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Cheyenne, Wyoming
The root: A Union Pacific railroad boomtown that never let go of its cowboy boots — Wyoming's capital and keeper of the Western flame.
Eat: The Albany — historic saloon-style dining downtown; 2 Doors Down — steakhouse a block from the depot; Luxury Diner — a 1926 diner car serving blue-plate classics.
Skip — don't: The mass-produced "western" souvenir shops that multiply around Frontier Days — plastic hats and imported boots marked up as authentic frontier gear.
Specialty: Rodeo. Cheyenne Frontier Days calls itself the "Daddy of 'em All," and the town wears the title all year.
Shops & crafts: Real Western outfitters — hand-tooled leather belts, custom boots, and working cowboy gear built to be used, not framed.
See: Big Boy No. 4004 in Holliday Park — the world's largest steam locomotive; Cheyenne Depot Museum — rail history in the old Union Pacific station; Wyoming State Museum — free, full of frontier stories.
Main Street: Lincolnway's wide old-West storefronts under false-front facades, with the depot clock tower watching over it all.
After dark: Honky-tonk dancing at a downtown saloon; summer concerts on the Depot Plaza lawn.
When — events
Cheyenne Frontier Days (late July, 10 days of rodeo — the "Daddy of 'em All").
Event dates are the typical annual timing; confirm with the town before traveling.