Our Stay in Cheyenne, WY

Wyoming

July 2021

Driving to Cheyenne, WY

We left the resort just before 10 am to drive to the Tru by Hilton hotel in Cheyenne, WY. We experienced no delays and arrived at the hotel about 3 hours later.

Thankfully, our room was ready, and we could check in right away. Hemmes was at ease right away! We all relaxed for a while before heading to downtown Cheyenne for dinner. Plans changed, though; due to a thunderstorm and rain, we drove to the restaurant “The Albany” instead of walking. We enjoyed this place, which offered great food and a lot of history.

After we got back to our room, we got a scare because we couldn’t find Hemmes anywhere. Toon searched every aisle on every floor in the hotel, and I took the mattresses off the beds. Suddenly, he walked out of the bathroom, and only then did we discover an open space under and behind the sink. Apparently, he had been hiding there from the thunderstorm! We were just so glad he was still in the room.

Afterward, I changed into my workout clothes and headed down to the cool hotel fitness room for a run on the treadmill, which felt great after a lazy day of doing nothing and eating too much good food.

A Quick Round around Wyoming's State Capitol

After an early run, though outside this time, and breakfast, we were ready to visit Cheyenne’s Capitol building and downtown again on this beautiful day. With yesterday’s thunderstorm, I hadn’t been able to take nice pictures, so I was glad for a second chance.

We did our usual round around the State Capitol. Even though we didn’t go inside, just admiring the impressive architecture from the outside was well worth it. It is a stunning National Historic Landmark built in the late 1800s with a shining 24-karat gold leaf dome that, compared to yesterday, stood out beautifully against the blue Wyoming sky.

And a Quick Peek Inside Cheyenne's History

From there, we visited the historic downtown district, filled with vibrant western charm, historic red-brick buildings, and giant, hand-painted cowboy boots. Cheyenne was established in 1867 when the Union Pacific Railroad came to town. It grew into a wealthy hub and earned the nickname “The Magic City of the Plains.”

We could still see that wealth in the Historic Union Pacific Station (Cheyenne Depot), one of the last 19th-century railroad stations left, and many of the city’s other historic buildings.

While strolling around and taking pictures of these structures, a local contractor started talking to us and invited us inside the Hynds Building, a beautiful former hotel built during Cheyenne’s booming railroad days. His company is going to renovate and change the building into luxury apartments. It will be so amazing because the original marble walls, the original elevator, and the stained-glass windows will be integrated into the new design. I could easily see myself living in an apartment with so much history!

Check Out with A Grumpy Passenger

Just around 10 am, we returned to the hotel to check out. We had already packed everything except for Hemmes. He was NOT happy this time when we put him in his carrier, which was completely out of the ordinary for him! He complained all the way down the hallway, so I quickly walked outside to the car. I kept him on my lap this time, and that seemed to do the trick; the moment we drove off, he was sound asleep within minutes.