Monday, November 03, 2008

Shopping on the Western frontier

If you're ever headed to Cheyenne, Wyoming, don't plan to stay at the Wyoming Motel. The sign is awesome, but the atmosphere less so. Tweaker central.
Cheyenne is pretty sketchy around the edges these days. We saw a lot of down-and-out types just killing time sitting on the curb with brown paper bags.

Luckily for us, we were only stopping to take a picture of the sign, and of another across the street:
The Sergeant needed new shirts and we were in the mood for a road trip, so we had headed north to visit that mecca of name-brand bargains, the Sierra Trading Post outlet. They sell overstocks and closeouts from Columbia, The North Face, Kelty, Merrell, Rockport, Carhartt, Ex Officio, Sportif USA, Patagonia, Timberland, Ecco, Dr. Martens, Mountain Hardwear, and Birkenstock and more (to quote their website).

I would've taken pictures, but I was too busy shopping. I am not a big fan of regular, mall-type shopping and tend to wear things until they fall apart. I'd much rather go someplace that has a ton of stuff I know I'll like, at good prices, and stock up. I got a whole bunch of shirts (mostly Columbia and Eddie Bauer) and several Neve sweaters. The latter are about $140 and up in ski shops, but $30 at Sierra Trading Post.

Unfortunately we started rather late, so we didn't have enough light left (durn Daylight Saving Time!) to wander the town much. And we were starving. Shadows Pub & Grill at the old train depot would not have been my first choice, but it was the only place we could find that was 1) not a chain and 2) open.
The food was quite fine, though, and the service really friendly and attentive. I especially recommend their sweet potato fries, which they serve with brown sugar sprinkled on top and a dish of sweet melted butter for dipping. The waffle fries are really good, too, and my burger was huge.

I took more pictures on our trip to Cheyenne last year. Maybe we'll go again next year and take some more.

11 comments:

  1. $30 Columbia & Eddie Bauer? Worth the trip! (Nice photo-op too).

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  2. I've been getting STP's catalog for years. I don't think I could handle the excitement of actually going into their store.

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  3. I hope that you also checked out the beautiful restored Union Pacific railroad depot. What a treasure. Nearby is the Plains Hotel, also redone just a few years ago. It has a pretty decent restaurant too -- considering that Cheyenne as hardly gastronomy central.

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  4. I recently sopped at the STP in Reno, Nevada and got clothes for my son plus myself. Will go again on the way back to Colorado.

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  5. The Wyoming Motel eh? There's nothing like the smell of meth to help lull you to sleep. I'm in!

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  6. Is that vintage cowboy all perforated by a six pack of heat? Or are those rivets?

    Burger looks to be worth travelling for.

    Rick in VT

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  7. Hey! Ain't nothin' sketchy about drinking out of a paper bag.

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  8. Joanne, definitely worth the trip!

    Betts, I can't even look at their catalog. Too tempting.

    Claire, Shadows is in the depot. I'll check out the Plains Hotel restaurant next time. (I've taken photos of their sign before.)

    Miss T, they were really yummy. Probably easy to make, too.

    Sybille, bargains galore!

    Deneph, we took a pass on that. Maybe next time!

    Rick, sure looks like bullet holes, doesn't it? Could be!

    dg, depends on how scruffy you look.

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  9. The NYTimes published "Chyenne Journal" today. See http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/us/04cheyenne.html

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