Cheyenne, WY - 9737 Miles

Friday we drove from Salt Lake City to Cheyenne, Wy, passing through over 400 miles of nearly empty countryside. Less than 500,000 people call Wyoming home. If I ever decide to live "off the grid" I've found a suitable place. I don't think it's very likely though. I've grown fond of the grid and would need a very long extension cord. It was the first time I saw signs and gates across an interstate to shut it down in bad weather.

Today we went into town to see the state capitol. Terry had seen a dome so we drove that general direction. As we approached I saw the building below the dome and said, "That can't be it. That must be the county courthouse." I was wrong. The capital must be closed on weekends since all the doors were locked. I should have known since two days worth of newspapers were piled outside the front door. I didn't think about it until after we left, but if I had checked there was probably a key left under the mat. I did learn from the outdoor statuary that the territory of Wyoming in 1869 was the first government in the world to grant equal rights to women. It seems that issue later was a large part of the congressional debate on admitting Wyoming to the union.

We also visited the weekend farmer's market and did the self-guided historic walking tour of downtown and nearby residences. I'm convinced the common factors for community growth in the late 1800's were saloons and brothels.

Tomorrow is Denver.