Flickr Pool Update!

So we uploaded round 1 of our photos to our Flickr Pool - Governor's Conference, Cheyenne Train Depot, Historic Plains Hotel, and food eating randomness! More after the jump...


One of our next updates will include a bison video! :)

Weather Changes Everything

So we had this whole itinerary planned, but just as the cold weather defined our first two posts, the weather seems to want to define the rest of our travels. Apparently snow and wind doesn't make for the best traveling roads, so we've had to make a few adjustments. But isn't that the point of an adventure to somewhere new - not exactly knowing what's going to happen next?

Today's adventure was roaming around the Wyoming State Museum, a tour of the Historic Plains Hotel (where I'm writing this note), and a trip to the really cool Cheyenne Train Depot. (There was also a minor stop to Target, which isn't exactly sightseeing as some of our Twitter pals clamored about, but hey - I'm just giving you the play-by-play).

We couldn't take any pics in the State Museum for preservation reasons, but just about the entirety of Wyoming's state history and a sampling of its attractions are there - from sports memorabilia/equipment to dinosaur bones to wildlife to historical families to artifacts of why Wyoming is "Forever West". There was even a room just for kids to explore and run around in (which we gladly ran around in).

We'll have more on the historic Plains Hotel and Cheyenne Train Depot later. Working on getting some pictures up soon.

-Charity Tran, Guest Blogger

Wyoming Birthday: First Snowfall

Sarah wrote in about the cold (and man is it still cold!), but it helped to make Wyoming memorable from my first step. Aside from probably the coldest temperatures I've ever experienced, I traveled to Wyoming on my birthday and received the best present: my first snowfall...

The first time I saw snow was a year ago. It was at a local ski resort outside of Los Angeles. It's not a SoCal thing - this "not seeing snow" - we have it nearby, I just took awhile getting there. :) Though it was a nice and quiet way to introduce myself to snow, it wasn't very impressive - certainly not warranting a twenty-something year long wait filled with White Christmas-esque views from the TV. It was essentially crunchy, icy stuff on the ground mixed in with a little dirt.

The second time I saw snow was a few weeks ago, at my friend's cabin in the mountains. The second time improved upon the first - cozy cabin, conversations with great friends, a warm and cozy fire. Snow was still crunchy, icy stuff on the ground mixed with a little dirt, but all the other elements pulled the snow experience together a little more for me. Still - something felt missing from all this snow business.

Sunday I found out that third time really is the charm. My experience of Cheyenne, Wyoming definitely welcomed me to snow and, for the first time, winter snowfall.

I remember a craft project from elementary school - how you would fold up a white piece of construction paper, cut out tiny shapes of your choice - little square and triangle scraps littering the desk - and then cut parts of the edges before opening it up to your own snowflake design. In the mix of "making snowflakes" I learned that each snowflake is different, unique in its shape and design.

I never realized how much of the above were such abstract lessons of a six-year-old until I saw a few snowflakes resting on the bright blue of my heavy jacket on Sunday - rushing to try and get out of the snowfall incidentally.

My observations were only seconds, but they were seconds worth a lifetime. The first thing that came to mind was: "Snowflakes really DO look like that." Then (unlike the big snowflakes adorning elementary school walls), "Snowflakes are tiny." And finally, looking closer still, "They're beautiful."

-Charity Tran, Guest Blogger

Cold.

So it's Sarah here and it's day three in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I woke up this morning, looked in the mirror and discovered that my lips were bright red... in any other climate, maybe this would be attributed to good genes, but in the -13 degree weather Charity and I scurried around in yesterday (yes, that's right... negative), it's called getting a lip burn. Luckily, it's not severe and I will continue to run around wrapped up in enough layers to successfully pass off as a little boy.

I admit it... I've acclimated to Southern California weather after having been in Los Angeles for the past 2.5 years. But I am determined!!! As we continue on with our Winter Wyoming adventures, I'm excited to rough out the weather and enjoy some awesome snowmobiling. As cold as it is, I've always LOVED snow and it's such a treat to be in a real winter during winter (sorry LA, but you just had a heat wave... not cool).

Meanwhile, I had buffalo meat for the first time yesterday! Juicy, tender, THICK meat... definitely fulfilled my cravings for some serious meatage in Wyoming. Pictures to come soon.

-Sarah Koo, Guest Blogger

P.S. Charity says hi and to check out our twitter :)

Follow Along on a Trip to Wyoming!

You may have read the Visitor Reflection piece by Sarah Koo in August 2008 where she discussed her first visit to Wyoming and her experience at Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Next week, she and fellow Los Angeles blogger Charity Tran, will be exploring Cheyenne on a Road Trip. Keep track of their adventure through the Wyoming Roundup blog and follow them on the Wyoming Roundup Twitter! They'll also be featuring their photos on our newly opened Flickr Group.