Since many of you aren’t from Laramie and are planning a trip here from afar, we thought we might share some of our favorite things in the area that might be a good way to enjoy your trip beyond our wedding.
Eating and Drinking
While Laramie is by no means a metropolitan city, it does have some tasty and interesting places to eat and drink. Here’s a few of our favorites
- Jeffrey’s Bistro is a great place for a lunch or dinner. They’ve got a little bit of everything including huge but delicious salads.
- Sweet Melissa’s Vegetarian Restaurant is Laramie’s only purely vegetarian restaurant but don’t get turned off by vegetarian. Abandon your preconceptions of what vegetarian food is before you go and enjoy their wide array of comfort foods.
- Coal Creek Coffee roasts their own coffee here in Laramie. If you like espresso drinks they will not disappoint.
- Next door is Coal Creek Tap where the best beers are brewed in Laramie. Carter likes the Coal Train Coffee Stout and Callie likes one of their many IPAs including their FLH (For the Love of the Hops) series.
- Altitude Chophouse & Brewery offers one of Laramie’s nicer dining atmospheres. They’ve got a wide variety of American food and is one of the better places to get a steak in Laramie. They also brew their own beer.
- Crowbar & Grill is the best place to get a burger in town and also has great pizza. They don’t have too many other food options but they’ve got one of the best microbrew selections in town.
- The Buckhorn Bar is a must visit bar in Laramie. It’s the oldest bar in Laramie and is full of rich history. Probably not the place to order a complicated mixed drink or fine wine but a great place to order a whiskey or a Coors Original.
Outdoor Recreation
One of the biggest reasons we live in Laramie is the outdoor recreation that’s all around us and the solitude that comes with being in a place like Wyoming.
Snowy Range Mountains (30 miles West of Laramie)
This is where our wedding takes place but we encourage you to explore beyond just the venues for our ceremony and reception.
- Drive up to the top of Snowy Range Pass. This is something everyone has to do. Our ceremony is within just a few miles of the pass and the views of Medicine Bow Peak are extraordinary. On the way to our ceremony go past the turn off to Brooklyn Lake Road (that would take you to the ceremony) and drive for another 5 miles or so. You’ll be presented with Medicine Bow Peak and the alpine ecosystem. Spotting a moose is not uncommon and it’s not uncommon to still see some snow even in August.
- Hike Medicine Bow Peak (12,013ft). While this isn’t for the faint of heart, it’s a non-technical hike that offers some incredible 360 panorama views. It’s also where we got engaged. The hike is about 3.5 miles roundtrip with 1200ft elevation gain. Be sure to be on the summit before noon (start around 8 or 9am) because the afternoon thunderstorms can be dangerous on the top. You might see a marmot or pika on your way up.
- Hike the Gap Lakes Trail. An easier alternative is the Gap Lakes Trail that doesn’t cover much elevation gain and offers some pristine views of Medicine Bow Peak and many alpine lakes. Not a bad place to bring a fishing pole if you’re into fishing and the Shelf Lakes on the other side even has Golden Trout.
Vedauwoo & Pole Mountain Area (15 miles East of Laramie)
- Scramble around the rock formations of Vedauwoo. Vedauwoo is a very interesting rock formation just East of town. It’s a really fun place to scramble around the rocks and is also a world class rock climbing destination if you’re into climbing. Good place for a picnic and also a good place to explore.
- Blair Picnic Ground is also a great place to check out these interesting rock formations and you can explore some crazy canyon like trails
Beyond Laramie
Looking to extend your trip? Here are some ideas
- WHAT Fest (July 28-29, 1.5 hours from Laramie) is a grassroots music festival in Riverside, Wyoming featuring about 30 regional acts. Carter is one of the organizers and has been helping out for about 9 years.
- Yellowstone/Grand Teton/Jackson Hole (6 hours from Laramie)
- Rocky Mountain National Park (1.5 hours from Laramie)
- Backpacking in Wind River Mountains (4 hours from Laramie). This is our favorite place to backpack and enjoy some of the most beautiful mountains in the world
- Fort Collins, CO (1 hour from Laramie). This is the nearest bigger city and has lots of dining, shopping, and some incredible microbreweries like Odell, New Belgium, and Equinox.