Howdy, readers! Soon John and I will be taking a trip across our beautiful country to Wyoming. This will be our third visit in the past four years so as you can guess, Wyoming is pretty special to us.
Wyoming, a state of fewer than 600,000 people, became our 44th state in 1890 and is known as both the Cowboy State for the numerous ranches within its boundaries and the Equality State for being the first state in the nation to grant women the right to vote.
The state is home to the historic hunting grounds of the Cheyenne, Crow, Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Native American Tribes, the Hole in the Wall hideout of the notorious train and bank robber Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch outlaws, the Johnson County Cattle War and of course, rodeos!
Among the many beautiful and historic attractions in Wyoming are two National Parks (Yellowstone and Grand Teton), five National Forests, sixteen State Parks, several magnificent mountain ranges, enough historic sites to keep you busy for weeks and numerous fascinating museums.
The Hoofprints of the Past Museum (what a great name!) in Kaycee, Johnson County is a real favorite of ours. The delightful and informative Museum Director Laurel Foster, whom we met in 2020, is a 5th generation Kaycee resident and a wonderful source of information about the history of the area. This September we’ll be joining Laurel and staff for their Bozeman Trail Historical Tour.
This gem of a museum was founded in an historic 1897 building in 1989 by a group of Volunteers to celebrate Wyoming’s Centennial. Volunteers staff the museum and the items and equipment on exhibit at the museum were donated by members of the community. The museum‘s outside displays include a homestead cabin, jail, one room schoolhouse, farm equipment and an 1895 chuckwagon.
The Hoofprints of the Past Museum is quite literally a treasure and I highly recommend visiting this museum if you find yourself anywhere near Kaycee, Wyoming. Your time will be well spent and you will no doubt leave the museum with a deeper appreciation for and enjoyment of the fascinating history of the area.
Please check back with us in the coming weeks for more of our adventures in Wyoming. In addition to my blog posts, you can follow Trips & Pics on Instagram @tripsnpicsllc.
NOTE – If you like what you’ve read of our travels so far and would like to plan a similar trip for yourself, please contact me on our website’s “Let’s Connect” page or at jttripsnpics@gmail.com. I offer travel consultations through Trips & Pics, LLC and would be happy to assist you in planning the trip of your dreams!
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Happy travels and enjoy your time in Wyoming. I am looking forward to photos and hearing about your adventures!
Maureen – Many thanks for your good wishes for our trip to Wyoming. I intend to post about our adventures in the West and of course, John will post his beautiful photos. Stay tuned. Fondly, Teresa
Such a beautiful country we live in! Love Wyoming! Great blog, Teresa!
Janet – Thanks so much for your lovely comment. We sure do have a magnificently beautiful country! We miss seeing you in person and look forward to your Instagram posts. Wishing you and your family happy travels of your own! Fondly, Teresa
Very interesting as usual.
Louise, Many thanks for your comment – much appreciated! Fondly, Teresa
Teresa! Westward, Ho! I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful introduction to Wyoming and the enticing glimpses of the Hoofprints of the Past Museum. (It IS is a wonderful name!) I’m looking forward to a vicarious trip on the Bozeman Trail with you in September, and learning about other favorite places of yours to visit, stay, and eat (!) in The Equality State! I know from your posts about Ireland, that horseback riding there is a favorite pastime of yours, so I’m hoping for photos of you enjoying a western ride! The BEST Travelers, of whom you and John are two, find a way to be at home in the world wherever they are–by engaging with people, nature, and history–for a start! Safe Travels!
Susan – Once again you have showered us with your wonderful and much appreciated comments! In our stories and photos we will keep our readers posted about our adventures out West. There are so many terrific things to see, do and eat (!) in Wyoming that we are sure to have much to write about and photograph. Aha, horseback riding in Wyoming … I’ve ridden and even herded sheep and cattle on horseback in Ireland but we’ll have to see if wearing my cowboy hat and boots brings me the skill to do so in a western saddle! We have such an incredible world to explore and we are very fortunate that the people we meet in our travels are so welcoming. Go raibh maith agat, grazie and merci – in any language, thank you for your kind words. Fondly, Teresa
Another very interesting article! I hope you have a wonderful time when revisiting Wyoming this year!
Carol – How lovely to receive your comment on my blog post, thank you! Thanks also for your good wishes for our trip to Wyoming. Stay tuned as it’s sure to be an enjoyable and interesting trip! Fondly, Teresa
Fabulous Teresa! We loved visiting Wyoming and went to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons as well as Jackson Hole. The places you highlight are great and hope folks visit. Wonderful blog and you always provide excellent travel tips. Take care, Diane
Diane – Your lovely comments are much appreciated, thank you! I’m delighted that you and Bob had the pleasure of going to Wyoming and visiting Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole – all magnificent. Please stay tuned as there is more to come … Fondly, Teresa
Looks like great fun, you two have a wonderful time.
Barry – Thanks so very much for your good wishes! It is great fun visiting Wyoming. Stay tuned for more of John’s photos and my stories. Fondly, Teresa