Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Day 9 Summer Vacation 2009

The first thing I did today after breakfast was to go in search of a barber. I didn’t have to look very far, because several hundred feet down the road was The Hitching Post Barber Shop. I walked in and was told that I would need an appointment and that they were all booked up for today. I didn’t want to hear that. I told the barber that I had driven all the way from Ontario Canada to get a haircut in his shop and he laughed and said he could squeeze me in right after “The Judge”. “The Judge” and I got talking politics, he was surprised at how much I knew about American Politics, being a Canadian. I told him that we can only get CNN in Canada, so we are force fed American Politics. “The Judge” and I did not share the same opinions on many political topics, but without going into a lot of details of our conversation, maybe I just better keep my nose clean while I am visiting “The Judges” town.

We drove to the Visitors Center in Downtown Cheyenne WY and picked up some brochures and pamphlets and struck out on our own self guided tour of the downtown. We were in search of old buildings, in particular, buildings that were associated with the original Lincoln Highway.

The Cheyenne Depot Square had some interesting cowboy boots on display, these were 8 feet tall. There are reportedly 18 boots scattered throughout Cheyenne. We found a few in the Depot Square.

1118 Big Boot at Visitors Center Cheyenne WY1120 Big Boot at Visitors Center Cheyenne WY1123 Big Boot at Cheyenne Depot Plaza Cheyenne WY

There are banners on every lamp post.

1130 Street Banner Cheyenne WY1131 Street Banner Cheyenne WY1132 Street Banner Cheyenne WY

The Plains Hotel built in 1911 and the Lincoln Theater built in 1927 are old buildings associated with the original highway.

1128 Plains Hotel Cheyenne WY1139 Lincoln Theater Cheyenne WY

The Frontier Hotel built in 1937 and St Mark’s Church built in 1886.

1143 Frontier Hotel Cheyenne WY1145 St Mark's Church Cheyenne WY

The Atlas Theater, built in 1887 and the Tivoli Building built in 1892.

1148 Atlas Theater Cheyenne WY1155 Tivoli Building Cheyenne WY

We found a Coca Cola ghost Sign

1159 Coca Cola Ghost Sign Cheyenne WY1160 Coca Cola Ghost Sign Cheyenne WY

And a Lincoln Highway Concrete Marker

1152 Lincoln Highway Concrete Marker Cheyenne WY1154 Lincoln Highway Concrete Marker Cheyenne WY

The Dinneen Building built in 1927 and the Addoms & Glover Drug Building is downtown Cheyenne’s oldest commercial structure, built in 1871

1164 Dinneen Building Cheyenne WY1168 Addoms & Glover Building Cheyenne WY1169 Addoms & Glover Building Cheyenne WY

The First National Bank Building was built in 1882

1172 First National Bank Building Cheyenne WY1173 First National Bank Building Cheyenne WY

We drove out to Holliday Park to see Big Boy. Number 4004 is the world’s largest steam locomotive. This powerful coal-fired engine was designed to pull a 3600 ton train over steep grades without helper engines. The Union Pacific retired Big Boy from active duty in 1958.

1187 Big Boy Cheyenne WY1189 Big Boy Cheyenne WY1196 Big Boy Cheyenne WY

We then went in search of the “Merci Train” As a gesture of thanks for United States aid provided during WWII, France gave a train car to each State in 1949. Every car was filled with hundreds of gifts for the people of each State. Wyoming’s Merci Train car is one of 42 remaining cars. I wonder what France gave each of the Canadian Provinces as thanks for our participation.

1197 Merci Train Cheyenne WY1198 Merci Train Cheyenne WY

The last stop on our search for trains was out at Lions Park where we found Engine 1242. Built in 1890 , Wyoming’s oldest locomotive ran the Walcott-Saratoga-Encampment branch line from November 1921 until May 1954. Surrounding the engine is a unique train folk art fence, hand-built by the last engineer to drive the train.

1202 Engine 1242 Cheyenne WY1203 Engine 1242 Cheyenne WY1214 Engine 1242 Cheyenne WY

1216 Engine 1242 Cheyenne WY1217 Engine 1242 Cheyenne WY1206 Engine 1242 Cheyenne WY

Searching for trains in sunny 30C degree weather makes you hot and craving for ice cream, so next stop was Baskin Robbins. Here is Karen enjoying her chocolate fudge brownie ice cream in a waffle cone. That is my 2 scoops of chocolate ice cream in the cup.

1236a Enjoying Chocloate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream in Waffle Cone  Baskin Robbins Cheyenne WY

We went to the 6pm Gun Fight in downtown Cheyenne. It was your typical re-enactment of a gunfight in the days of the old west. Lots of knee slapping fun and frolics.

1258 Gunfight at 6pm Cheyenne WY1246 Gunfight at 6pm Cheyenne WY1260 Gunfight at 6pm Cheyenne WY

Tomorrow we are heading further West, as far as Rock Spring Wyoming.

To see all of our photos from today, please click on the link to my FLICKR site.

2 comments:

  1. Great shots again today, Bill....I particularily like the ones of the "Big Boy" Train and also the one of you as well as those massive cowboy boots. It's amazing all the things you are seeing and photographing for us to see. The pictures get more revealing everyday. No desserts for Karen today? (Ha). Keep on trucking!
    Paul Mac

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  2. They have a train car like that at the old state capitol in Baton Rouge, La. Thanks, for the good blog y'all are giving me itchy feet

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