My younger son and I drove from Ft Collins up to Laramie (taking highway 287 instead of I25 to I80) this past April (during his HS spring break first week in April) to check out the University of Wyoming. (Yes, the alma mater of Dick Cheney).

By the time you cross the state line into Wyoming (marked by the “fireworks” store in the middle of nowhere), the terrain is right out of Clint Eastwood movie (“High Plains Drifter). Was incredibly windy, and still cold enough for jackets, with patches of icy snow here and there (Laramie is more than 7K feet above sea level). Otherwise, was dirt brown.

There were snowy mountains off in the distance to the west, and the Denver airport is only three hours away at high speed on the interstate, but I can describe Laramie in 3 words: High and Dry. Or these 3 words: Windy and Desolate. Probably many other word combinations that include variations of the F word, and the word “cold.”

I dislike property and income taxes as much as anyone (who actually pays them as opposed to receives them), but no way I would make my primary residence in that part of Wyoming (unless I only had to show up for a couple of days a year). Maybe the far west side of Wyoming near Idaho is better(? – emphasis on “maybe”), but you’d be nowhere near a decent airport, and you’d have to like being cold over half the year.