Laramie Named One of the Coolest Towns in America

It's something we all knew already, but, Laramie has been named one of 'The 25 coolest towns in America: 2019" by the website Matadornetwork.com.

The site Matadornetwork.com is dedicated to telling stories about traveling and exploring the world. They decided to take a look a some of the best travel destinations in the US that often get overlooked because they are small and no household names.

The list they created isn't really a ranking, the town are in no particular order and the choices were based on submissions from travel writers across the country. Along with Laramie, they highlight Cooperstown, New York, Grinnell, Iowa, Ruidoso, New Mexico, and Deadwood, South Dakota.

"Each of these 25 towns, all with populations under 100,000, offers something special and has come into its own as a destination of late. Whether you’re looking for untamed wilderness or sandy beaches, deep history or provocative art, craft cocktails or cheap beer, these are the 25 coolest small towns in the US to visit next year."

Here is what they say about our little gem on the high plains:

"Along the windy Interstate 80 corridor in eastern Wyoming isn’t where you’d expect to find a conglomeration of cultures ready to stretch your view of the Old West. But like a cowboy, here’s Laramie to knock you off your horse. On first glance, it’s quintessentially Wyoming: forever casual and never rushed. But Laramie gets much deeper. There’s a bumping music scene that has produced the likes of country star Chancey Williams all the way to punk rockers Teenage Bottlerocket."

The writers go on to highlight Laramie's food scene, suggesting steaks at  Altitude Chop House & Brewery, and the burrito at Corona Village. Our hometown skiing at Snowy Range. gets a shout out, as well as the city's nightlife, and the energy of the University of Wyoming.

"The university, and the city itself, have not forgotten the tragic murder in 1998 of one of its students, Matthew Shephard...Today, the university offers multiple resources and support, as well as scholarships in Matthew Shephard’s name, and it continues to help Laramie evolve into one of the most LGBTQ-friendly towns in the entire region."

Not that you had to talk me into enjoying life in Laramie, but reading all this reminds me of how great the town is.

You can read the whole article here.