Category Archives: Wyoming

Bucket List: Sell A Photo

Photography is something that I love to do, more so scenic photography. Taking a drive, grabbing a shot (of whatever it may be), being able to look back later on to reminisce at whatever that day held and being able to share it with others. Taking it a step further, I have always thought how nice it would be to be able to take this passion of mine and make it profitable. Maybe it’s just the satisfaction of being able to say that someone liked my piece of art, or piece of the world, enough to purchase it. Then one day, out of the blue it happened.

Completely unexpected, I recently had the opportunity to sell one of my photos to a large company to use in their advertising and company promotion. I still hold the rights to the photo but the fact that they wanted to use this particular picture and have it seen globally is a real “feel good” moment. I always thought maybe I could sell a photo for $5 or something like that but this opportunity has made me incredibly proud to be able to check this off my bucket list and hopeful to continue my passion and relive this goal in the future!

Keep an eye out for this one!

Laramie, Wyoming – October 2007

How I Got To Texas: Nicole / Coastie Wife

It’s pretty amazing the people that we meet in life and how we get to the place we’re at. I’m pretty intrigued with hearing people’s stories and thought about how we all got to where we’re at. I’ve decided to start a series called “How I Got To Texas” which will introduce you to some of my fellow blogging friends and learn a bit about their background and how they got to the great state of Texas.

Today, meet Nicole from Coastie Wife, where she blogs about her military family, crafting with her kids and photography (among many other topics). Be sure to check out her blog!

How this Wyoming Girl Got to Texas
Somehow, somewhere, some part of me–deep down inside–knew that I would end up in Texas someday. Now, I should clarify. This deep-down-inside-feeling wasn’t a part of me until I met the boy who would become my hubby. Although he had grown up in Wyoming, like me, he was born in Texas and had been in and out of it ever since. Just like my fierce native love of Wyoming, he had a deep native love of his own home state that I felt would draw us there someday.

For awhile it looked as if my deep feeling might have been wrong as we hopped up and down the Eastern Seaboard making home “wherever the Coast Guard sent us” to the tune of Washington DC, the Crystal Coast of North Carolina, and Boston.

After a deployment to Cuba and a few other bumps along the way it became apparent that our adventure as a Coast Guard family was coming to a close and that our adventure as a back to college family was about to begin. And where better, hubby thought, to pursue this dream than the state of his birth? Texas is notorious for affordable living, good colleges, helping veterans, and southern hospitality, so it sounded like it would be perfect for our little family of four while he went to the University of Texas branch at Tyler for his bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering.

This is the short version of how this Wyoming turned East Coast turned College wife Girl found herself plopped down into the heart of East Texas just a few short months ago. At first I felt a bit bewildered, I must admit. Jerking from the high fashion New England culture into the heartlands of tractors driving down the road, cows next door, and chicks in the department stores was a bit of a shock.

Over time, however, I’ve begun to love our new home state. From the gorgeous flowers in the spring to the temperate weather that allows my kids to play outside year round, the “just right” size of our new home town that provides lots of fun without all the crazy, and let’s not forget all the delicious barbeque–Texas has so much to offer that I’m just beginning to scratch the surface of. I’m putting roots down, little by little, and find myself become quite comfortable in the state of friendly people and huge variety. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to settle for good in this state I always felt I was destined for, and in the mean time I’m enjoying this adventure!

Laramie, WY & the Wyoming Territorial Prison

Laramie was my next destination, home of the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Territorial Prison. Yes – I said prison. I was excited!
Getting back onto the I-80 from Happy Jack Road.
I arrived in Laramie and this is the view. I don’t think you can ask for anything better!
Laramie is home to the University of Wyoming. From what I could see there really wasn’t anything else in the town other than the school and housing.
Chief Washakie is one of the statues on campus.
Chief Washakie (“Shoots on the Run”) was a warrior who led a band of Shoshones to the Treaty of Fort Laramie council meetings in 1851. He is well known for his leadership in fighting and friendliness with the white pioneers. He had a distinct sound heading into battle as he carried with him a balloon of dried buffalo hide filled with rocks which earned him the name “The Rattle” or “Gourd Rattler”. Chief Washakie later became a scout for the US Army. He is known as one of the most respected leaders in Native American history, even honored by the US Government by naming a US Outpost on a reservation as Fort Washakie. This is the only US Outpost ever to be named after a Native American and the only Native American to have a full military funeral. The dining hall (see in the background) is also named after Chief Washakie (not nearly as cool as a Fort or County but none the less).
His life was pretty interesting, you can read more about him here and here.
I think this is the most popular statue at the University of Wyoming – Wyoming Cowboys / Cowgirls.
Wyoming Territorial Prison can also be found on the outskirts of Laramie.
The prison was built in 1872 and its as creepy as it is old, well as long as you are touring it by yourself. Crazy me was roaming around Wyoming and where do I choose to go? A old prison, go firgure. In 1890, the prison was renamed the Wyoming State Penitentiary. The prison was open for 30 years, housing over 1,000 men and only 12 women along the way. Outlaws like Butch Cassidy, Dan Parker, Clark “the Kid” Pelton and Eliijah Canary were all housed here.
In 1903, the prison became the stock farm for the University of Wyoming. In 1989, local citizens fought to have the building restored to a historical landmark and here it is today.
The prison offers self guided tours and give yourself a couple hours because the property is extensive. You can tour the prison museum, Warden’s house, Horse Barn exhibit, Box Car house, Broom Factory (where the prisioners worked), Church and the Ranchland.I don’t have a lot of pictures of inside the buildings as I was attempting to take videos and kind of run thru it as it kind of freaked me out. Have I mentioned that already? Walking through old buildings alone isn’t really the kind of thing that I’m super excited about. One building was filled with two floors of individual cells and rooms used by the prisoners and you could hear every little noise. I was bound to get the heck out of there but I also wanted to see everything the landmark had to offer.
The property also showcased part of what would have come with the livestock holdings from the University of Wyoming.
A small western town was also built on the property all decked out for Halloween. I suppose this would be a good place to go for haunted houses or tours. I’ll leave that up for one of you to tell me how it is.
The view definitely wasn’t bad though, that’s for sure!
After all my fright and the sun beginning to set, I figured it was a good time to get the hell out of there (I really was creeped out). But the views, man, I’ve wanted to go back since before I left.
The entire way back to Colorado, I would see these land for sale signs and the land was pretty cheap if I remember right. Wouldn’t that be an adventure to just settle out in the middle of nowhere.
I can dream.
Back on the road.