Friday, August 29, 2008

Fall Festivals in September

Fall Festivals

Check out these fall festivals coming in September:

Yellowstone Quilt Festival
Date: From Saturday, September 20, 2008 to Sunday, September 21, 2008
Location: Cody Cody Auditorium, Cody

Fall Festival
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008
Location: 719 Washington Blvd, Newcastle, WY 82701
Description: Events/Celebrations, Crafts, Community Events, Festival Fair

Go to the Wyoming Travel & Tourism Calendar to find more events.

Cattle Drives

Here's a bit of Wyoming culture for you.

Technically speaking, cattle drives involve the process of herding cattle from one location to another, usually with the help of cowboys on horses. Historically, cattle driving began with the expansion of the meat packing industry and the increase in demand for beef. As a result, it became profitable to herd cattle long distances to markets far away.

While modern technology now allows for easier herding of cattle, you can still go on cattle drive adventures! Check out the following links for ways to work in the cattle drive experience for your next trip out to Wyoming...

Double Rafter Cattle Drives
Working ranch - cowboy vacations. Week-long trip. They only do four trip a year. Cooking is done Dutch-oven style. The herd travels eight to 12 miles a day. You will be the cowboy.

Currant Creek Cattle Company
Home of the Beaver House Restaurant and Buffalo Bar. Working guest ranch; cattle drives, horse rentals and vacation packages. Daily or weekly cabin rentals, camping, chuck wagon and Dutch oven meals during the summer. During the winter months, enjoy sleigh rides and sledding with dogs.

Guest & Dude Ranches
The state's guest ranches give visitors an escape from their hectic lives by allowing them to immerse themselves in a Western experience. The chance to ride a horse, rope and brand a steer or experience a cattle drive from summer to winter pasture isn't just in the movies.

-The Wyoming Travel and Tourism Team

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Visitor Testimony: Wyoming Reflections

It's been about a month since I attended Cheyenne Frontier Days, where I spent the majority of my time soaking in the unfamiliar. For a city girl in love with subways and the metropolitan skylines, rodeos and cowboys had always been a world away.

But my Wyoming experience didn't begin with the rodeo... it began the moment I stepped onto the CFD fairgrounds and began to take note of my surroundings. The faces, smells, and sights—all indicative of a particular culture that I could immediately tell was something meaningful, and for those around me, heavily entwined with heritage. A culture I had never really personally known, but suddenly desired to experience.

I'm not sure what specific moment sparked my determination to walk away with a piece of Wyoming culture. Maybe it was the Sugarland concert where I was surrounded by families spanning all generations, collectively singing along to lyrics of heartaches and dreaming big in "Everyday America". Seeing several generations of my own immigrant family at the same concert is probably next to impossible. It reminded me of how we all have our own "American Dreams" regardless of background, generation, or geographical inclinations... and when it comes down to our core human values, maybe we all have a lot more in common than we think.

Or maybe, it was the crowd of spectators comfortably adorning the countless cowboy hats, Wrangler jeans, and heavy buckles, all rooted in tradition rather than a passing fashionable trend. With our tendency to pass up anything "dated" for something new, being immersed in the value of tradition brought a refreshing change and sense of stability. I felt as though I was part of something historical... a legacy, even.

Or maybe, just maybe... it was the genuine awe I felt when cowboys, wearing very little protective gear, would dismount horses at full speed to tackle and tie up a steer. All within a matter of seconds! How is that possible?? I couldn't get enough of it.

My stay was probably too short to get a full taste of Wyoming, and I ll probably have to make several more trips back to experience it all, if that's even possible (offroading followed by relaxation at Jackson Hole, anyone??), but I definitely walked away with my own Wyoming memories to safely tuck away.

At the least, it's a start.

-Sarah Koo, Los Angeles, California

Check out the video below to see the CFD Rodeo!

Friday, August 1, 2008

Welcome to Wyoming!

Forever West. Wyoming is certainly a place of memories, both new and old. As visitors immerse themselves in Wyoming's Cowboy Country, turn back time to revisit history on Wyoming Road Trips, or find themselves offroading in the backcountry, Wyoming's deeply rooted heritage that trickles down generation after generation intertwines with the adventures of the "New West".

Join us as we give you a personal glimpse into the Wyoming experience. Happy traveling!
-The Wyoming Travel and Tourism Team