Just outside Laramie, Hwy-130 dips into the huge wind-gouged bowl of Big Hollow , passes through rustic Centennial and starts the steep climb up the Medicine Bow Mountains , one of Wyoming's most picturesque drives. Overlooks at the top of the 10,847ft Snowy Range Pass (closed in winter) present picturesque alpine lakes and meadows, tight against steep mountain faces, and at lower levels there are plenty of good places to stop - pack a picnic and sit by Marie Lake , where the snowcapped peaks are reflected in the dark glassy waters.

Some 21 miles west of Laramie, in the shadow of the Snowy Mountain range at 2091 Hwy-130, the superb Vee-Bar Guest Ranch (tel 307/745-7036 or 1-800/483-3227) is one of the best in the country, offering week-long summer packages for would-be cowhands of all ages. Accommodation is in luxurious log cabins by a rushing stream, and rates include all meals, your own horse, a camp-out, mountain tours, river tubing and fishing - or you're free simply to sit on your deck and take in the views. In winter they offer wonderful bed and breakfast ($130-160).

Forty-nine miles out from Centennial, sleepy SARATOGA is hemmed in by the Snowy and Sierra Madre ranges. The Hobo Hot Springs on Walnut Avenue is a free outdoor pool fed by natural 114°F springs. Easily the best place to stay is the antique-furnished Wolf Hotel , 101 E Bridge Ave (tel 307/326-5525; $50-75), which has a good restaurant and bar, and you can get subs, salads and low-priced lunch specials at Stumpy's , 218 N First St.

Medicine Bow Mountains

• Medicine Bow Mountains

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