Before I get to the charms of Wyoming, I just realized that I started my cross-country trip exactly 2 Sundays ago. And it’s been absolutely WONDERFUL to drive through and visit:

New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and now Wyoming.

Here’s a photo that actually came out pretty well during my very long drive from Devils Tower in the northeast to Cheyenne in the southeast. 6 hours. This was during the 2-lane highway portion. In addition to freaking out every time a big rig approached on the opposite lane, I only got about 4 radio stations the whole way, half of which were Christian Rock. I can now confess that I have listened to Christian Rock for the last seven states and even before and I really like it! What’s not to like: upbeat, positive, catchy melodies. I don’t really know any of the artists or the names of the songs, but what I’ve heard I’ve mostly liked.

Wyoming is just lovely, from its rolling, open grasslands dotted with cattle to its open sensibility. By that I mean, what other place can you walk right up to the state capitol so easily or see someone walking his dog on its lawn? And in the historic Governors Mansion, the house wasn’t overly roped and cordoned off as in other historic homes I’ve visited around the world. Here the visitor was encouraged to go up and down the stairs and into nearly every room, filled with actual period pieces, as if invited into the home by the owner. Cheyenne had a great Old West museum with a really terrific buggy and coach exhibit. There were so many different types: fire, funeral, library, stagecoach, NYC taxi. It was a great collection.

I’m now in Laramie, just a 45-minute drive from Cheyenne. A lot of people may first think of the Matthew Shepard murder. I had to look it up online to remind myself when it happened. 1998. It’s home to the University of Wyoming, the only state 4-year institution. The drive over was through some very gusty terrain. No wonder there were so many industrial-size windmills going strong.