Laramie, Wyoming

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Landing in Denver, Colorado, added another state to my US tally. The next morning, we picked up our hire car and set off on our three-week road-trip: first stop, Laramie, Wyoming, which immediately added my second new state. As we crossed the state line, we spotted a beautiful modern visitor centre which turned out to be one of the best I’ve ever visited. Not only did I get the chance to consign John to jail, about which he doesn’t look too happy, but I was also able to indulge my interest in women’s history.

Go to jail!
Women of Wyoming

Women of Wyoming were the first in America to be granted the right to vote – in 1869 – well before this became part of the US Constitution in 1920. When we got to Laramie, we discovered that the first woman to exercise that right, 70-year old Louisa Swain, did so there in 1870. The town is proud of this and commemorates Louisa with a statue and an entry in its sidewalk map.

“The Franchise” by John D. Baker
Sidewalk map

The building behind Louisa is Wyoming Women’s History house which we tried in vain to visit on the morning we left Laramie. The leaflet we picked up at the visitor centre said it opened at 10am, but the notice on the door said 11am and we didn’t have time to wait. Almost three weeks later, we passed through Laramie again  – only to find that the museum had closed for the season at the end of August, and by this time it was September. Foiled again!

However, we enjoyed walking round the town which was colourful and aromatic – check out the wall growing herbs. Also, if you enlarge the picture with the yellow awning you will see that it is a microbrewery called The Library. Along the awning it says “Don’t lie to your Mom. Tell her you’re at The Library”. A sense of humour too!

Library Microbrew
Johnson’s Hotel
Wine Bar
This wall grows food
Mural
Ghost sign

We stayed in a comfortable B&B called the Mad Carpenter Inn – when you see the pictures you’ll understand the name. Lawrence and Danny Rue were wonderful hosts and the breakfasts were delicious. Our room was a separate little cottage called The Dollhouse (seen with our hire-car outside it), which was great for my jetlag because I could go downstairs to sit and read without disturbing John. The stained glass panel is in the bedroom ceiling. If you ever go to Laramie, stay there!

Dollhouse
Dollhouse
Dollhouse
Dollhouse

Even better, I discovered that Laramie has an entirely vegetarian restaurant, Sweet Melissa. I hardly ever get to choose from the whole menu and, fortunately, John liked it as much as I did so we ate there both nights of our stay – and went back for lunch the day we passed through later in our trip.

Sweet Melissa
Sweet Melissa

Finally, Laramie is near great hiking trails which I’ll tell you more about in my next post. We left wishing we had more time there, but we said that nearly everywhere we went. The next question was always – what would we have cut out to compensate? To that we never had an answer. There’s always something to go back for!

USA, Wyoming ,

51 Comments »

  1. Pingback: Red Lodge to Estes Park – The Glasgow Gallivanter

  2. I am 5 states shy of a full 50 and Wyoming is one of those states. I enjoyed traveling to Laramie with you virtually. Especially enjoyed the picture of John in jail, of the streets of Laramie,and the Ghost Chesterfield Advertisement.

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  3. While there did you discover the play “The Laramie Project?” My community theatre group is performing it at the end of November in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

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  7. Oooh, another American adventure! I think you’re definitely more well-travelled in the US than I am! I’d love to see the West one of these days, and will definitely keep that B&B and vegetarian restaurant in mind. It’s always exciting to have more than like 2 options at a restaurant!

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  8. I’d love to go to Laramie! You make it sound very appealing. I’ve been to Wyoming and the west, but only when I was young. I traveled around the west when I lived in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho from 1980-84. You remind me here why I’d love to go back that way again.

    I love the Library microbrewery, the bed and breakfast and the vegetarian restaurant. And I love how you put John in jail! A great trip. I can’t wait to read about the hikes. 🙂

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  9. Looks like a fun adventure. Watched an interesting programme around a year ago highlighting the fact that women had been completely airbrushed out of 1960s art culture. There were around half a dozen very prominent and celebrated female artists working in the 60s in New York and London, having sell out galleries yet it is only the male artists that are recognized today with the girls removed from most modern retrospectives of that period. I suppose that was still the age when men preferred women to be in the kitchen or taking care of the house and kids rather than fully independent and non conformist.

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  11. Loved your photos and your information about Laramie makes me envious. I have been to Denver and travelled to a ranch where we were spoiled for a week but our road trip was from Texas to Denver so the scenery was different. However Wyoming sounds like somewhere I would love to spend time.

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  13. Wow what a great place . . . . .if we ever back it back out west again I’ll add it to my long list of places I want to see. We usually arrive in Tahoe and never leave so my list has got very long over the past 25 years!

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  14. Hi Anabel – definitely sounds a town to remember – an easy name too … but what a fantastic range of interests to look at … the veggie restaurant, the B+B, the herb wall – great ideas … such fun – I want to jump a plane now! Cheers Hilary

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  18. A great start to your road trip: women’s history and a nice vegetarian restaurant. I always say that if I could pick from a vegetarian menu like in these restaurants every day, I would have no problem becoming a vegetarian! I love the quote at the microbrewery as well!

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  20. I love that guest house and that would be a perfect retirement home for someone. Love the stained glass. I love the signs including the old cigarette sign which i hope they never get rid of since it is part of the heritage. It looks like John can have a talk with Butch Cassidy

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  22. Hi Anabel,
    thanks for sharing your views and pictures. Wyoming is still on our bucket list. This year [leaving next Monday] we’ll only get as fas as southern Nebraska, but that wil add a few states to my personal list. We intend to do quite a bit of bicycling on rail trail, plus some sightseeing. I’ll post about all that.
    Looking forward to your next posts,
    Pit

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  23. The stained glass panel in the ceiling is gorgeous. I love the sign on the micro brewery – it reminds me of a local pub called the Post Office. That puts a whole new meaning on a guy telling his wife “I’m just popping down to the post office” lol

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