While driving on I-25 in Wyoming it is possible to see silhouettes up on the high bluffs overlooking the highway. In all, we spotted a dinosaur, a jackelope, an “End of the Trail,” a cowboy on horseback with his dog sitting beside, and a buffalo. While one might think they’ve been put in place by state government they haven’t. After doing a bit of research Byron found that someone put a silhouette in place to promote a nearby attraction and then others started doing the same.
In the distance, travelers can spot silhouettes on the hillsides overlooking
Interstate 25. Obviously, they can be seen easily from a vehicle.
We were up in time to have our traditional pancake and bacon breakfast; a Saturday habit for us. It is “Frontier Days” in Cheyenne. We didn’t plan to be here for the event but it didn’t interrupt our making a decision to go to the Cheyenne Depot Museum, the former passenger depot for the Union Pacific. The depot, originally built in 1886 and is still standing as a beautiful example of a stately depot of it’s day.
Though the volunteer who works the second floor was ill, we were allowed to view the artifacts on the first floor. We read a lot of information and saw several images of the importance of railroading to Cheyenne while learning a bit about the history of the Union Pacific in this area. As you may recall, the Union Pacific was one of the two road names making connection at Promentory Point in Utah where we visited last year. All in all, it took about 75 minutes to peruse the museum. The second floor hosts a model railroad that, according to the cashier in the museum store, was the best part of the museum.
The clock tower and main entrance of the
Union Pacific Depot in Cheyenne circa 1886.
Eight-foot-tall boots, known as “Cheyenne Big Boots” are displayed
throughout the town.
For encountering the steep grades of the mountains, the Union Pacific
was famous for implementing “Big Boy” locomotives with their
articulated 4-8-8-4 arrangement of wheels. Of course, this is a photo of a photo.
This is all that remains of what used to be a 48-bay roundhouse
in Cheyenne where many of the steam locomotives were
repaired and serviced. At one point, 5,000 people worked
in the Cheyenne Shops. Today they employ less than 100.
After leaving the museum we walked onto the Depot Plaza where a chili cook off was in full swing for the day. We didn’t get any. Tourists can do everything.
From there we drove up the street to get a photo of the capitol building in Cheyenne. Compared to the buildings in our home states, the Wyoming capitol is somewhat modest in size but, given the population, meets the needs of state government.
The Wyoming Capitol Building in Cheyenne.
Cheyenne and the eastern part of the state is on our list of places to visit again.
After leaving Cheyenne we drove toward Denver. Again, we were along the Front Range where new growth is occurring. Once into the Denver area we drove westward a bit to the suburb named Wheat Ridge. We arrived at the campground where we would spend three days. The name was The Prospect. It isn't much of a campground as far as campgrounds are concerned. It’s more like a trailer park. Most of the RV’s that are here have tarps draped to protect them from winter’s chill. In effect, there are many temporary workers here. The redeeming quality is the location is handy with a nice, city park attached to the property.
Saturday night we drove to Broomfield for dinner with a classmate of Byron’s from elementary and secondary school days in Fairfield, his hometown. Nancy and her husband, Tom, took us to an authentic Italian restaurant, Parma Trattoria Mozzarella Bar Restaurant in Louisville, CO. Byron said he was used to singing Italian but didn't recognize many of the words on the menu. Apparently there’s a difference between the plot of an opera and the food one eats. Thank goodness for that!
After a great dinner we returned to their home for some visiting and some delicious tiramisu straight from the local Kroger affiliate, King Soopers.
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