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.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog for updates on our journey and follow us on social media for real-time updates and behind-the-scenes content!
Check out the Cheyenne, WY
YouTube Episode!
Traveling While Black Across America RoadTrip: Stop #2 - Denver, CO
Welcome to the second stop of our Traveling While Black Across America (Volume 1) series! A little background on this series, we decided to hop on the road to take (and document) a roadtrip from Wentzville, MO to Billings, MT.
Our show Traveling While Black usually has us in the Pacific Northwest or flying to international destinations, but we realized that many don’t know what middle America is like OR how safe it is 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 Denver, CO!
The Overview
Denver, also known as the Mile-High City, offers a lot of Black history and culture. To learn more about that Black history, we started our journey within the historic Five Points neighborhood, by taking a self-guided walking tour of the neighborhood!
Five Points: The Harlem of the West
The Five Points neighborhood was bustling with Black-owned businesses ranging from clothing stores to grocery shops and even dry cleaners. A notable landmark within this neighborhood is the historic Denver Fire Station No. 3, a symbol of safety and community for the residents (we got a chance to tour it too!).
Us on the Five Points District Walking Tour.
Jazz also played a pivotal role in shaping Five Points' identity. Thanks to a local musician, George Morrison, the district attracted legendary artists like Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald, thus earning its nickname “Harlem of the West.”
Unfortunately, like many historic Black neighborhoods across America, Five Points faced decline due to factors like continued redlining and the construction of a light rail. This led to the area being declared blighted in 2012. Despite these challenges, vibrant Black businesses and motivated individuals are working tirelessly to preserve the neighborhood’s character and heritage. To learn more about the Five Points District head here.
Drive Grade:
Kansas City, MO to Denver, CO
Let’s talk about our road trip experience, or what we call our Drive Grade Rating. Here’s how we broke down the drive from Kansas City, MO to Denver, CO. The drive is typically 9 hours, but ours took a lot longer because we decided to stop at some historic Black history landmarks along the way. The first landmark stop was in Topeka, KS at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Park. This park and museum is housed at the historic Monroe school building where the landmark cases started. This is a stop you should definitely make! Not only is it history, but Topeka is the capital of Kansas - so there are ample restaurants and gas stations in this city.
Next we stopped at the Buffalo Solider’s Memorial in Junction City, Kansas. This memorial is great if you’re interested in the history of the Buffalo Solider’s and need a food or bathroom pit stop. Junction City is very close to Fort Riley, so you’ll see a big military presence in the city.
Us at the Nicodemus Historical Park
The last Black history stop in Kansas before we stopped into before Denver was in Nicodemus, KS. The Nicodemus, KS National Historical Park commemorates: (from the park website) “Formerly enslaved African Americans left Kentucky at the end of the post-Civil War Reconstruction period to experience freedom in the "Promised Land" of Kansas. Nicodemus represents the involvement of African Americans in the westward expansion and settlement of the Great Plains. It is the oldest and only remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi River.” This is a wonderful place to visit! It is slightly off of 70, so you will need to go through many small towns before you make it to this park and to get back on I-70. So be sure to get gas in Hays, KS before you stop here. Also be sure not to speed through those small towns on the way to the park and on the way back to I-70.
Now let’s get into the drive grade rating:
Quality of Views: 0/2 points - Unfortunately, the drive through Kansas was flat and boring. Even though that was expected, we can’t give any points for views.
Roadside Amenities: 2/2 points - The abundance of gas stations and fast food options along I-70 makes this drive a lot less stressful. You won’t have to worry about going hungry or without gas.
Route Simplicity: 2/2 points - I-70 provided a straightforward route with minimal traffic and few highway switches (except on our stop to Nicodemus, KS).
Roadside Attractions: 2/2 points - We discovered some incredible stops that we spoke about above. Another attraction we saw was the OZ museum in Wamego, KS! Marlie loves the movie Wizard of Oz, so this was a must do!
Quality Parking Options: 1/2 points - While parking was ample in Kansas City, it was more challenging in Denver aka the cost of parking was steep!
Overall, we rated our drive from Kansas City, MO to Denver, CO a 7 out of 10.
Level of Fun Rating: Denver, CO
The sign at the entrance of the Historic Lincoln Hills
Denver offers a wide variety of activities for all demographics. During our time in Denver, we took a walking tour of the Five Points Neighborhood, had the chance to tour the historic Lincoln Hills Resort (Learn more about Lincoln Hills and Lincoln Hills cares here), and check out two Black owned establishments - LeFrench restaurant and Novel Strand Brewing and Taproom. LeFrench was one of the best restaurants we’ve eaten at in awhile! We even tried escargot for the first time, and to be honest… we liked it! Novel Strand Brewing had a great atmosphere. The beer was great and the people were super friendly. We recommend going to Novel Strand if you’re looking for some quality beer!
Here’s how we evaluated Denver's fun factor:
Quality of Activities: 2/2 points - From exploring the historic Five Points district to enjoying the craft beer scene, Denver has something for everyone. You won’t be bored here!
Demographic Applicability: 2/2 points - The city caters to a diverse audience, offering activities suitable for families, couples, and solo travelers.
Affordability: 1/2 points - Denver is on the more pricier side, especially in comparison to midwestern cities. However, it is more affordable than our home city of Seattle.
Quality of Restaurants: 2/2 points - We had fantastic dining experiences, especially at the Black-owned establishments, Novel Strand Brewing Company and Le French.
Special Events: 2/2 points - Denver hosts numerous events, including a Juneteenth Music Festival and the Five Points Jazz Festival. Plus Denver has 5 major sports team. There’s always a special event happening in this city!
Overall, we rate Denver a 9 out of 10 for Level of Fun.
Comfortability for Black Travelers: Denver, CO
Us in front of the Denver capital building
Comfortability for Black travelers is crucial. Denver’s Black population is only 8%, however we did see and meet a lot of other Black visitors in the city. One of those interactions was with KweenWerk a Black outdoor creator and co-owner of the Inclusive Guide. The Inclusive Guide that helps you find inclusive destinations around the world!
Here’s how we rated Denver for our Comfortability for Black People Rating:
Amount of Other Black People Seen: 1/2 points - Although we saw a good amount of Black people, it was significantly less compared to Kansas City.
Most Recent Black Population Numbers: 1/2 points - As we mentioned before, Black or African American non-Hispanics make up only 8% of Denver's population. A pretty low population amount for a major US city.
Prevalence of Black History: 2/2 points - The rich history of Five Points and landmarks like the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library highlight Denver's contributions to Black history. Plus being known as the Harlem of the West, shows the significance of Black History in the city.
Visibility of Inclusion Signs: 1/2 points - There were fewer explicit signs promoting inclusion compared to other cities we’ve visited. We expected to see more in Denver.
Our Personal Feelings of Comfort: 2/2 points - We felt comfortable and welcomed throughout our visit to Denver, CO. The friendly interactions and diverse establishments made it a great and comfortable experience for us. We would definitely go back!
Overall, we rated Denver an 8 out of 10 for Comfortability for Black People.
Our Final Thoughts on Denver
Denver scored well across all categories, making it a destination worth exploring for anyone. We can’t wait to return and dive deeper into the city’s history and culture. Next up in our TWB Across America Roadtrip Series is Cheyenne, Wyoming – stay tuned to see how it compares to Kansas City and Denver!
Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog for updates on our journey and follow us on social media for real-time updates and behind-the-scenes content.