Day #6 - June 19, 2010

Rawlins, WY to Cheyenne, WY
176 Miles


RAWLINS

I explored Rawlins this morning for about an hour. The architecture is not very interesting, but there were a couple of buildings that stood out. The Osborne Building (1901) is impressive, but I do not know it's history.


The main historical site in town is the Old Wyoming State Penitentary (1888) which is currently a museum. It is a pretty impressive stone building.

I left Rawlins about 10:00 a.m. and headed east on I-80 & Route 30 which is the Lincoln Highway. A few miles east of Rawlins I crossed the Continental Divide (approx. 7, 000 ft.)

FORT FRED STEELE

Then between Sinclair and Walcott about 2 miles off the freeway I visited Fort Fred Steele, which is now a ghost town. Many of the original buildings are gone, but the map below shows the original layout of the fort. It was established in 1868 and was occupied until 1886 by soldiers who were sent by the U.S. Government to guard the railroad against attack from Indians. The fort was named for Major General Frederick Steele, a Civil War hero.

This is the Bridge Tender's House which was constructed by the Union Pacific Railroad to serve as an employee surveillance point for the railroad.

This is the Powder Magazine which housed the ammunition. It was built in 1881 from locally quarried stone.

Here is all that remains of the main village. The stone foundation and chimney are all that remain of the enlisted men's barracks. The white building I think was the officer's quarters and the red building once used as a hospital. The Union Pacific Railroad tracks run directly through the site.

LARAMIE

I arrived in Laramie at about 12:30 and explored the small charming downtown area by foot. There are mostly shops, restaurants, and pubs here. I did not see any major office buildings.

Here are a few of my favorite photos.

I ate lunch at Tommy Jacks and had a delicious meal - crab cake sandwich with cajun spices and sweet potato fries and raspberry ice tea.

UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING

Not far from downtown Laramie is the University of Wyoming campus. The architecture is modern in design, with a lot of brick and stone to blend in with the surrounding hills.

Sports Complex

Stadium

On the way to Cheyenne, just off the highway, are two monuments to the Lincoln Highway.

Below is the monument to Henry Joy, the first president of the Lincoln Highway Assocation.

Next to the Henry Joy Monument is a large statue of Abraham Lincoln. You can actually see Abe from the highway as you are driving by.

CHEYENNE

I arrived in Cheyenne about 4:30 and checked into the hotel. Since the hotel is right downtown, I did a 2-hour walking tour. While it is bigger than Laramie, the main attractions are close.

The Cheyenne Depot was the obvious starting point, just 4 blocks from my hotel. A National Historic Landmark, it is the former Union Pacific Depot. It was recently restored and now is a museum and visitor center.

Here is the Wyoming State Capitol Building.

Back to the Cheyenne Depot, I had dinner at the Shadows Pub & Grill. The weather was perfect, so I sat outside on the patio. Had a grilled chicken sandwich with cajun spices, cole slaw, and beer. They seem to like cajun flavors here in Eastern Wyoming.

Lincoln Movie Theatre

Wrangler Store

Listened to some live outdoor entertainment for awhile here in the Cheyenne Depot Plaza. Then back to my hotel.

Tomorrow I'm leaving the Lincoln Highway temporarily, heading north to South Dakota. Hope to get an early start.