Historic Train from Denver to Cheyenne for Frontier Days

It was 142 years ago on the Nation’s Birthday that General Grenville M. Dodge and his crew platted what is now known as Cheyenne, then in the Dakota Territory, later in what is now the state of Wyoming.  Named for the Indian tribe that dominated the Great Plains, Cheyenne, like many of the towns built to support the growth of the Union Pacific railroad west, was intrinsically linked to the railroad.

Fittingly then in the summer of 1897, Cheyenne was coaxed by a Travelling Passenger Agent for the Union Pacific Railroad to have a festival that would become a destination for an excursion train. Little did the agent realize that it would be drawing folks there for over a hundred years to come.  Held annually, this year’s Cheyenne’s Frontier Days is the 113th celebration of the event, whose centerpiece is what is claimed to be the largest rodeo in the world. 

Tweeters have been tweeting in droves about the event.  Among them is the Tweep for the Union Pacific Railroad whose tweet concerned the legendary steam locomotive No. 844 that pulled a special fund-raising train into Cheyenne from Denver on Saturday, July 18 celebrating the historic link between Cheyenne and the Union Pacific. 

Check out the video of the train making it's way to Cheyenne this past weekend on YouTube.

Cheyenne's Frontier Days event continues through next weekend, July 26.  

7 Must-Dos Traveling in London

Having spent the equivalent of months in London a week or two at a time -- I note that my view of the must-dos or must-sees, while consistent with what most travel guides or writers have concluded, differs somewhat because of particular interests.  Here they are, all with the caveat of time permitting:

1) A Yoman Warder tour of the The Tower of London is a must, including seeing, of course, the Crown Jewels.

2) Not just touring the The Houses of Parliament, but sitting in the galleries during debates. The galleries are open to the public when the Houses are meeting , which is from Monday to Thursday and on "Sitting" (meeting)  Fridays, with differing times for each House. The galleries are not open during recess, when neither House is meeting.

3) Having High Tea at one of the finer hotels in London.  My favorites:  Browns or the Lanesborough

4) Watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.   However, if you miss this or are visiting London in the Summer between the end of July and the end of September, you can visit the state rooms of the Palace.  For more information.

5) Seeing Shakespeare preferably at the Globe or if not you cup of tea -- a West End show.  Going to the theatre in London is a special experience not to be missed.

6) Perusing  major museums -- most importantly the British Museum

7) Taking  one of the  Double-Decker Bus Tours and jumping  off to see highlights like Westminster Cathedral or to walk through Harrods.

Most importantly, walk, take the Tube, and enjoy the street life  around this great town while doing the must-do's.

London is perhaps my second favorite city in the world.  There are endless things to do and see there..limiting this list to seven is painful.

Cheyenne's Frontier Days Grand Parades

The first of four Frontier Days' Grand Parades rolled through the streets of downtown Cheyenne Saturday with marching bands, dignitaries on horseback or historic carriages. U.S. Senators from Wyoming, Miss Wyoming, rodeo champions, Cheyenne's mayor and others waved to the crowds that lined the parade route starting from the Capital building.

The next Parade is tomorrow, July 21, followed by parades on Thursday and Saturday expected to attract visitors from all over the world. If you're thinking about coming to Cheyenne for Frontier Days, don't miss the chance to see one of these spectacular events. Here's a sample of what you might see:

Frontier Days Tweeting

Before heading over to Cheyenne for Frontier Days this weekend, I did a search on Twitter and was amazed at the amount of tweeting occuring about the event. Experimenting with use of Friend Feed to embed twitter searches led me to try the following search. Here are the results: