Cheyenne Frontier Days Offers Annual Vacation Opportunity with a Cowboy Twist

For the past 114 years, just about everyone from Cheyenne, Wyoming (as well as visitors from around the world) have been celebrating what is now a 10-day long celebration and rodeo event that attracts close to 500,000 visitors annually. It's called Cheyenne Frontier Days (www.cfdrodeo.com). If you've never visited this region of America, this event is well worth experiencing for a true taste of the West, and what Cheyenne itself has to offer.

No, you don't have to be a cowboy, country music fan, or even enjoy going to rodeos to experience a fun and exciting vacation or weekend getaway in Cheyenne. And, best of all, attending Frontier Days won't cost you a fortune. The trick, however, is to book your hotel reservations several months in advance, as all of the hotel, motel and B&B guest rooms in the region sell out for the duration of the Frontier Days event.

Couples can transform a visit to Cheyenne Frontier Days into a romantic getaway by booking a room at one if the area's few upscale B&Bs, like the Nagle Warren Mansion (www.naglewarrenmantion.com), which is an absolutely gorgeous, historic B&B located within Cheyenne. Another romantic and upscale option is the Windy Hills B&B, which is located about 15 minutes outside of Cheyenne (www.windyhillswyo.com).

Within Cheyenne, you'll also find a number if inexpensive, no-frills motels, and some three-star hotels, like a Holiday Inn, the Little America Resort, and the historic Plains Hotel. Little America Resort has its own nine hole golf course, and is one of the higher-quality (three star) hotels/resorts in the region.

Anyway, the reason to visit Cheyenne during Frontier Days isn't for the accommodations. It's to experience some or all of this extremely festive, 10-day celebration, which features rodeo events, concerts (featuring big-name recording artists), a carnival, massive parades, and a wide range of other special events which the whole city participates in.

One popular attraction during the event, which offers free admission, is the Indian Village. Here, Native Americans share their culture through live performances, exhibits, plus shopping and dining opportunities. You'll see dozens of talented craftspeople showcasing their authentic Native American artwork and jewelry.

I personally found the jewelry handcrafted by Fernando Benally (www.fernandobenally.com), a fourth-generation, Native American silversmith and jewelry maker, to be extremely impressive. He was just one of the artisans showcasing his work within the Indian Village during Frontier Days.

It takes more than 2,500 volunteers to make Frontier Days what it is, which is the world's largest outdoor rodeo and Western celebration that's suitable for the entire family. Many of the celebrations and events held during the 10 day period each year in late-July pay homage to the history of the American cowboy and the Wild West, which Cheyenne was, of course, a major part of.

Just about every local tourist attraction, museum, restaurant and business somehow participates in the Frontier Days celebration, which makes it truly unique. Attending the event, even for a day or two, is exciting and memorable for city folk and cowboys alike.

The admission cost for the rodeo and carnival/festival held at Frontier Park is under $20 per person, per day. Tickets for the nightly concerts, featuring some of the biggest names in pop, rock and/or country music (depending on the night) cost between $40 and $60 per ticket. However, different money-saving package deals are available. Visit www.cfdrodeo.com/tickets, or call (800) 227-6336, for details about 2011 event dates and ticket prices.

I just returned from spending five days in Cheyenne, including the opening day of the 2010 Cheyenne Frontier Days, which included the 90-minute kick-off parade through the city, rodeo events, and the opportunity to enjoy the carnival (featuring rides, shopping and exhibits). The night prior to the opening day celebration, music group KISS performed a concert, and for the event's first night, Brooks & Dunn were the headlining act.

This was my first visit to Cheyenne, and it was truly exciting. I was surprised at how much there is to see and do in the region, and at the affordability of most attractions, accommodations and restaurants. If you're looking for ultra-luxury and world-class dining, for example, visit somewhere else. What you'll find here is an abundance of RV parks, diners, motels, and a handful or shops, museums and smaller attractions within Cheyenne itself. It is very much an historic, relatively small city that showcases Americana - past and present.

Even if you've never been to a rodeo, but you're fascinated by the Old West, you'll find plenty to see and do in Cheyenne during the Frontier Days event.

Cheyenne has its own, small regional airport, but is about a 90 minute drive from Denver, Colorado, which is the closest major airport. You'll definitely want to rent a car while you're visiting, since in addition to the Frontier Day events held in and around the city, there are many family-friendly attractions in the area that are well worth visiting, including the Terry Bison Ranch and Vedauwoo (a stunningly beautiful national park).

