The First Little America
Little America Wyoming
The first Little America Hotel was built over 60 years ago in the middle of nowhere Wyoming as a safe haven for weary travelers. Located along both I80 and U.S. highway 30, Little America Wyoming is definitely a world of its own.
The grounds are green and lush, a far cry from the desert which surrounds it, while the amenities are both modern and trapped in the past. The buildings and rooms still hold that feeling of days gone, but to check into them you must first enter the travel center; a place to get grub, get gas, and check into your room all at once. There’s no need for a hotel lobby, no siree, not when they have a travel center.
When I first got there I wasn’t sure if I loved the place or hated it. The donut billboards (because apparently that’s what brings in the customers) and confusing check in were a little off putting, but the friendly staff and quaint, clean rooms made me keen to check out the rest of the place. Among some of L.A.W.’s amenities is a jungle gym for the kids, a cute little post office, an outdoor swimming pool, and separate gas stations and travel centers for cars and trucks.
Little America got its name and inspiration from Admiral Richard Byrd’s Antarctic base camp (littleamerica.com) and traces of that inspiration can still be seen from the wooden penguins standing sentinel on the roofs of the hotel. Not to mention once you get there and out of the car it quickly becomes apparent there’s nothing around for miles and miles (but don’t worry, the travel center sells beer), and while there may be no convenient in-town type activities there are gobs of outdoor wonders to explore. You can roam the Red Desert, play in the Green River at Flaming Gorge, check out Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, or search Fossil Butte. Or, if you’re feeling tired from driving you can always turn on the flat screen and tune out the world. Your choice.
