The Great American Bar

Actually, I don't even know what that means.  I hate coming up with titles for these posts.  In a country this vast, "Great American" anything varies widely.  In the Northern Great Lakes, it would have to include some table shuffleboard and a Friday night fish fry; in Chicago and Boston, it's Irish. I suppose in California, wheatgrass is probably involved somehow.  But out here in the Rocky Mountains, I love a good Western bar, complete with taxidermied animals on the walls and some grand old pile of wood imported from a nearby ghost town's old general store. Maybe it would also have a little something special, like bar stools with pistols for arms (see Saratoga, below).

I spend a lot of time driving around Wyoming, and I never tire of these local gems, which often also serve some great local beer on tap and occasionally even know how to make a good Manhattan. In many of these towns, it's easier to find a good bar than it is a good restaurant, and I suppose the right amount of gin is just as filling as a small sandwich, albeit slightly harder on your liver.

If you're ever out this way, here are my suggestions; they also correspond to the towns I like to visit (with a couple of exceptions):

Casper: The Wonder Bar has pretty terrible food, but a terrific set of taps, including their own local brew and highlights from some of the best beers around the state. Be forewarned, local Casper College students swarm this place on the weekends, and I've been there more than once on St. Patrick's Day when I was just bypassed for a pat-down by the local cops patrolling the front door. If you're looking for a quiet drink with friends, maybe try a Wednesday night.

The Wonder Bar, home of Wyoming State Brewing, Casper

Cody: Buffalo Bill's Irma Hotel (Restaurant and Saloon) has that classic, grandiose wooden bar polished to a high gleam, and a decent selection of Western beers and whiskeys. It's pretty quiet in here most of the time, and you'll definitely hear some old geezers talking about hunting season.

Buffalo Bill's Restaurant and Saloon, Cody

Jackson: Million Dollar Cowboy Bar downtown hosts a lot of dead animals on the wall, and plenty of Country-Western dancing on the weekends. If that's too much for you (as it is for me), try the Silver Dollar Bar in the Wort Hotel. It's got more of a luxe, gold-rush feel to it, and the cocktails are great.

Silver Dollar Bar in the Wort Hotel, Jackson

Jelm: The Bar & Dance Hall at Woods Landing Resort is a great place to watch swing dancers do their thing on the historically registered dance floor at night, though I'd stick to the beer if you stop for a drink. Still, it's a truly Western, small=town experience, as is all of Jelm. Come to think of it, this resort IS all of Jelm...

Woods Landing in the thriving metropolis of Jelm

Laramie: As the token liberal college town in the state, Front Street Tavern opted to go without the soul-crushing, dead stares of elk on the walls, but it does have a certain warm, inviting vibe thanks to the elaborate salvaged bar from nearby Fort Laramie. The taps highlight Wyoming and Colorado beers, and the cocktails are generally very well-made.  As a bonus, they're adjoined to (and run by) Sweet Melissa's vegetarian cafe, and until about 9pm you can order food from their delicious menu and have it brought over. This place is not for the faint of heart on the weekends, though--bring earplugs and be prepared to wait ages for a seat.

Front Street Tavern, Laramie

Riverton: Not a place I would normally visit unless for business, but Bar 10 is actually great. Despite the blaring country-western and troubled 20-somethings screaming about guns and (pro) Tea Party sentiments, I had a delicious Manhattan with what had to be home-infused cherries.  The aesthetic is a mix of hunting saloon (wood panel, dead critters) and 1930s oil boom with rich-colored stained glass and bronze fixtures.  As a bonus, this is also probably the best restaurant in town.

Bar 10, complete with flaming stained glass, Riverton

Saratoga: Snowy Mountain Pub and Brewery is located in the Saratoga Resort and Spa (the one with the teepees over the hot tubs--so adorable!). The bar is dark, covered in wood, and filled with animal trophies (so is the local grocery store, by the way), and the beer is really fantastic.  I have loved everything I've tried. Go here, but skip the restaurant--it is also very Western, and it's awful if you're under 90. (Pro tip: if you are over 90, you can leave your dentures at home and still slide that meal into your gullet.)

Saratoga Brewery--notice the pistols for arms on the stools!

On a personal note, I have been to a number of these bars with my most stalwart travelling friends, Verismo Trio.  There's no one I like exploring Wyoming with more.  They're probably not reading this post because they're too frickin' important, though.