A visit to Cheyenne is like stepping back in time. The historic nature of the city is apparent just about everywhere you go, and there are plenty of interesting places to explore (including a handful of haunted sites, and landmarks with very unusual histories).

To learn more, visit www.cfdrodeo.com, and start planning your trip to next year's Frontier Days to be held in late-July 2012.

All photos (C)2010 Jason R. Rich. All rights reserved.

Norwegian Cruise Lines Launches The Epic

During the first few days of July, I was in New York City as a passenger aboard the maiden voyage of Norwegian Cruise Line's massive new cruise ship, called the Epic. It's truly an incredible ship that's an ideal way for singles, couples and families alike to enjoy a memorable high seas adventure.

Throughout the next year or so, the Epic will be sailing throughout the Caribbean and departing from Miami. Not only is this one of the largest cruise ships in existence, it also offers one of the largest selections of activities for people of all ages. Starting with the offerings for kids, Epic features supervised, camp-like activities, plus a variety of shows, dining options and activities featuring popular Nickelodeon characters.

Oh, and the ship features several massive water slides as part of a water park aboard the ship, which includes multiple swimming pools. For teens, Epic has a unique and nicely equipped teen club, in addition to family-friendly cabins and dining options.

For adults, Epic is the ultimate playground on the ocean. Just some of the activities include a casino, bowling allies, an incredibly large workout/gym facility, a world-class spa (the largest on any ship), an ice skating rink, 33-foot-tall rock climbing wall, multiple shops, more than 20 restaurants, plus 20 bars and nightclubs. On the ship you'll also find Ice Bar, which is actually made of solid ice and kept at a chilly 17-degrees Fahrenheit.

Aboard the 4,100-passenger vessel, you'll also plenty of nightly entertainment, including live music, comedy featuring the Second City comedy troupe, plus performances by Blue Man Group and Cirque Dreams. Having seen Blue Man Group in New York City, Orlando, Boston and Las Vegas already, I was a bit disappointed that the Blue Man Group performance offered aboard the ship is identical to what’s offered in these other cities. It would have been nice to see the cast alter the show just a bit when presenting it aboard it’s newest home on the Epic.

The accommodations aboard the ship are ultra-contemporary, very comfortable, spacious and nicely equipped. There are many different categories of cabins, including several designed specifically for families with kids and teens. The ship is also the first to offer specially priced cabins for single travelers, as well as an entire section of suites for those seeking the ultimate in high seas luxury. Of the 2,114 cabins, staterooms and massive suites, 1,427 of them feature private balconies.

Overall, Epic is an extremely impressive ship that is staffed by an extremely attentive and experienced 1,700+ person crew. Like most cruise ships, however, Epic offers passengers many up-sells and extras once aboard. Plan on spending at least several hundred dollars per person extra during a seven day cruise if you want to experience any of the more than 10 premium dining experiences, some of the onboard entertainment, treatments at the spa, or gamble at the casino, for example. Alcoholic beverages and some other drinks are also extra, as are the land excursions available at the various ports-of-call. You'll also be charged extra to access the Internet, to shop aboard the ship, and to purchase professional photos taken of all passengers during each cruise.

If you budget for these extras, however, the cruise experience that awaits you aboard the Epic is superior to anything else that NCL and many of the other cruise lines currently have to offer. As soon as you book your cruise, take advantage of NCL's website to pre-book your premium dining, entertainment, spa treatments and shore excursions well in advance to insure you're not shut out of the activities you're interested in experiencing during your cruise.

Having experienced the ship myself firsthand, I was very impressed. One thing families in particular should be aware of, however, is that within the majority of the cabins, the toilet and shower are separated from the main living space using smoked glass partitions and a curtain, which does not allow for total privacy.

As soon as your cruise begins, spend your first few hours after boarding exploring the 1,080 foot long, 19 deck, 153,000 ton ship, so you can see firsthand all that's offered, and so you don't miss out on anything.

To learn more about the Epic and its upcoming 7-day cruise itineraries, which includes the Eastern Caribbean (Miami, Nassau, St. Maarten and St. Thomas) and Western Caribbean (Miami, Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan), visit www.NCL.com or call (888) 625-2784. Any travel agent that specializes in cruises can also help you plan your vacation aboard the Epic.