731; ribandchophouse.com.
Shopping
Nature’s Design Taxidermy – 323 Robert Street; 307-527-6053; naturesdesigntaxidermy.com.
Sights & Sites
Buffalo Bill Center of West – 720 Sheridan Avenue; 307-587-3243; bbhc.org; world’s finest collection of western art.

Mammoth
Hotels
Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel – 1 Grand Loop Road (in Yellowstone National Park); 307-344-7311 or 866-439-7375; yellowstonenationalparklodges.com; easy access to springs’ travertine terraces; only lodge reachable by car in cold months.
Old Faithful Inn & Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins – 1 Grand Loop Road (in Yellowstone National Park); 307-344-7311 or 866-439-7375; yellowstonenationalparklodges.com; perfect proximity for geyser-watching but no vehicle access; not very luxe but comfortable; Inn worth seeing.
Sights & Sites
Yellowstone National Park – John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway; 307-344-7381; yellowstonenationalpark.com; make sure to see Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (1st large canyon on Yellowstone River, downstream from Yellowstone Falls) & Grand Prismatic Spring, largest natural hot spring in US with dazzling colors that shift from orange & red in summer to green hues in winter.



PLATTE COUNTY
Guernsey
Sights & Sites
Deep Rut Hill & Guernsey State Park – 25 Lake Side Drive; 307-836-2334; legendsofamerica.com/wy-guernseyruts.html; state park where you can walk in preserved Oregon Trail ruts.



SHERIDAN COUNTY
Banner
Sights & Sites
Fort Phil Kearny Historic Site – 528 Wagon Box Road; 307-684-7629; fortphilkearny.com; easy addition to plans for those traveling between Yellowstone National Park & Mount Rushmore or to Little Bighorn Battlefield; uninterrupted views over Big Horn Mountains & lush Piney Creek valley; 10 years before Battle of Little Bighorn, Fort Phil Kearny faced surprise attack by Arapahoe, Cheyenne & Lakota tribes that devastated fort and left survivors to bury 81 men (December 1866); outdoor exhibits guide visitors though all historic sites & nature trail takes visitors through shady path along Lower Piney Creek.

Big Horn
Sights & Sites
Brinton Museum – 239 Brinton Road; 307-672-3173; bbmandm.org; 1920 gentleman’s working ranch; Indian artifacts, art, historic documents & books; over 600 oils, watercolors & sketches by American artists including Audubon, Borein, Gollings, Kleiber, Remington & Russell; take guided tour of Bradford Brinton’s Little Goose Creek Lodge, built in 1928 as retreat & to accommodate trophies from his hunting trips & safaris.

Sheridan
Restaurants
Warehouse 201 – 201 Broadway Street; 307-655-8235; facebook.com/Warehouse201/info?tab=overview; steaks.
Sights & Sites
King Ropes Museum – 184 North Main Street; 307-672-2755; kingssaddlery.com/museum.htm; houses over 3 decades King family cowboy & Western memorabilia from all over world; in addition to 100s saddles, perfectly preserved wagons, coaches, Indian artifacts, guns, Western tack and original artwork.



SUBLETTE COUNTY
Pinedale
Sights & Sites
Museum of Mountain Man – 700 East Hennick Street; 307-367-4101; museumofthemountainman.com; western historical pieces relating to the mountain men who explored this region in the early to middle part of the 19th century.



