There are three reasons to shop your local shops this year (and every year):
First, you support the local economy.
Second, you meet your friends downtown.
Third, you get to know your local business people who are working very hard to keep your town vibrant.
This is my annual column about shopping for Wyoming-themed and Wyoming-created gifts for Christmas. It is also my plea for you to shop local.
Some friends reminded me of some gift possibilities. Mandy Fabel admitted to this being a bit self-serving: Fabel's Furniture, Brian and Mandy Fabel, Custom-made End-Grain Cutting Boards at FabelsFurniture.com. They make beautiful cutting boards that will last a lifetime!
When I think of Christmas, I always think of coffee table books. One of the best ever just came out about Yellowstone Park by Dave Bell and Book is owned by Dave Bell/Wyoming Mountain Photography and Tim O'Leary. The website is WyomingMountainPhotography.com.
Authors Michael and Kathleen Gear of Cody, Chuck Box of Saratoga, Craig Johnson of Ucross, Paul Phillips (re: James Chandler) of Gillette, Ron Franscell (formerly of Casper) and Steven Horn of Cheyenne have new books out. Always a treat. My daughter Shelli Johnson has a wonderful new book out called Breathtaking, available on Amazon and everywhere.
Amazing Photo Tricks
With some of the new AI-enabled programs this year, one of my most important gifts to friends and relatives are old-time photos that have been sharpened and colorized. The programs are easy and amazing.
The Newspaper office in Newcastle has lots of wonderful local gifts for sale.
One of Wyoming’s all-time great champions was a young gal named Leslie Blythe who died young and way too soon. Back in 2015 for this annual column, I asked her for some ideas. Here is what she told me:
Wyoming Jerky, made by Dan’s Meat Processing in Evansville. Wyoming through and through, and TASTY! It’s outstanding, and comes in many flavors.
One of her favorite artists in Wyoming is Ginny Butcher, Evansville, and her pieces of artwork are very unique and affordable. We commissioned an oil of our home and it was only $400 for an 11x14. She’s outstanding. All Wyoming artwork: http://GinnyButcher.com/
Ramey's Custom Welding & Horseshoe Art in Buffalo. GREAT gifts. Wonderful, creative items made from horseshoes. Here’s the Facebook link.
Margo’s Pottery in Buffalo. Absolutely the best pottery, and she keeps records of what you bought for whom from year to year. So, you match sets of pottery, and not give duplicates at MargosPottery.com.
Wyoming Horsehair Pottery in Glenrock. In addition to making regular Wyoming pottery, artist Adele Young can make pottery and memorials of your beloved horse’s hair. VERY UNIQUE! At wyopotter through Etsy.
Also on the Etsy sales site, is Wyoming Silvers from Upton. Check them out. Great silversmith work at WyomingSilvers.com.
Stay Here In Wyoming
One of the major goals in my life has been to tell Wyoming people about all the wonderful things there are to see and do in their great state.
Kari Cooper in Jackson suggests: “A Staycation. What is better than having an opportunity to spend a couple of days in Wyoming; skiing Jackson Hole, a night’s accommodation and front row seats at the Sheridan or Cody Rodeo, a weekend in Laramie with a UW sporting event included, or tickets to a Frontier Days concert?
Shared experiences/making memories - it’s worth so much more than a new Christmas sweater :), and of course it's great for Wyoming’s economy!”
Some More Wonderful Books
Retired Lander banker Bryan Neely says he loved Sam Lightner's recent book "In The Valley of the Warm Winds." This is the story of Chief Washakie growing in the shadow of the Wind River Mountains.
Dave Simpson offers up the book: “The Blackwater Fire and the Men Who Fought It, How Firefighters Turned Tragedy Into New Beginnings” by Karl Brauneis.
Simpson is also a big Chugwater fan saying: “Jill Winger’s ‘The Prairie Homestead Cookbook, Simple Recipes for Heritage Cooking in my Kitchen’ can be bought for $35. This is the woman who has made Chugwater cool,” he says. He also promotes a Chugwater Soda Fountain T-shirt or sweatshirt. Better yet, a malt at the Chugwater Soda Fountain!”
And don’t forget Mark Miller’s great new book.
I should plug my coffee table books at this time, too. We have sold 35,000 of them, so check them out at your local book store or at WyomingWonders.com.
Be sure to check out great local bookstores like Wind City Books in Casper, Sheridan Stationery, the Storyteller in Thermopolis, the Wandering Hermit in Wheatland, Legends Books and the Thistle in Cody, along with the Buffalo Bill Center.
Also, Mr. D’s in Lander and the Interstate Convenience Store in Wheatland.
The Trails Museum in Casper also has a wonderful selection of Wyoming books as does the Territorial Museum in Laramie and the Historic Prison in Rawlins.
Meadowlark Books in Riverton has an astonishing amount of books as does the Mad Dog and the Pilgrim on Highway 287 along the Oregon Trail near Sweetwater Station.
“The Book of Sven,” a collection of funny Jim Hicks columns for sale in the Buffalo area and on Amazon, too, I believe.
Abby Roich likes everything about Wyoming but two of her personal favorites are: Local coffee roasters like Snake River Roasting Company or anything from Wyoming Fly Shop.
Debbie Disney Pummel of Casper understands small towns.
Her favorite local-owned stores in Casper range from big ones like Lou Taubert (one of my all-time favorites) to smaller places like Ugly Bug Fly Shop. She also lists Donell’s Candies, Cadillac Cowgirl, Fashion Crossroads, Mustard Seed, Gear Up and Get Out There, Toy Town, Merry Peddler, Grant Street Market, WY Shirt and Gift (another of my favorites), and the Metro Coffee Shop.
Across Wyoming, a business mentioned frequently was from tiny Lovell where Queen Bee Honey Candy is located.
Another honey producer that deserves a look is the Miller family’s Wonderful Wyoming Honey enterprise in Crowheart. They have a store in Dubois that has an actual honey bee hive buzzing away. Pretty neat.
The Christmas season is a wonderful time of year. And besides the obvious religious reasons we celebrate the holiday there are gifts to give and to receive.
Ron Gullberg of the Wyoming Business Council always says to check out the websites for Wyoming-made products. They are mind-boggling.
Happy shopping everyone!
