Roadtrip: Wyoming

Although many parts of Wyoming are spectacular, the section which contains I-80 has never held much appeal for me. Unfortunately, some people never see any other parts of the state.

Yet even the most desolated areas can have their beauty – especially in the fabulous views of the sky.

And of course, there’s always the rest stop and cheap ice cream cone at Little America, originated by a sheepherder who fulfilled a 40-year desire for a place of shelter in that spot, and which launched Earl Holding’s financial empire (Sinclair Oil).

I did get a great tip from Lori at Cowgirl Yarn in Laramie – she suggested that we avoid the construction between Laramie and Cheyenne on I-80 by taking Happy Jack Road (highway 210), which goes past Curt Gowdy State Park. It was a beautiful ride on a well-maintained road, and we only saw a couple of cars in either direction on the entire drive. Even if it hadn’t saved us time because of the construction issues, it would have been worth the detour. (And it’s not much of a detour – it probably isn’t more than a few minutes longer than taking I-80 even when there’s no construction.) We’ll plan on taking this route every time we have to travel that area in the future.