On Tuesday, I had to make a trip to Cheyenne, Wyoming.

By reputation, it’s easy to think of Cheyenne as a rough-around-the-edges cowboy town, and there are parts of that legacy still apparent. You’ll find the Cowgirls of the West Emporium and Museum very reminiscent of those bygone days. There are other reminders, as well. I met a couple of young women, walking down an alley, who told me that every building in Cheyenne is haunted.

As Old West towns go, though, Cheyenne seems to be following the lead of its northerly sister, Jackson Hole, and has become quite cosmopolitan in flavor. You’ll find all kinds of surprising things, if you walk around a bit.

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Then, there are the not so surprising places, like Sanfords. It’s a local place that serves a good plate of food and a good pint of beer. It was highly recommended by a few people I talked to

The place I hung out was an old, burned out theater, that has been remodeled and re-imagined as a coffee shop, called The Paramount Cafe. Most of the old theater was destroyed by a fire in the 1980s. That portion was torn down and turned into a parking lot, where there’s some really fine artwork hiding out.

If anybody knows the artist who did this, buy them a cup at The Paramount for me.

Inside, the place is what you might expect, with lots of wood and vintage touches. There were also a couple of really nice baristas, serving up whatever the clientele asked for.

Luke and Sadie were excellent sources of information about Cheyenne. Luke moved up from Fort Collins, Colorado a few years ago, and Sadie is native to the town. We talked a little about the place’s western reputation, at which they laughed and said, “That’s just one week a year, during Frontier Days. The rest of the time, we’re just like anyplace else.”

So, my recommendation is, if you’re looking for a place that’s just beginning to blossom, but still has some of its Old West flair, then spend a few days in Cheyenne. I’m going back soon and will give you a full report.

Thanks for reading. Dont forget to check out the YouTube channel and the Facebook page. Meanwhile, here are some more pics from my afternoon.

I forgot to mention that Sadie also does Henna Tattoos.

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Yes. It’s more East meets West, as the real Indians move into downtown.

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