Wyoming is a state of firsts. Though the least populated state in the Union with just over 500,000 people, Wyoming is home to the first national park (Yellowstone), the first national forest (Shoshone), the first national monument, (Devil's Tower), and is the first state to boast a county public library system. Wyoming was also the first to allow women the right to vote.

Along with being a state of firsts, Wyoming is a state proud of its western character and heritage and still lives by its creed of “forever west”. Situated in the western United States where the great plains meet the Rocky Mountains, it is said that one has only to drive the many highways and byways of Wyoming to see the landscape as many of our forefathers saw it. It isn't hard to imagine being in a wagon train, and spotting Devil's Tower for the first time, or being a Native American riding hard across the grasslands toward a snow-capped mountain range. It is a state which is at once rugged, often harsh, but of a unique and spectacular beauty.

For residents here, Wyoming offers a laid back way of living that is, in many way, reminiscent of how rural America used to be. Towns and cities are relatively small and quite a distance apart, requiring hours of travel getting from one place to another, but those hours are often filled with the type of scenery and history which make it worthwhile. A spirit of community still exists as well, keeping the communities tied to one another through service and genuine western hospitality.

In keeping with that western hospitality, Wyoming offers activities of all kinds. You may attend a quilters guild, a craft and antiques show or a music festival. There's 4-H fairs and county fairs along with abundant farmers' markets loaded with bounty from the many farms and ranches in the state. For those who love the out of doors, Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park and the Wind River mountain range offer as beautiful a setting as could be found anywhere in the world. For those looking for the American “old west”, Wyoming carefully preserves this history with places such as Independence Rock, Fort Bridger and Fort Laramie, Crowheart Butte and every May, a truly unique experience is found at the annual “Elkfest” in Jackson. Here, the local Boy Scouts of America harvest antlers from the National Elk Refuge outside Jackson and sell them at auction in the Jackson town square. Visitors from all over the world come to vie for the antlers which in turn helps provide funds for the Boy Scout troops along with aiding ongoing habitat improvement projects at the refuge. Other activities such as a chili cook-off and a Mountain Man Rendezvous are also held during this time.

So whether you call Wyoming the “Equality State”, the “Cowboy State” or just “Big Wyoming”, there is plenty to see and do and plenty to keep the spirit of the old west alive and enjoyed by those adventurous enough to experience it.

Recipes from wild, wonderful Wyoming:

Crock pot Calico Beans:

½ lb. bacon

½ lb. hamburger

Cook bacon, crumble and add to hamburger browned with 1 chopped onion.

Put the above in a crock pot along with:

1- 28 ounce can pork and beans 2 tsp. vinegar

1-15 ounce can kidney beans salt to taste

1-15 ounce can butter beans

1 tsp. Mustard

½ cup ketchup

½ cup packed brown sugar

Cook on slow for 1-2 hours.

Pioneer Raisin Cream Pie:

1 cup raisins 3 tablespoons flour

1 cup water 1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream 1/8 tsp. salt

2 eggs (separated) Cooked 9-inch pie shell

Cook raisins and water until the raisins are tender. Add the cream; then add the sugar, salt and flour that have been mixed together. Add beaten egg yolks, saving the whites for meringue. Cook the mixture until it is thick. Pour into a cooked 9-inch pie shell. Cover with meringue made from egg whites.

Hootenanny Hotcakes:

1 stick butter 1 cup flour

6 eggs ½ tsp. Salt

1 cup milk

In 400 degree oven, melt butter in 9x13 inch pan. Blend remaining ingredients in blender. Pour in pan with melted butter. Cook for 30 minutes. Serve hot with sugar, whipped cream, maple or buttermilk syrup (recipe below).

Buttermilk Syrup:

1 ½ cups sugar 2 tablespoons corn syrup

¾ cup buttermilk 1 tsp baking soda

½ cup butter 2 tsp vanilla

Mix first 5 ingredients, bring to boil. Boil for 7 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Serve on pancakes, waffles or hootenanny hotcakes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam:

8 cups finely chopped rhubarb

4 cups sugar

1-21 ounce can cherry pie filling

1-6 ounce box cherry jello

Mix rhubarb and sugar in large saucepan, cover and let sit for 2 hours without heat. After this, cook the rhubarb and sugar on low heat until rhubarb is tender. Remove from heat and add jello mix, then add pie filling and mix well. Put into plastic freezer containers. Can be frozen and you must keep it refrigerated. If you prefer a smoother jam, put in the blender before adding the pie filling.

Baked Oatmeal:

1 cup oil 4 tsp baking powder

2 cup sugar 2 tsp salt

4 eggs 2 cups milk

6 cups oatmeal

Mix oil, sugar and eggs. Add oatmeal, baking powder, salt and milk. Put in greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve warm with milk and cinnamon. Refrigerate leftovers and heat in microwave for quick breakfast.

Grandma's Chili Sauce:

2 gallons ripe tomatoes ½ tsp cinnamon

4 good-sized onions 2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cloves 6 tablespoons sugar

1 tsp allspice 1 pint white vinegar

Peel and dice tomatoes along with onions. Add all ingredients together. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer 1 ½ to 2 hours. Makes 3 delicious quarts.

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