A Small City In The Eastern Plains Has A Vineyard With Wyoming's Largest Winery And A Charming Downtown

If your mental image of Wyoming is all mountains and national parks, you also might want to look toward the state's Eastern Plains. You'll find the small city of Torrington, which is the seat for Goshen County. Torrington is right along the North Platte River, and the community used to be a meeting point for the historic Oregon, Mormon, and Texas Cattle Trails. The town's look and feel come together through its agricultural roots and its location near the Nebraska border, which is just about 8 miles away. Fun fact: The area is sometimes called the "Banana Belt" of Wyoming because its weather is usually more temperate than what's found in other parts of the state.

The downtown is mainly focused on Main Street, where you can spend time in boutiques like Bluebird Boutique and Home on the Range or see staples like Vandel Drug. This district is part of a program in Torrington that is focused on preservation, which helps keep the town's original feel. The area's agricultural history has also expanded into winemaking. There is a local-ish winery to check out called Table Mountain Vineyards & Winery, which is about 20 minutes from Torrington in Huntley. It's on a 10-acre vineyard (the state's largest) and grows grape varieties that are developed to handle Wyoming's climate.

Table Mountain is known to have over 10,000 vines on its property and specializes in the cold-hardy type of grape. These grapes are quite interesting, as they are grown to withstand cold weather and the winter months that ravage through Wyoming. Table Mountain Vineyards produces its beverages using only Wyoming-grown grapes and other farm products, like raspberries and honey. While Table Mountain is the main vineyard, you can hit up other Wyoming wineries all over the state, or nearby options like Papa Moon Vineyards & Winery in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

When you're ready to eat or have some fun in Torrington, you've got a few choices. For a meal, you can try the Broncho Grill House & Bar for American-style dishes, or check out one of the family-run Mexican spots, La Familia Prado and Garcia's Mexican Restaurant. There's also Deacon's Restaurant and an artisanal bakery called The Bread Doctor. If you need a coffee, the Wild Hare is a local shop with locally roasted coffee, specialty blended seasonings, and freshly made lemonade (great for summertime). The city has one brewery, Open Barrel Brewing Co., which has a rotating menu of beers. If you're in the mood for something a little more spirited, your closest bet for a craft distillery is Pine Bluffs Distilling, which is about 70 miles away.

When you're looking for things to do, you can pop over to the Homesteaders Museum to see pieces from the county's olden days. An interesting part about the Homesteaders Museum is that it's based in the 1926 Union Pacific Depot and has exhibits like Goshen County's first automobile and a small, one-room schoolhouse. You can head over to the Fort Laramie National Historic Site, which was a 19th-century military station that started as a private fur trading post in 1834.

Check out one of the city's parks or walk the Grassroots Trail, which is a 1.25-mile path that goes right through town. The whole area is shaped by the Goshen Hole, which is a large lowland that was a natural highway for the old American trails. Checking out this area will give you a better feel for Wyoming's Wild West era and notorious outlaws, as well as the history of places like Fort Laramie.

Getting to Torrington is mostly done by road tripping, but you do have a couple of options if you want to fly. The city has the Torrington Municipal Airport (TOR), which is its own small airport, but it's for non-commercial and general aviation, so you won't be booking any commercial flights. Your best bet for a commercial flight is the Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF) in Scottsbluff, Neb., which is about 36 miles away (around a 42-minute drive) and has connecting flights to bigger hubs. If you need a major airport, Denver International Airport (DEN) is your closest one, though it's a bit of a drive (about 2.5 hours with tolls). When you're ready to check in for your stay, the options in Torrington are mainly known chain hotels like the Cobblestone Hotel & Suites and the Holiday Inn Express & Suites. You can also find other places like the Americas Best Value Inn and King's Inn.

Just a heads-up, you won't find a luxury or boutique hotel like the undeniably cozy, spacious getaway Togwotee Mountain Lodge right in the city. If you're looking for a stay that's a bit different, the nearby areas have some cool options, though. In the town of Hartville, you can rent a geodome at Cedar Lights Retreat for one of Wyoming's secluded, ultra-luxury glamping escapes. Near Fort Laramie, you can check out Hayfield Cabins, which are on a 300-acre ranch with access to the Laramie River and a great spot to see the stars in the Wyoming night sky.