VT at Bar 10 this week.
Scott: "Are you going to blog about this?" Me: "Probably not."

Travel Guide: Sheridan, Wyoming

Sheridan is a small but financially comfortable community in northern Wyoming, situated between the Tetons and Mount Rushmore in the Bighorn mountain range. As home to the Ucross Foundation, they pride themselves on their artistic community and sponsor some pretty charming events, like Biketoberfest in early October.

The Bighorns offer hiking, biking, snowshoeing, fishing, and hunting.  Ucross and the small downtown host art galleries and upscale boutique shopping. And although the number of restaurants may seem small, many of them are delish.  Here are some of my favorites:

Frackelton's Fine Food & Spirits serves an upscale, new-American menu. Try their inventive cocktails and anything with local wild game in it. (PS--that's their roasted squash bisque with crispy sage leaves above.)

Red Velvet Bakery & Tapas is SLOW SLOW SLOW, but the pour-over coffee and homemade quiche really hit the spot for breakfast or lunch. You're just going to play with your phone while you wait, anyway, right?

Wyoming Cattle Creek and Company is the place to get your steak fix, along with a delicious home brew from adjacent Luminous Brewing Company. They also have a surprisingly OK wine menu.

And speaking of more beer, Black Tooth Brewing really is spectacular. If you don't want to go to the brew pub (but why wouldn't you?), make sure to get some on tap at the tiny but excellent NO NAME BAR on the edge of downtown.  Better yet, go to both.

Wyo Theater in the historical downtown area hosts a wide variety of musical and theatrical acts throughout the year in their gorgeous Art Deco building (on the historic register, of course!). Check ahead to see what tickets you should be purchasing for your visit.

The Carriage House Theater houses the Trail End museum, a great way to take in some local history of how Sheridan was settled and grew.

The Ucross Foundation is a kind of a research-and-development lab for the arts, hosting artist residencies and displaying inspiring art in their small gallery. It's about a twenty minute drive from Sheridan, which is in itself a work of (natural) art.

Western Wyoming sights, and my favorite travel links

Water rushing into the sink at Sinks Canyon State Park. 

Last weekend I spent three blissful days travelling around near-Western Wyoming. What I learned:

Casper has a new(ish) Vietnamese place called Pho Saigon, and it is delicious.  It's in a grubby little strip mall area in the middle of town and has that characteristic Asian immigrant restaurant look to it (so, not pretty inside), but the food is great, the portions are huge, and you will definitely not need another meal for at least 12 hours.  I got Bun Cha Gio (egg roll, vermicelli, vegetables, lime, chili, and fish sauce).  I thought I would explode.


Wonder Bar (also in Casper) is home of Wyoming State Brewery and has a great statewide tap takeover going on right now.  $5 gets you three 6 oz. samples of any Wyoming brew you want to try, which is a mad deal.  I loved Black Tooth Saddle Bronc Brown the most, but everything was worth drinking. (The current taps are to the left, and this menu was printed on the back of some recycled financial document.)


The only place to get shakes in Shoshoni now is at Fat Boy's.  You can't miss it, because I think it's the only restaurant open. I got a small chocolate marshmallow with extra malt and I still can't stop thinking about it.

Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis can be completely free.  There is no entrance fee and the public pool, kept at a cozy 104 degrees, is free and unbelievably clean.  There are long hikes, short hikes, a bison viewing area, and a walk along the river.  I can't believe you could live in Thermopolis and this would be your city park. Here's a little photo I took of the trailhead of my morning hike on the outskirts of the park:

Jason has finally found his true home in Thermopolis.

Sinks Canyon State Park in Lander is also free and offers two long (4- and 6-mile) hikes along with a lot of gawking near water.  It is also a geologist's dream, so if you like rocks and stuff, you should go.

The Sink of Sinks Canyon State Park

NOLS is in Lander, too, and they'll rent you a room for $15/day if classes are not in session.  Last weekend classes were in session, and it was a no-go.  We didn't call ahead, but you could.  It was OK, though, because Lander Brewing Company was within walking distance to console us. Adjacent Gannett Grill has great burgers for lunch.


I found a couple of apps particularly useful on the road:

Gas Buddy locates all nearby gas stations with current prices so you can be as cheap as you want to be.

Hotels.com has an app that connects to your account to credit you nights toward a free stay when you spot a place and want to book it without missing out on the deal. And their prices are often lower.

