The most unique thing about Lander, Wyoming, is the fusion of the Old West and Yuppie worlds it embodies.
In addition to having enough sunny days a year to be called Landiego, for the better part of the last century Lander was known as the place where Rails End and Trails Begin. From here tourists would travel by stage coach, horse, or foot, to Yellowstone National Park. Now it's known as the Climbing Capital of the Rockies (Steve Bechtel) and continues to draw a diverse, indeed trendy, crowd. In fact, Lander is trendy enough to be the world headquarters of a successful start-up online marketing business, PitchEngine.
In addition to having enough sunny days a year to be called Landiego, for the better part of the last century Lander was known as the place where Rails End and Trails Begin. From here tourists would travel by stage coach, horse, or foot, to Yellowstone National Park. Now it's known as the Climbing Capital of the Rockies (Steve Bechtel) and continues to draw a diverse, indeed trendy, crowd. In fact, Lander is trendy enough to be the world headquarters of a successful start-up online marketing business, PitchEngine.
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| PitchEngine (left) and Wild Iris Mountain Sports (right) next door to each other on Main Street is indicative of the relationship of climbing and tech culture in Lander. The buildings, constructed in 1908 and 1910, respectively, are beautifully adapted to current use. (Historic Downtown Lander Walking Tour) |
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| The "retro Wyoming" interior of PitchEngine complete with repurposed snow fence, local graffiti art, and decorative/functional bikes. (from their Facebook) |
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| These days the iconic Lander Grain Elevator is topped by a bicycle which looks to me like a prank pulled by PitchEngine employees after a night at the Lander Bar across the street. (And yes, this Seattleite caught one of the only rainy days in Lander.) |
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