Our trip to Wyoming actually began late last year when we chatted with the state’s board of tourism about the chance to come out West and experience Winter in Wyoming. They asked if we’d be willing to go off the beaten trail (aka head outside of Jackson Hole and Yellowstone where most tourists congregate). Willing?!? We jumped at the chance and this February touched down in Sheridan, WY to get a real taste of the independent, adventurous spirit that makes this cowboy country such an amazing place to visit. We were blessed with over a foot of fresh snow in the 4 days that we were there, and seeing that part of the country in the depths of Winter is something that Adam and I will truly never forget. Add to that the incredible people and all the things to see and do, and I can wholeheartedly say that Wyoming – and Sheridan specifically – should be added to your bucket list, stat.
Below – our very first travel vlog (something we’ve been wanting to add to the site for a long time so I hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed filming and editing it!) plus our full itinerary and photo highlights along the way. If you’re wondering – what does one wear when visiting the Wild West, I’ve shared that here, here and here. And for more on our incredible stay at the Historic Sheridan Inn be sure to check out this post.
And finally, a huge thank you to the city of Sheridan and the state of Wyoming. We can’t thank you enough for this incredible opportunity and for sharing your corner of the country with two wide-eyed, city kids. This won’t be the last you see of us!
GETTING THERE:
From New York, we flew to Denver and then took a 30 passenger flight via Denver Air Connection directly into Sheridan. Not only was this simple, but they give out king-sized candy bars on this airline. I repeat, king-sized candy bars. It’s the little things, no?
DAY ONE:
Breakfast at Cowboy Cafe – a cute local spot serving up hearty breakfast. You won’t leave hungry.
Archery Lessons at Rocky Mountain Discount Sports – SO much fun! Shout-out to Elaine who helped me feel like I wasn’t a complete amateur at this. Even though I 100% was.
Shopping on Main Street – we hit up Best Out West and I could have stayed there all day. So many vintage and antique treasures. I picked up whiskey bottles from the 1890s, a vintage camera and a book about Butch Cassidy. We also popped into Little Willow Traders.
Lunch at Java Moon – Delicious soups, salads and sandwiches (plus served chai tea, always a win in my book)
Kings Saddlery – A famous saddle and rope-maker, they also have a huge museum attached to their shop that has tons of amazing history and artifacts from the wild west (especially loved the Native American art and clothing and the old stage-coaches). Even better, they took us into their shop and showed us how they make rope! A strangely fascinating process.
Drinks at Mint Bar – A cowboy watering hole since 1907 and a mainstay of the downtown Sheridan landscape. It felt like a mix between an old time saloon and your favorite neighborhood bar. In short, I loved it here.
Dinner at Open Range – This restaurant is connected to the Historic Sheridan Inn where we stayed and served up one of the best dinners of our trip. Great beer pairings and a super cozy feel. Although… I’d avoid the Rocky Mountain Oysters (aka fried bull’s testicles) – although Adam was brave enough.
Music and dancing at Sheridan Inn – They had a great band playing on Friday night and it felt like the whole town came out, really fun and also family friendly.
A few more drinks at Luminous Brewhouse – Another favorite spot, just a great local hang out, good beer and amazing live music.
DAY TWO:
Breakfast at Shabby Shack – The cutest little place on the edge of downtown. Loved the food and the atmosphere.
Tour of Big Horn Design and Shop at Surf Wyoming – this was one of many examples of local places that were really growing and expanding but in a way that felt true to the community. Surf Wyoming was one of those cool spots that you can totally see in Venice or Austin or Brooklyn. We picked up their ‘Wyoming as Folk’ t-shirts.
Brewery Tour at Black Tooth Brewery – this place is so awesome. Similar to Big Horn Design in that they’ve had such incredible growth over the past few years and you can see why. The beer was so damn good and we loved getting a behind the scenes tour of the entire beer-making process.
Lunch at Olivia’s Kitchen – another cute eatery that served up great Mexican food. I wish I could have tried a margarita but we were just on the heels of the brewery tour and we still had a full day ahead 🙂
The Paint Post – I’d never done one of those popular paint classes but it was so much fun and even more so hilarious because Adam and I didn’t show each other our work until the very end. Highly recommend for couples or a group of girlfriends!
Dinner at Frackletons – Loved it here, was a great mix between being a little more upscale but still completely inviting and not at all stuffy. And the food. Delicious. Would have eaten here twice if we could have.
Drinks and Dancing at Luminous Brewhouse – This particular night they were hosting a Winter Dance Party complete with 50’s themed band, swing-dancing and costumes. We threw together thrift store outfits, met up with new friends and twirled away.
DAY THREE:
Breakfast at the Silver Spur Cafe – A total cowboy’s breakfast dream. I think I ate more bacon on this trip than I have in the past year – and am not mad about it.
Fat-biking and Snow-shoeing in the Bighorn Mountains – We had a trusty guide John Kirlin – the Director of Antelope Butte Foundation, a non-profit organization that’s set to reopen the Antelope Butte ski slope and lodge in the Bighorn Mountains that’s set to open next Winter – who took us up the mountain and let us loose in the snow, patiently teaching us fat-biking and snow-shoeing along the way. It was amazing to be the only ones out there for the most part and get to try new activities. Also, John let us pull over the car probably 5 times to take pictures and for that alone he deserves an award.
Lunch at Bear Lodge – a neighboring lodge that has all the rustic appeal you’d hope for from a snow-covered spot tucked high up in the mountains. Great for grabbing a drink or a warm bite to eat after a day in the cold.
Wine Tasting and Light Bites at The Gallery on Main – such a cool spot just outside of Sheridan on the way back down the mountain. A multi-use space they’ve got an open kitchen serving up delicious home-cooked food, great wine out of Jackson Hole wineries and an amazing gallery of local artists. Plus, just about the nicest owner with the sweetest 90 year old Dad you’ll ever meet. (Hi Gina! Hi Eddie!) We felt like family by the time we’d left.
DAY FOUR:Â
Breakfast at P.O. News and Cafe – Another spot that has been on the main street of Sheridan for the past 100+ years. I loved all of the antiques they had on the display and that it felt like it’s never lost a bit of it’s charm along the way.
Buffalo Reserve at Kendrick Park – The Kendrick Mansion (a local historical house you can tour) was unfortunately closed at the time, but we were still hoping to see Bison or Elk so we took a drive by the reserve park. In a very generous act, the Parks and Recs guys let us jump into their trucks and drove us right inside the park and with windows down, let us sit no more than a few feet away from a family of Bison and a pair of Elk. Truly one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.
See you again someday Sheridan!