And for your longer-term planning:

Smart Travel has great guides and tips, and I find this poster of classic American road trips so inspiring.  I want to do one every summer!

 

(long) weekend trips in the Rockies

I am currently taking a long weekend in western Wyoming, but thanks to the magic of modern technology, I am able to simultaneously post while (I can only hope) I am drinking excellent local brews or hiking in amazing places. Once you're in the area, there are so many great road trips you can create for yourself; I'll fill you in on our excursions when we return, but here are some of the ideas we tossed around. If you notice a lack of world-famous attractions listed here, I'll warn you that we like to get off the beaten path, and I figure you don't need me to tell you how to get to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Ouray, "Switzerland of America", CO

Colorado: Drive from Denver south on US-285 through the Pike and San Isabel Forests to Salida. Head East on US-50 to the Curecanti National Recreation Area and on to Montrose, then South on US-550 down to beautiful Ouray, Colorado. OR, you can head West on I-70 out of Denver all the way to funky Grand Junction, stopping in Glenwood Springs for some local beer and a dip in the hot springs, then head South on US-50 to Montrose and on to US-550 to Ouray.

Visit the Travel section of this blog for more ideas in Colorado.

Ridiculously picturesque Helena, MT.

Montana: Go from the real, live Western city of Billings to the charming college town of Bozeman by heading West on I-90. From there you can head South on US-191 to West Yellowstone in Idaho. OR head North on US-287 from Bozeman to Helena and the Helena National Forest. We haven't ventured here yet, but it's next on the list.

Wind Cave National Park, SD.

Black Hills/Badlands, South Dakota: You can easily spend a pleasant day in Rapid City, and the local brew pub is pretty good. From there, you can head South on US-16 to the amazing, and enormous, Custer State Park and further south to Wind Cave National Park for a very fun and informative tour of the caves. By the time you get all the way down there, the hot springs of aptly named Hot Spring, SD are not far, so you might as well go. OR, head East on I-90 for otherworldly Badlands National Park, stopping on the way at Wall Drug for that terrible coffee they advertise on billboards as far West as Jackson, WY. Oh yeah, Mt. Rushmore really is awesome. Go there, too.

Sinks Canyon State Park, WY.

Wyoming: I've already posted about Saratoga and its lovely free hot springs pool, charmingly slow-moving Lander and nearby Sinks Canyon State Park, and everybody's favorite, Jackson.  This weekend, we're headed up from Cheyenne to Casper on I-25, where we leave the interstate and head West on US-26 to Boysen State Park and then north on WYO-789 to the Hot Springs Park in Thermopolis (have I mentioned how much I like hot springs?). Then we'll catch WYO-120 up to Cody through breathtaking Wind River Canyon, visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, and hit Buffalo Bill State Park west on our way to Yellowstone. Haven't decided how to get home, but if it drops us off in Rock Springs, at least we know there's some good beer.

And some helpful links to plan your trips:

Colorado Tourism Board

Montana Tourism Board

Western South Dakota Travel Info

Wyoming Tourism Board

Autumn in Jackson Hole...

Not quite as catchy as the original, but I'll take it over New York, actually. Visiting Jackson last week reminded me of its charm, and I though I'd share some of my favorite spots with you, dear readers, in hopes that you will make a stop in the Cowboy State to enjoy the splendor that is the Northwest corner.  A weekend is enough, and you should definitely not spend the whole time in town with the Tetons right there.

EAT

The Bird: great burgers and a chill vibe.

The Bunnery Bakery and Cafe: pleasant sandwiches, great homemade pie

The Kitchen: swanky new American with a generous helping of seafood

Nikai Sushi: the other stuff's OK, too, but this is my favorite sushi in Jackson

Phone numbe
DRINK

Million Dollar Cowboy Bar: Gaudy Western tourism at its best.  You have to stop in this place.

Roadhouse Brewing Company: Original brews on tap served by beer nerds.

Snake River Brewing: Great beer, good food

SHOP

Atelier Ortega: Chocolatier and dessert bar; the coffee's good, too!

Hungry Jack's General Store: The most practical place to purchase your ostrich boots.

Queenie & Co.: High-end vintage women's clothing

Whiskey, glorious whiskey!

