Sierra Trading Post, not Gearing us for Alaska This Time

One would not think geology reads a map. However, I find that in crossing the border from Colorado to Wyoming, the geology and atmosphere change just enough to differentiate the two. Most of Wyoming is prairie, flat to rolling. My sister has pointed out the relentless wind in Kansas, yet I think Wyoming's is just as much of a constant. This will be my third time to drive this road into Wyoming, and the wind was the same as it ever was. The good thing about the wind, the skies are brilliantly blue. Eastern Wyoming really has its own beauty. And true to its western persona, the road greets travelers with buffalo. Above, one is fashioned to disguise a cell phone tower. But along the roadway, there was the real thing. The large power lines are carrying electricity from a wind farm in the far distance.

We arrived in Cheyenne bright, and I mean bright as there still is a crystal blue sky, and early. We had planned on Sierra Trading Post as destination since agreeing to a drive to Alaska. In 1999, my sister had turned me on to this place when she and I drove to Alaska from Big Bend, Texas. Back then, she and I had scored some fantastic deals on clothes and gear for our summer in Alaska. She worked for a rafting company that and three other summers so knew she needed all kinds of protective clothing. She was good to instruct me in the types of clothes I would need. I had already purchased my number 1 staple at REI, a down jacket with windproof shell that I still wear to this day. It is awesome! The tag is worn out or I would give the model name. However, I needed more layers of fleece and non-cotton clothing. This year, Ken is in the same position. After living in Texas and Hawaii so many years, he needed some poly-pro and fleece. Actually both of us needed more winter gear as we had only been to Alaska previously during more temperate times. 

Sad to say, Sierra Trading Post has grown out of the good deals they once were. There is still a lot to find, especially smaller items like hats, gloves, and scarves. http://beta.sierratradingpost.com/lp2/outlet-stores But the good gear items I was expecting to find were few and far between. Sierra Trading Post has expanded into selling a lot of fashion clothing and these items seemed to take up a lot of floor space. The store is divided into several large groups. First the main discount retail products. Second, the discounted discount retail. Third, the bargain super discount space. And fourth the super bargain basement. I found that in the second space, most of the items were the fashion selections, not much of the outdoor gear I needed. And the super bargain basement had a lot of return merchandise and decorative home items. I don’t know who the target audience is for this section. Additionally, there were less of the common outdoor gear brands I am used to and more names I was unfamiliar with. Don’t get me totally wrong, we did not leave empty handed, I was just a little disappointed. If you are not looking for something specific, they still may have some deals for you. One nice feature is their mini-cafe. Since the Cheyenne store is so large, you could plan on browsing for a few hours. The mini-cafe is provides nice snacks and full service espresso bar. This is handy as there is not much to eat in the close vicinity. Overall, it was worth the stop, but I did over-hype it to Ken.

As we left Cheyenne we stopped for late lunch/dinner break. There is another mark in the plus column for our Magellen GPS. I entered a search criteria for delis in the area and we picked the one that ‘sounded’ the best. Cheyenne is a small enough town and easy to navigate so it was a quick drive to The Bread Basket Bakery and Sandwich Shop. This little locally owned bakery/sandwich shop is located on a corner in what was probably a grocery or hardware since Cheyenne was founded. A classic 19th century, high-ceiling, tall glass doors, worn wood floor, pressed tin details, and warm feeling building.

The Bread Basket Bakery was one of the rare finds with the GPS that was a blockbuster! http://www.breadbasketbakery.com/index.asp It truly was a good sandwich shop, fresh made sandwiches on a huge selection of real made from scratch bread. Not ‘fresh’ bread as some of the chains claim. The bakery also included some real bakery items: cookies, quickbreads, danishes, and granola. They also offered local made jams and collected honey. Ken and I were totally pleased with the sandwich and purchased a lemon and cherry danish for the next morning’s breakfast. (we already had a loaf of bread or I would have gotten some of that too!) Highly recommended if you are going through Cheyenne, Wyoming. 

On our way out of town, we saw our twin sister. Neither Ken or I could believe it. The photo below is of another Lexus using the exact same trailer style-in Cheyenne, Wyoming! How crazy is that?! Could not resist the comparison. Wish I knew how they used their rig!