Jackson is a special place. With its proximity to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, skiing, and wildlife, it gets a lot of visitors. When I stopped by, I was expecting a small town full of lodging and tourist traps, but there was much more to it. My three hours in the town only gave me a small taste of what it has to offer.
Named after one of its founders, the legendary Buffalo Bill Cody, the city of Cody is a gateway to Yellowstone National Park and the self-proclaimed Rodeo Capital of the World. It makes a great stop before or after exploring Yellowstone and has plenty of interesting activities and museums to keep visitors busy.
The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word “Casper” is “Casper the Friendly Ghost”. The first thing that came to mind when I drove into the city of Casper on a Friday afternoon is “ghost town”.
The cowboy city of Laramie was founded in 1868 and named after French fur trader Jacques La Ramée, who disappeared in the area in 1821. It has a nice historic downtown, a Wild West prison, and a university. We stopped for a few hours on our way to Cheyenne.
After we left Rocky Mountain National Park, we made a quick stop in the university city of Fort Collins, Colorado, on our way to Laramie, Wyoming.
Before going to Denver, I was told not to leave without eating dinner at the Buckhorn Exchange. This steakhouse has been serving up steaks, Old West classics, and exotic meats since 1893. It’s located in a historic building in Denver’s oldest neighborhood.
Every Labor Day weekend, Denver hosts A Taste of Colorado at Civic Center Park. This food festival also features live music, rides, games, shopping, and more. Admission is free and it’s a fun event to attend as summer comes to a close.
While neighboring Idaho Springs is famous for gold mines, Georgetown, Colorado, sprung up because of its silver mines. Today, this small town nestled in the Rocky Mountains preserves its original Victorian charm and offers plenty of opportunities for shopping, sightseeing, and recreational activities. It makes for a great day trip from the Denver area.