I am not always proud of my freelance work writing food articles for Examiner.com (and even less proud of the near-illiteracy I see elsewhere on that site), but I'm going to suck it up and show you something because I am SO EXCITED to try bourbon and, coming soon, whiskey from Wyoming Whiskey.  They were the first distillery to open in Wyoming (2009) and they're a truly home-grown operation.  Check out info and some of my favorite recipes here.

And the best cocktail of all utilizing whiskey:

The Millionaire

Serves 1

2 ounces rye whisky

1/2 ounce Grand Marnier

1 dash grenadine

1 egg white (this could make it through two drinks to save on the waste)

Shake with cracked ice thoroughly, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

I Freakin' Love Lander, WY!

Yes, Lander!  Every time I go I am reminded again of its charm. Of course, I've never been there in the winter...

I like Lander's location, nestled into the Rockies about halfway up the state; I like its small-town, friendly atmosphere; and I like the great beer and food.  Oh, and did I mention how cheap everything is?

Lander Brewing Company, at 128 Main Street, is always my first stop. It's  now managed jointly by the owners of Cowfish, Gannett Grill, Lander Bar and Scream Shack, collectively forming the “Coalter Block” and creating a unique sense of community amongst the eating and drinking establishments on Main Street. Cowfish and Gannett provide a slightly more upscale dining experience (but at a fraction of the price of similar establishments in Denver or Boulder), and LBC offers a homey, laid-back outdoor beer garden with good grub and no dress code.  Together, the Cowfish (creative New American cuisine), Gannett (hand-tossed New York style pizzas and gourmet salads), Scream Shack (delicious ice cream treats, summer only), Lander Bar and Lander Brewing Pub represent the simplest, safest, and most satisfying pub crawl you’ll ever experience.

And then you can just keep crawling right down the street to bed; you don't need your car for anything in town.  There are more posh places to stay, but I love the old charm of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS, to locals). Housed in the grand old Noble Hotel (284 Lincoln Street), a relic of the 1930s oil boom, you can rent a dormitory-style room (bathroom down the hall, large kitchen on each floor) for a mere $15 per night. You will have to make your own bed and strip the sheets at the end of your stay (and you will be sharing a shower with whomever walks in while you’re there), but the still-glorious front lobby and billiards room make it an interesting mix of grubby and chic. Call ahead, though—if a course is in session, room may be tight: 1-800-710-NOLS.


Then there is the inevitable morning after, when you start to recall all the great brews Lander had to offer the night before. Have no fear—a mere stumble across the street gets you to Main Street Books, a great bookstore with a full-service coffee bar and breakfast pastries (300 Main St). You can linger in this peaceful environment, browsing New York Times bestsellers as well as works by local authors while their strong espressos prepare you for the day ahead.

Lander is home to a multitude of city parks, but none are as stunning as Sinks Canyon,  just 7 miles outside of town. Sinks is renowned for its beautiful, pristine scenery that hosts a variety of outdoor activities, as well as for the mystery of the river that seems to just disappear into the side of a mountain.

The real story is that it’s a geologic phenomenon in which the Popo Agie River vanishes into a large cavern (the Sinks) but reappears in a trout- filled pool, the Rise, about half a mile down the canyon. No fishing is allowed, but a visitor center features wildlife and recreation exhibits, viewing sites and interpretive signs about wildlife and habitat requirements. The park contains hiking trails and offers camping, picnicking, rock climbing and fishing. Sinks Canyon is home to a wide variety of wildlife, birds and plants. Visitors might see porcupines, black bears, red squirrels, bighorn sheep, mule deer, moose or golden eagles.

Doesn't this place sound cool? Don't tell too many of your friends, though, or we'll have to start dodging tourists.

Directory:

Gannett Grill: (307) 332.8228
Lander Brewing Company/ Cowfish Grill: (307) 332.8227
Main Street Books: (307) 332-7661
NOLS/ Noble Hotel: 1-800-710-NOLS
Sinks Canyon Visitor Center: (307) 332-3077

A Reader's Guide to Rock Springs

In January of 2006, I was invited to present my educational research at a conference in the romantic Rock Springs. I had mixed feelings about this. For one thing, giving a presentation requires a modest amount of preparation on my part, and preparing a lecture makes me squirm like a five-year-old with a plate full of overcooked lima beans to eat before bed. But I thought it was a good way to make nice to my employer, so it was settled. I was going to Rock Springs, Wyoming. In January.

