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(TGA) - Destination Expert  

Hello beautiful Wyoming! Planning to visit Evanston WY in late October on personal business. Unfortunately, we can't stay as long as we'd like, so GTNP and YNP are out of the question, but still would like to get the most out of our visit.

So - where shall we stay? Necessary to book ahead? Any good restaurants? What should we do while there, or has the place rolled up its sidewalks by that time of year? I figure we'll have to bring coats and be prepared for possibility of snow.

Any other insights are most appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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The Uinta County Museum downtown is worth a visit...they've done a nice job there. Los Cabos is a good, basic Mexican Restaurant. There is supposedly "fine dining" at the Dunmar Inn. Evanston's small downtown deserves a brief wander. (Sadly the old Strand Theater has burnt down.) There are a couple stores to check out, a bar or two, a place for coffee. There's a short "river walk" to stroll (along the Bear River). If you have a vehicle and route 150 is still open, drive into the Uinta Mtns., stop at the ranger station, get a map, do a hike or two--very beautiful. Of course, winter arrives fairly early in the Evanston area, there at 7000 feet above sea level, with a major snowstorm by Halloween fairly typical, so keep your eye on the weather predictions. East of Evanston on I-80, about 35 miles, you can see historic Fort Bridger. Evanston is on the mainline of the U.P., along I-80, on the old Lincoln Hwy., along the old Mormon Trail, so it has a history of folks passing through. There are typical places to stay--the Super 8, Motel 6, and other places like that. I think there are a couple B&Bs too. A bit west of Evanston is the upscale, sprawling Park City, UT--a ski town, an old mining town, pretty mountains, and a touristy Main Street. To me, Evanston is a nice little town, accessible to some lovely country, only an hour and a half from Salt Lake City. There's not much happening there, actually, as it's just a little town along the interstate. But I hope you enjoy it and get out and about a little bit. Happy Trails.
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Thanks for the response Yodelman! Do you think we need to book our hotels ahead of time at that time of year? I've heard that there are a lot of temporary workers in the natural gass industry coming through there which can make hotel rooms hard to find.
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Well, there have been lay-offs in the oil and gas industries as the economic downturn has found its way to WY (although we still have a low unemployment rate), and Evanston wasn't hit with the influx of new folks as Rock Springs and Green River were, but it still might not be a bad idea to book a room in advance to be on the safe side. There are several hotels congregated by the Harrison Drive exit, and there's a Super 8 across the street from where the little riverwalk starts...I am sure there are more, so maybe checking out Evanston's homepage or Chamber of Commerce would be advisable. You're probably just fine showing up without a reservation, but if you know for sure when you're going to be there, having a res could save you the time of driving around looking for a place. Hoping you have a good time visiting that area...
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Thanks Yodelman, that helps a lot!
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I was just in Evanston yesterday coming back from Salt Lake City. I made two mistakes in my posts: (1) The Mexican restaurant is Don Pedro's not Los Cabos. There's one downtown and another on the Bear River Dr. (2) The Super 8 is now an American Family Value Inn.

Happy Trails.
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Thank you again Yodelman, and Happy Trails to you!
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Well, we're heading out in 4 days! Turns out my DH knows the owner of the Hillcrest Motel, so it sounds like we'll be hanging there. Guess it must be a small mom-n-pop type place so that's why I didn't find it listed anywhere.

Anyway, I'll be sure to post a TR - til then!
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Just checked the weather forecast and looks like our driving day will be clear and cold, maybe some rain or snow on Saturday. Sweaters and jackets stand ready!
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