Our son is a high school junior and with that comes college visits. The kids had some days off so we headed to the University of Wyoming. One of J’s first choices for college. Also, his first college visit.
Laramie is about a 530-mile journey from our house. It was going to be a quick trip with a lot of time in the car. We only had about 24 hours to spend in Wyoming due to family commitments.
We started out on Thursday. Not too early, we had all day to drive and didn’t want to rush. Plus we had to drop the dogs off for boarding before we left. We were on the road around 9 AM, maybe 9:30 AM.
When we left our house the weather wasn’t too bad. It was cold, but the sun was out. The next couple of days were only supposed to get better. We didn’t anticipate any problems even though Laramie had snow the night before. They had only gotten a couple of inches and it was expected to warm up during our visit.
The Drive
Overall, the 8-hour drive was uneventful. The kids rode well in the car as they each had their headphones and phone. Between their music and movies, they were content to ride along.
Once we got past Ogallala, Nebraska none of them had been that far west. They became interested in the scenery and the various towns that popped up. I had some familiarity with the area, growing up not too far away in south-central Nebraska. We decided to stop in Sidney and take a stroll around Cabelas.
While in Cabela’s, I decided to check the weather and road conditions in Wyoming. We were getting close to crossing the state line and I wanted to be prepared. I found out that interstate 80 was closed between Cheyenne and Laramie. About a 40-50 mile stretch of road that starts to wind uphill before dropping into Laramie.
I was concerned, but we still had a couple of hours before we got to that stretch of road. We thought the road would be open before we got there.
I was wrong!
When we got to Cheyenne the road to Laramie was still closed. We stopped at a visitor center to come up with a plan. Do we spend the night in Cheyenne? Do we find another route?
After some input from a local law enforcement officer at the Wyoming visitor center, we decided to take highway 287 into Laramie. The highway ran from Ft. Collins into Laramie so we would have to travel a little out of way. It was only about 3 PM so we still had time.
Highway 287 to Laramie
Once we detoured towards Ft. Collins we found highway 287 and started back north towards Laramie. It was a beautiful drive up the highway. The cliffs with exposed rocks with various colors were a great distraction for the family.
Then it all changed!
The wind started to blow. And I mean it was BLOWING!! We later found out it was gusting to 65-70 MPH and consistently in the 40-50 MPH range.
The little snow they had gotten the day before was blowing steadily across the highway. Visibility was zero at times. Parts of the road that were wet were now starting to freeze. It was getting dangerous fast.
There was nowhere to pull over. The only option was to push forward, although at a very slow pace. With emergency flashers going and at a speed of REALLY SLOW we pushed towards Laramie.
Several times the wind caught us on ice and started pushing us off the road. We couldn’t get any traction and the wind would force us to slide off the road until we could regain traction. It was scary for everyone. The kids were freaked out. Prayers were being said by everyone in the car. Could we make it 30 more miles?
It was white knuckle driving for 30 miles. A death grip on the steering wheel with both hands.
I have never been so relieved to get off the road. I was worn out from the drive and couldn’t wait to relax at the hotel. Fortunately, we made it safely.
It will be a great story for our family for years to come. They’ll tell all their friends at school. If J attends Wyoming then I’m sure every time we go there the story will be retold.
The University of Wyoming
J at the University of Wyoming
The purpose of our visit was to see the University of Wyoming and learn more about it. The school did not disappoint. We had a great experience touring the campus and learning about everything they had to offer. The people were all friendly and helpful. One random woman, who realized we were touring, offered her advice and gave us her sales pitch. She was just studying in the student union. Not even affiliated with the admissions office.
We met a professor who had grown up in Bellevue, just a few miles from Chris’ family. He had lived in Laramie since the ’80’s and loved it.
Our tour guide was Tori from Wisconsin. A senior looking to go to dental school after she graduated. She shared that her family owned a share of the Green Bay Packers. They were technically NFL owners!
Tori knew everything about the school and shared some “behind the scenes” secrets that I’m sure are not part of the official tour.
After it was over, J said he loved it and could see himself there. He wanted to look other places, but this was a great first impression.
Back home
The drive home was far less exciting. Interstate 80 between Laramie and Cheyenne was open and we were able to get on the road. A quick stop in Sidney for gas and then we made it all the way to Kearney. That was it. 530 miles and only 2 stops with kids is amazing.
Picture of the blue sky from Wyoming campus
I was glad to be back home and safe. The trip was quick but well worth it. J like the school, our family got to spend time together. The girls even got a little swimming time at the hotel pool.
A successful trip and more family memories made!