Family travel in Wyoming

wyoming-string-lake-courtesy-oakleyoriginals-on-flickr-ccEvery Tuesday until we run out of states, I plan to post about family-friendly travel ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.

We’re going alphabetical but starting with the end, so our first state for the series is….Wyoming!

You can find their state tourism folks on Twitter at @WyomingTourism and here is their Travel and Tourism Facebook page.

When I asked for input, here’s what came in….

Twitter Travel Tips for Wyoming

***  From @WyomingTourism via Twitter  —  “Howdy! Kids have got to go to the dinosaur center in Thermopolis and the interactive transportation museum in Cheyenne. Both of these towns have other museums and stuff to fill a day. And, of course, no life is complete without Yellowstone and Devils Tower. And the forts are cool – one on the way to the other stuff no matter which way you go…Ft Bridger in the SW, Ft Laramie in the SE…Ft Phil Kearny, Ft Caspar and Ft Fetterman in the middle. And outlaw stuff in the Territorial Prison in Laramie.

***  From Kristin Farwell via @kfarwell on Twitter  —  “Besides Yellowstone (a given), my favorite camping/driving spot in northwest Wyoming is Sunlight Basin/Chief Joseph [Scenic] Highway.

***  From Peggy Coonley via @PeggyCoonley on Twitter  —  “Grand Teton National Park Ranger programs, Snake River raft trip, hikes in the Laurance Rockefeller [Preserve, which is part of the Tetons and newly-opened to the public.]”

***  From Jeanine Barone via @JCreatureTravel on Twitter  —  “How about Devils Tower Nat’l Monument. It was in the Close Encounters of the Third Kind movie. https://www.nps.gov/deto/

*** (Addenda, should have been in original post) —  From @CiaoBambino via Twitter, a recommendation for the Spring Creek Ranch in Jackson Hole. “Check for special deals there, especially in this economy” she says.)

Facebook Travel Tips for Wyoming

***  From Angela K. Nickerson via Facebook  —  “Oh, I love Wyoming! Of course, Yellowstone is fab (especially in May and Sept). The cabins are reasonably priced, too. We love the ones at Mammoth Hot Springs.  Thermopolis is really fun — hot springs and waterslides, great with kids.  The drive through the Bear Tooth Pass is one of the most breathtaking you will ever experience! Truly magical!”

***  From my own sister-in-law Janice via Facebook  —  “We loved Cody, Wyoming and Yellowstone. Don’t ask [brother-in-law] Dave about the bear, though.” (from Sheila – Whoa! For tips see this Squidoo lens on bear safety.)

And from the regular old Web:

***   A whole family travel page on the Wyoming tourism Web site.

***  Our own BootsnAll Travel Network has Mike Jamison’s Wyoming Ghost Towns Travel Guide.

Thanks so much for the contributions – the next state in the series is Wisconsin.

Send your Badger State highlights to @SheilaS on Twitter or my Facebook page (tell me you’re a 50 state-er if you want to friend me.)

Yes, I know how to search for family travel ideas on a destination or attraction Web site, but a tweet or Facebook recommendation is a much more engaging and public way to spread the word.

My purpose for this series is not only to highlight worthy kid-friendly vacation destinations in all 50 states, but by using Twitter and Facebook, to also encourage tourism organizations to learn more about connecting with their visitors using social media and online networks.

Please add your own Wyoming suggestions in the comments below, if we’ve missed anything. Thanks!