5 Things I Learned on my Wyoming Vacation

I finally took a vacation and I spent all of it in Wyoming. Here are five things I learned from the experience.

This was my first vacation in over 3 years. I am notorious for being a bit of a workaholic, but I owed my family some time away. Ironically, my last vacation was also spent in Wyoming even though we didn't live here yet. We did a day trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons and here are my 5 biggest takeaways.

5. Cody is an underappreciated Wyoming gem.

I have friends that grew up in Cody and have always heard rave reviews about how neat the town is. I didn't fully understand this until my family drove through it ourselves and made a brief stop. It's a bit quaint and gorgeous. Loved it.

4.Tourists DO NOT Understand Bison - at all.

It's no wonder that you hear many stories each year of Yellowstone visitors injured by bison. I witnessed at least a half dozen instances where stupid people were standing mere yards away from these beautiful but dangerous animals. When a herd was crossing one of the main roads in Yellowstone, we saw multitudes get out of their vehicles and come nearly close enough to pet these mammoth beasts. (*sigh*)

3. Out-of-state people drive out of their minds between Cody and Yellowstone.

I thought I had seen it all when it comes to non-Wyoming drivers doing crazy things in our state. I learned that I hadn't really seen anything until we began our drive from Cody on into Yellowstone National Park. There's a 45 mph speed limit on most of that highway because of the tunnels and canyon you drive through. That was laughed at by more than a dozen drivers that seemed to think they were filming the next Fast and the Furious movie.

2. There is no better "take your breath away" place quite like the Tetons.

I am a non-apologetic fan of mountains. In my life, I've never seen peaks that can drop your jaw like the Grand Tetons. Nothing like them anywhere I've been in the world. Simply awe-inspiring.

1. No state is more beautiful and diverse than Wyoming.

I've lived in Colorado and Montana. My family has been to Glacier and just about every national park in the West. My vacation reminded me that no state is more beautiful or diverse in its landscape than Wyoming. I've seen the best that the other western states have to offer. Wyoming stands above them all.