Cheyenne, Wyoming. Railroads and rodeos, cattle and Colts, mining and military: A decidedly rugged history has long played out here in this town once called Hell on Wheels that lies 6,200 feet high on the edge of the Great Plains. And now...art Mecca?
This truly modest-sized state capital of 65,000 souls in the least populated state in the Union has launched what in a larger urban environment might be an equally modest project. But here, Cheyenne’s compact 19th-century grid-platted landscape is being transformed into nothing less than a walkable outdoor gallery of huge and captivating murals covering old frontier-era brick walls to go along with block after block of delightful street corner statues.
Cheyenne’s art explosion becomes immediately apparent as you drive into town and bright murals pop right and left off of downtown business façades. Truly wacky and cool, The Buffalo by muralist Jordan Dean shows a blue bison in shorts playing guitar while an eagle soars above and various other critters fill the scene. It takes up most of the wall of a tall building behind the popular Paramount Cafe. Elsewhere in town, there are walls filled with kraken, cherubim, and comic book figures, as well with horsemen, of course. Some are spray painted, some graffito style. There’s a handy app to guide you to them all too.
A dozen years ago, art gallery owner Harvey Deselms was inspired to add some wildlife statues downtown. In a true community effort, he and others collected donations to put up a few works at a time along the city’s historic 17th Street. Eventually they added humans to the bronze mix as well. And of course, a cowboy.
Ultimately, a task group was formed, and taking cues from a popular arts program in Sheridan Wyoming, the city began commissioning works for the Capitol Avenue Bronze Project. In the last two years, the program has really taken off and was officially dedicated this past June.
While Jackson Pollock may have been born in the opposite corner of Wyoming, we’re talking here mostly of more traditional straight up figurative representations. And bronze statues have a long tradition in the West, after all. In addition to the state’s rich wildlife being honored, so too are historic figures, both pioneers and indigenous, such as Shoshone leader Washakie holding a pipe by sculptor Guadalupe Barajas and Arapaho leader Yellow Calf immortalized by sculptor Tanner Loren.
Cheyenne is small enough to wander all downtown, and as you take in the popular view that stretches from the capitol building to the historic and handsome Union Pacific train depot, you could literally trip over most of the works.
Most pieces are less than a few feet tall, including their stone pedestals created by local masons. Some
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It’s 2023, and most wineries have fairly decent food—some local cheeses, cured meats and often a proper three-course lunch. But some of them are going far and above, installing Michelin-star (or Michelin-caliber) chefs on the premises and letting them run free with their technique and creativity. And of course, the wine pairings are always spot-on. Here, in alphabetical order, are ten of the most interesting right now.
Entrances to national parks will be blocked and thousands of park rangers will be furloughed if Congress doesn't reach a budget agreement this weekend, the Department of Interior said Friday.
Road trips in Montana really take you places. Massive mountains, glacier lakes, and wild rivers unfurl outside the window on the state’s wide-open roads, each diving into a state of exploration and pure natural wonder. And with plenty of Western scenery and outstretched landscapes along the way, road-tripping across Montana proves it’s all about the journey between destinations.
Rockers from Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver to Tori Amos and Billy Gibbons have all been lucky enough to turn around and see drummer Matt Sorum behind them on stage keeping the rhythm going. In the second part of my interview I spoke with Sorum about his healing work with the Raven Drum Foundation , how you get backstage at a Rolling Stones concert and a rock star move anyone can pull at a bar.
ITB Asia, Asia’s leading travel trade show, is pleased to announce its top exhibitors for the highly anticipated 16th edition, set to take place from 25 – 27 October 2023 in Singapore.
Certainly there’s never a bad time to visit Jackson Hole, the high-altitude Wyoming mountain town (pop. 10,698) surrounded by spectacular jagged mountains and adhereing to those “old timey” western ways. Plus: autumn’s crisp air ushers in amber-hues and golden aspens that seemingly pop everywhere you look in Grand Teton National Park. And, with thinner crowds and lower hotel rates, you’ll also find bugling elk and a snow dusting on the mountaintops (and just before the winter ski bunnies descend).
Its annual massive nine-day Cheyenne Frontier Days just ended, and Wyoming’s capital has returned to its quiet norm. Or, so you’d think. Actually, the Magic City on the Plains is ever more a city on the go, with brewpubs and creative dining popping up both in the historic downtown and on its the edges—and thankfully not plagued by hipster excess. The small city has a big city number of fine museums as well. And to cap it off, nature hikes are a short ride out of town.
On a central downtown corner, a vast shop in a bright red historic building reflects the heart of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Of course, a cowboy hat is de rigueur here in the boundless West, and you could get lost for hours in The Wrangler. Ultimately, you’ll leave happy after your fitting for the cowboy chapeau of your dreams, and having watched a skilled hat shaper mold it into just the style you prefer. Their boot selection is endless and so too is the supply of sartorial gear that you hadn’t known you needed for the city’s annual Cheyenne Frontier Days.
The east coast may have the dawn, but here in San Juan, La Union, we get the sunsets. Cumulus clouds pile high over the horizon as waves obliterate themselves on the sand, turning into a mist, making everything glow.
It’s that time again to get behind the lens of some of the world's best wildlife photographers with a first selection of images entered in the 2023 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.