Traveling While Black Across America RoadTrip: Stop #3 - Cheyenne, WY
Us in front of the Cheyenne Railroad Depot
Welcome to another stop on our Traveling While Black Across America (Volume 1) series! As a reminder, we took a road trip from Wentzville, MO to Billings, MT, highlighting each city's unique aspects and evaluating them for Black travelers. If this is the first time you’re reading our blog, our show Traveling While Black, usually covers the Pacific Northwest or international destinations, but we wanted to shine a light on middle America and its safety for Black travelers. So, we decided it was time for us to expand our show to help those who may be wondering what it’s like to drive and stop in four cities: Kansas City, MO; Denver, CO; Cheyenne, WY; and Billings, MT. For each city we will provide our typical ratings too: Drive Grade, Level of Fun, and Comfortability For Black People!
This is our review of our stop in Cheyenne, WY!
The Overview:
History of Cheyenne:
Cheyenne, the capital of Wyoming, boasts a rich history tied to the American railroad, specifically the Union Pacific Railroad. Established in 1867 as the Union Pacific's Mountain Region Headquarters, the city's rapid growth and economic boom were fueled by the railroad's influence. Cheyenne's unique history is evident in its architecture and city layout, with landmarks like the Wyoming State Capitol and the Union Pacific Railroad Depot standing as testaments to its past.
During our visit, we aimed to explore this history and see how Cheyenne, with its small Black population, would fare in terms of our travel experience as Black visitors.
Drive Grade:
Denver, CO to Cheyenne, WY
Let’s talk about our road trip experience, or what we call our Drive Grade Rating. Our road trip from Denver to Cheyenne was short, about an hour and forty-five minutes. What was intense about this drive was… the WIND of Wyoming. We drove through a legit wind storm. It was pretty crazy seeing semi’s blown over and pulled over on the way up. They ended up closing the highway later that night, so we got into Cheyenne just in time! Because of the wind, we weren’t able to stop at any attractions, but since the drive was short - we didn’t feel like we were missing anything.
Now let’s get to how we rated the drive:
Quality of Views: 1/2 points - While the landscape is beautiful, the notorious Wyoming winds significantly impacted our view experience.
Roadside Amenities: 1/2 points - The route had few gas stations and restaurants. We suggest filling up before you leave Denver, just in case.
Route Simplicity: 1/2 points - The straightforward drive was overshadowed by treacherous winds, making it a challenging journey, especially for truck drivers.
Roadside Attractions: 0/2 points - The severe wind conditions made it impossible to stop and enjoy any potential attractions along the way. Hopefully on the next ride, we can stop at some attractions!
Quality Parking Options: 2/2 points - Cheyenne offered ample free and premium parking, a highlight of our drive. Anthony loved this aspect about Cheyenne!
Overall, we rated the drive a 5 out of 10, mainly due to the challenging wind conditions.
Level of Fun Rating: Cheyenne, WY
Cheyenne offers a variety of activities, though they are somewhat limited. During our visit to Cheyenne we caught up with the history and checked out to some great restaurants!
Here's our thoughts on Cheyenne’s level of fun:
Quality of Activities: 1/2 points - The city has great attractions like the Cheyenne Depot Museum and Curt Gowdy State Park. However, the range of activities is somewhat limited depending on what you like to do.
Demographic Applicability: 1/2 points - The city's history appeals more to older visitors and families with young children, while its outdoor offerings cater to a broader audience. For a younger crowd, it may be hard to find fun!
Affordability: 2/2 points - Cheyenne is very affordable, with the lowest cost of living in the Rocky Mountain states. This makes it a great option if you’re looking for an affordable travel option.
Quality of Restaurants: 2/2 points - Cheyenne has some great restaurants! We enjoyed excellent meals at local spots like Epic Egg and Railspur (be sure to get the birria tacos if you go here!). We were pleasantly surprised with the restaurant selection!
Special Events: 1/2 points - Cheyenne doesn’t have any professional sports teams, but they host one of the largest outdoor rodeos in the country, Frontier Days. We weren’t able to attend this year, but hopefully we will in the future.
Overall, we rated Cheyenne a 7 out of 10 for Level of Fun.
Comfortability for Black Travelers: Cheyenne, WY
This category is crucial for our travel experience. Cheyenne’s Black population is currently at 3.4%. With a city with that low of a population, it was important for us to visit this city.
Here's how Cheyenne scored in our Comfortability for Black people rating:
Amount of Other Black People Seen: 2/2 points - We were pleasantly surprised to see more Black people than expected during our visit. With a low Black population percentage, we did see a good amount of Black people in the city.
Most Recent Black Population Numbers: 0/2 points - We couldn’t give any points here, because the Black population in Cheyenne is less than 3%. We did a chance to speak to Jazminn Coleman, owner of The Louise event center. Jazminn gave us insight on what the Black experience is like in Cheyenne (see more in our episode!).
Prevalence of Black History: 1/2 points - While we didn't find many explicit monuments to Black history. There are some Black history, like Sam “Bronco Sam” Stewart, who was one of the first Black rodeo icons.
Visibility of Inclusion Signs: 1/2 points - We didn't see many explicit signs of inclusion, but there were signs of inclusion at dedicated to this impact women made in Cheyenne.
Our Personal Feelings of Comfort: 2/2 points - Although Cheyenne had a low Black population, we felt comfortable and welcomed throughout our visit. There were friendly interactions with locals and staff at the various places we explored!
Overall, we rated Cheyenne a 6 out of 10 for Comfortability for Black People.
Our final thoughts on Cheyenne:
Overall, Cheyenne, WY, offered a unique blend of history, affordability, and friendly interactions. Despite the crazy wind storm we encountered on the way there, we enjoyed our visit and found the city welcoming. Cheyenne's rich history and beautiful landscapes make it a worthwhile stop on any road trip, especially if you're interested in the story of the American railroad.
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