Las Vegas to Cheyenne Road Trip Guide

Kayenta Art Village in Ivins, Utah is aptly named for being a little village dedicated to everything art-related. Just a short drive from St. George, the village has a scattering of little homes, all hosting a world of art. Also known as Coyote Gulch Art Village, this community is home to numerous art galleries, art-themed alfresco cafes, a spa, gift shops, and even studios where the art admirers can meet the artists face to face and learn all about their muses. Even the streets in the village are painted and brought to life with creative brush strokes.

The village is completely dedicated to art and boasts it in all its forms and sizes. Be it ceramics, paintings, or sculptures, you can find all kinds of masterpieces here and even buy some of them. Another good thing about this village is that the shop area is pedestrian-only, so you can leisurely walk and wander around the area.

Cedar City, UT, is aptly nicknamed the "Festival City" for its eagerness in celebrating just about anything and everything. From music to flowers, everything gets to have a festival in its honor. However, what remains the biggest and most popular one in the city is the Utah Shakespeare Festival. It is the most auspicious event in the city and has even won a TONY award for its greatness.

If your road trip falls anywhere between June through August, you can attend this popular festival and see what all the fuss is about. This festival was founded in 1961 and has a running theme of using the Bard as the keystone for their performances, entertainment, and attractions. Go ahead and lose yourself in the brilliant performances of Richard III, Pericles, the Comedy of Errors, and in the Pirates of Penzance amongst many others. Before the actual show every night, don’t forget to enjoy the Greenshow for some lighthearted fun.

Draper, UT, offers animal lovers the opportunity to get close to some of their favorite animals. Located just a few minutes away from Salt Lake City, Loveland Living Planet Aquarium is home to over 4,000 animals from all across the world, allowing you to meet the species you’re least likely to see ever in your life. The magnificent Aquarium also boasts a 300,000-gallon shark habitat. Here you can experience exciting and thrilling things by taking a stroll in the 40-ft underwater tunnel and walking beside the massive aquatic animals with the likes of seven different species of sharks, numerous species of fish, and sea turtles. You can also hand-feed the stingrays.

Not just that, you will also have a chance to see clouded leopards, North American river otters, sloths, and penguins face to face. The Aquarium features five different kinds of habitat that are classed into rainforests of South America, Asia, the world’s Oceans, Antarctic, and the local ecosystem.

After all the indoor attractions, you are likely craving the opportunity to get lost in the wilderness or take a nap surrounded by nature. There’s no better place to sleep than a bed surrounded by rivers, trees, and ardent hills. Fortunately, your next stop at Evanston, WY, is at the gorgeous Bear River State Park. The park features a picnic area and a small herd of bison and elk to keep you entertained as you munch on your snacks. Once you have taken care of your stomach, jump deeper into nature by making use of the three-mile-long hiking and bicycling trail.

Every year, the park celebrates the Bear Rendezvous that pays homage to the region’s trapping culture. The celebration includes the mountain men and women and a recreation of what a typical gathering used to look like in the 1840s. You can become part of this celebration and travel back in time without much effort on your part.

You must stop at Rawlins, WY, during this road trip because here exists an attraction you’ll be talking about for years to come. The Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum has so much history that it seems to be haunted by it. Good thing that the museum is all about enlightening the visitors about what went down in the region, in the prison, and all the colorful characters that were part of Wyoming’s early history. Verna Keays and Big Nose George Parrot were two such people who played a huge role in Wyoming’s making.

The museum will drive you to think about the 13,5000 people who were incarcerated here and what it was like to be one of the only eleven women amongst them. Despite the expansion of the complex, the living conditions remained poor with no water or electricity. The prison was established in 1901 and lasted till 1981. Its ancient roots have also had it listed on the National Register of Historic Places.