TETON COUNTY
Jackson (Alta, Ashton, Driggs, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole, Moran, Teton Village, Victor & Wilson)
Bars & Nightclubs
Mangy Moose – 3295 Village Drive (Teton Village); 307-733-4913; mangymoose.com; beer bar.
Rose – 50 West Broadway (upstairs at Pink Garter Theater); 307-733-1500; therosejh.com; speakeasy-ish.
Hotels
Alpine House Lodge & Cottages – 285 North Glenwood Street (Jackson); 307-739-1570; alpinehouse.com; upscale, 22-room B&B, includes organic breakfast buffet and few blocks from historic town center.
Amangani – 1535 Northeast Butte Road (Jackson Hole); 307-743-7333 or 877-734-7333; amanresorts.com.
Bentwood Inn – 4250 West Raven Haven Road; 307-739-1411; bentwoodinn.com; intimate bed and breakfast.
Fireside Resort – 2780 North Moose Wilson Road (Wilson); 307-733-1177 or 877-660-1177; firesidejacksonhole.com; insanely well-appointed cabins.
Four Seasons – 7680 Granite Loop Road (Teton Village); 307-732-5000 or 800-819-5053; fourseasons.com; Rendezvous Mountain base location; stone fireplaces.
Hotel Terra – 3335 West Village Drive (Jackson Hole); 307-739-4000 or 800-631-6281; hotelterrajacksonhole.com; rooms have gas fireplaces; rooftop hot tub; spa; heated infinity pool.
Jackson Hot Springs Lodge – Highway 278 (Jackson); 406-834-3151; jacksonhotsprings.com; looks like roadside motel; inside decorated with 100s animal trophies; funky; ask for cavernous private cabin with fireplace and view; bring bathing suit for “hot spring” (cement pool that actually is delightful).
Jenny Lake Lodge – Jenny Lake Loop (Grand Teton National Park); 307-733-4647; gtlc.com; 1920s former Rockefeller retreat; beautiful mountain views; rustic environment.
Moose Head Ranch – 21255 North Highway 89 (Moran); 307-733-3141; mooseheadranch.com; operating ranch since 1925; near entrance to Grand Teton National Park; dude ranch.
Snake River Lodge & Spa – 7710 Granite Loop Road (Teton Village); 307-732-6000 or 866-975-7625; rockresorts.com.
Spring Creek Ranch – 1800 North Spirit Dance Road (Jackson); 307-733-8833; springcreekranch.com; perched atop East Gros Ventre Butte, 1K' above Snake River and minutes from both airport and downtown Jackson; panoramic Grand Tetons view and 1K acres populated by deer, moose, and horses (at riding facility in valley below).
Worth – 50 North Glenwood Street; 307-733-2190 or 800-322-2727; worthotel.com.
Restaurants
Couloir Restaurant & Bar – 3395 Cody Lane (Teton Village, at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort); 307-733-2292; jacksonhole.com; American classics served at 9K'.
Local – 55 North Cache Street (on town square); 307-201-1717; localjh.com; steakhouse.
Rendezvous Bistro – 380 South US Highway 89; 307-739-1100; rendezvousbistro.net; try scallops and oyster mushrooms with soy ginger butter.
Snake River Grill – 84 East Broadway; 307-733-0557; snakerivergrill.com; try to sit by fireplace; may be most classic restaurant in area.
Teton Thai – 7342 Granite Loop Road (Teton Village); 307-733-0022; tetonthaivillage.com; authentic ingredients hand-delivered from L.A.
Services
Grand Targhee Resort – 3300 Ski Hill Road (Alta); 307-353-2300; grandtarghee.com; to rent bikes that you can take to mountain top and careen down.
Spring Creek Ranch Private Yellowstone Tours – 1800 North Spirit Dance Road (Jackson); 307-733-8833; springcreekranch.com; expert resident naturalist Kurt Johnson offers Yellowstone safaris, which include overnight stay at Snow Lodge.
Sights & Sites
Grand Teton National Park – US 89; 307-739-3399; nps.gov/grte; make sure to see Menor’s Ferry (drive north from Jackson to Moose Junction, turn left onto Teton Park Road, drive through entrance station & right into Menor’s Ferry Historic District); Bill Menor recognized Snake River’s single channel offered ideal crossing point (1 of only 3 crossing points in valley); his “reaction ferry” design dates back to ancient times, using river current to propel boat; replica ferry operates in late summer months (dates and hours vary); also go to Colter Village Visitor Center (moccasin collection).
Granite Hot Springs – drive 9 miles off US 189/191 Northeast on Granite Creek Road (near Jackson, in Bridger-Teton National Forest); soothing thermal baths in outback country; thermal baths; closed November-mid-December.
Jackson Hole Museum – 105 North Glenwood (at corner of Deloney); 307-733-2414; minitime.com/Jackson_Hole_Museum-Jackson-Wyoming-attraction.
National Elk Refuge – 675 East Broadway; 307-733-9212; fws.gov/nationalelkrefuge; created in 1912; habitat & sanctuary for largest elk (wapiti) herd on Earth (7.5K elk); elk migrate from as far away as southern Yellowstone National Park.
Town Square – jacksonholenet.com; signature elk antler arches.



WASHAKIE
Worland
Sights & Sites
Washakie Museum & Cultural Center – 200 Big Horn Avenue; 307-347-4102; washakiemuseum.org; geologic, historic & paleontologic museum about Big Horn Basin.

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