I packed up my 1997 Saturn and headed on my apprehensive way. The weather was fair in Greeley,Colorado, but I have long known that the weather in Wyoming can transport one into a different realm, a realm in which you really wonder whether or not you should have updated your will before leaving the house. "Does my husband know which cat food to buy if I'm not there?" "Do my parents know I love them?" These are the kinds of questions that often run through my mind as I approach Cheyenne.

The weather actually remained fair all the way to Laramie, where I managed the first mountain pass without incident. I was mentally high-fiving myself for my great luck when WHAMMO!--I ran into a thick wall of snow. Now, I've driven in my share of white-outs, but this was really the most dramatic loss of visibility I have ever suffered. I even lost sight of the big, heavily lit back end of the semi truck I had just been tailgating. I considered pulling over, but had no idea where to park. Instead, because I didn't feel I had a choice and because I am stubborn, I had to tap into a new set of senses to make my way through the blanket of white fuzz.

For two hours, I drove mainly by feel and sound, searching for the rumble strips they put in every few feet on the shoulder of the road. I knew it was wrong, but the vibrations were reassuringly familiar, and I figured it was the only proof I had that I was still on the road, albeit the area on which I was never meant to drive. Thankfully, the road almost never curved, but when it did, I could tell only by the fact that I had to turn the wheel to stay on the rumble strips. As you can imagine, I had to go something like 25 mph to pull this off. And for some illogical reason, I sat bolt upright in my seat, leaning forward and craning my neck over the steering wheel, as if somehow I'd be able to see through the solid mass of snow if only I wasn't so near-sighted. It was exhausting.

Miraculously, this weather all seemed to come to a rather sudden end just as I reached the outskirts of my destination. I was starting to wonder how I would know where to get off the highway, and there it was, the otherworldly clearing up ahead: Rock Springs, Wyoming. It is possible that no one in the history of the world has ever been, or will ever be, as happy to reach Rock Springs, Wyoming as I was that afternoon. I had originally planned to go straight to the conference upon my arrival, but after that drive, I decided the only thing to do was check in to my room, find the nearest liquor store, and drink heavily while enjoying VH-1 tributes to rich people and the 80s. This, I believe, is a more typical reaction upon reaching Rock Springs, Wyoming.

Rock Springs is located near some pretty important sources of oil, and many of my adopted neighbors at the EconoLodge I would call home were renting their rooms by the week, working in the oil fields all day in Rock Springs until whatever they did there was finished, then moving on, like nomads, to the next ecological nightmare. They were rough dudes, and I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a little awkward around them in the motel lobby, where they were sucking down the free coffee like it was their lifeblood.

But the morning I planned to drive home (I totally killed at my presentation--all 12 people clapped), I needed those rough dudes. It was -30 F. My car would not start. Logically, I knew that I just needed to wait until things warmed up a bit, but I was ready to get home, and I experienced a mild sense of panic at the thought of being stranded in Rock Springs for any portion of the day. I called the roadside assistance service that comes with my cell phone plan, but I couldn't make them understand where I was. So, not many people vacation here in Rock Springs, then?

I went into the lobby of the EconoLodge, chocked full of oil rig workers filling up on free breakfast before their grueling days, and I asked at the desk for help jumping my car. I stupidly had no cables, and apparently, neither did anyone who worked there. Ugh. I stood in the middle of the room in a daze, my slightly frozen brain struggling to make sense of the situation. Just then, a particularly gnarly looking gentleman approached me and said something. I couldn't really understand him, what with the mouthful of banana-walnut muffin, so our conversation was peppered with many "what?"s on my end.

Eventually I found myself bringing him and his friends to my car to look at the sad spectacle. Before I knew it they had pulled their truck around and gotten out industrial-size cables to attach to my engine. It took ten solid minutes for them to get my car started, by which time I had developed a full-body shake in the cold (they seemed completely unaffected by it), and I thanked them so profusely that I think I made them uncomfortable.

When my car, cranky and rather inconvenienced by the whole experience, finally started, I floored it and never looked back. That was the end of the weather-related incidents--although it was cold, and for many miles my car couldn't reach speeds higher than 35mph, there was no snow the entire day. I saw the scenery I had missed two days earlier, and it was flat and brown. I do not think I will attend another conference in Rock Springs in January. But I am now a big fan of the oil rig workers.