Llamas, Hot Springs, Luxury and Adventure - Wyoming Is Having a Moment in 2026

“Wyoming Is Having a Moment in 2026”
Episode Summary

If Wyoming isn’t on your 2026 travel list yet… it will be after this episode. In this lively, laugh-filled conversation, co-hosts Heide Brandes and Nicky Omohundro dive into why the Cowboy State is set to become the destination for women over 45 craving adventure, authenticity, luxury—or all three.

Heide brings back stories straight from Carbon County, like free 24/7 hot springs, llama trekking with goofy-but-loveable pack animals, saloon-style dinners with real cowboys, and small-town museums with some truly wild Old West history. 

Then, the duo shifts to Jackson Hole’s major glow-up for 2026, including luxury lodge renovations, ski-season celebrations, red-light-therapy spas (yes, please), sleigh rides, wildlife safaris, and rooftop hot tubs under enormous Wyoming skies.

It’s fun, it’s feisty, it’s full of irresistible travel inspiration, and it’ll have you planning a birthday trip, girls’ getaway, or solo escape before the episode even ends. If you’re a woman embracing your independence, your curiosity, and your “why not?” era, this one’s for you.

Listen in and discover why Wyoming is about to have its biggest year yet.

Links Mentioned:

• Carbon County, WY: discoverCarbonCountyWI on Instagram
• Hotel Terra Jackson Hole: hotelterrajacksonhole.com
• Teton Mountain Lodge: tetonlodge.com
• The Sylvan Lodge at Snake River Sporting Club: snakeriversportingclub.com
• Travel Wyoming: travelwyoming.com

Transcript

Wyoming is Having a Moment in 2026 – Here’s Why You Should Visit 

Welcome to Untethered and Wander Wise, where adventure has no age limit. We're your co-host Heide Brandis and Nicky Omohundro, and we're here to inspire and celebrate women over 45 who are embracing their independence and want to explore the world on their own terms.

So, hey there, Wanderers. Welcome back to Untethered and Wander wise, I'm Nicky Omohundro  And I'm Heide Brandes. And do we have a show for you today? Yeah, Heidi, you just got that from Wyoming. And I have to say, the photos you've been posting made me seriously jealous. I mean, hot springs llamas. What looks like a very atmospheric old prison.

Yeah. What was that about? Right. So here's the thing. I know that everybody's already planning their 2026 travel, and I'm here to tell you Wyoming needs to be on that list and not just Jackson Hole, which is nice, which is great though. We'll talk about that too. But I'm talking about Carbon County, which includes places like Saratoga, Rawlings, and this tiny gem called Elk Mountain too.

Ooh. Okay. Sell me on it. What makes Carbon County special? Well, it's such an authentic area. I flew into Cheyenne after a full day of travel. Drove through the darkness to Saratoga. It was about an hour and a half, and it was a small resort town, nestled between the snowy range and the Sierra Madre Mountain.

So I checked into the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort , right on the North Platte River. But here's the kicker. The next morning I just got outta bed and I walked to the Saratoga hobo Hot Springs right down the road, which is completely free, and it's open 24 7 to the public. Wait a free hot spring? Yeah.

Oh, completely free. Okay. And the water temperatures are great. They're between 101 and 110 degrees. Beautiful mountain views, and it's been there since the 1800s. So Native Americans considered it neutral territory. It's this gorgeous community pool that locals and visitors share. And you're soaking in these mineral waters at like 9:00 AM perfect, watching the steam rise off the water with mountains in the background.

And you think to yourself, why doesn't everybody know about this? You know, the resort I stayed in also has its own hot springs right there on the property too, so I could literally walk outta my room and straight to these great little soaking pools right on the property. Oh, that sounds absolutely incredible.

I know on your second day you went to Encampment, which was a booming copper mining town back in the day. With a 16 mile tramway. And you hiked with llamas, right? I hiked with llamas, Nicky, isn't it so much fun? It's so much fun. So I met up with Austin and he is with 3 0 7 llama company at uh, this place called Mirror Lake.

Mm-hmm. For llama. And these longs are the sweetest, most chill, hiking companions you could ask for. , They carry your gear. Mm-hmm. They're sustainable. Yes. They're gentle and absolutely hilarious. Mm-hmm. So , our llamas were called, um, Jerry and Jerry had a very pronounced underbite. He was poor Jerry.

Poor Jerry looked goofy as hell. And then there was Captain Bowie. He was a little more dignified. Not much of an underbite. Yeah, not much of an underbite. So we went trekking through the medicine bow, national forests and the fall colors are just starting to pop and. Yeah, my llama Jerry, who had better trail manners than most humans up hiked with, by the way, just munching along beside me.

Yeah, it was. It was hands down one of the most unique outdoor experiences I've had. Yeah. I actually went llama trekking outside veil. Really? Yes. And that was a lot of fun. We had a guide, we had two llamas, I don't remember their names, but we didn't have anybody with an underbite or a dignified llama, but they were chills.

They just kind of grazed on occasion along the way, and they packed our picnic lunch and we made it to this little stream. And it was amazing. It was great though. I will have to say if you stop for longer than about five seconds, they will eat. Yes. They're very much into eating and, and if you ever try to pull llama's head up and keep walking, um, they can be stubborn,

what's fascinating about the llamas is they're becoming so popular with hunters. Um, because two llamas can carry out, you know, 80 pounds of elk meat mm-hmm. Where it take you five days to try to haul that out yourself. So these guys at 3 0 7 llama companies saw how popular they were with backpackers and, and hunters as pack animals that.

They kind of introduced the idea of it and said, well, I think everybody would like to. Yeah. Especially it's fun, long trail backpackers and mm-hmm. That's fun. And it's great photo op. Oh yeah. Yeah. And I think it's the peak untethered and wander wise content right there. Yeah. And everybody we passed on the hiking trail had to stop and take pictures.

Yes. So they were little minor. Celebrities. Same on our hike. Yeah. They're like, oh, llamas. Like, yeah, here's, here's my card. So, um, that evening, , I had dinner at this little cantina in Saratoga and it's this little bar and restaurant. The food was really good and had that saloon wild west feel to it. And I remember I just sat there and talked to honest God Cowboys.

They're shooting the shit about which mountain pass would be open in the winter. Mm-hmm. And the danger badger holes and things like that. But he was so authentic. Badger holes, badger holes. Yeah. They'll break a leg. Watch reefs, tap then badger holes are kind of dangerous there. Nick, I, I can safely say I've never stepped in a badger hole.

I don't ever think I want to either. So what about Rawlings? I saw something about the Wyoming Frontier Prison. I know that it's the must do if you are a true crime or history buff. They do guided tours every hour through this old penitentiary that operated between 1901 to 1981. Mm-hmm.

But memory serves. You see the cells, you hear the stories about the inmates, and it's beautifully preserved. It is. And it is well worth. The tour, and then there's Downtown Rawlings itself, which is this , gorgeous historic district with 19th century architecture.

My favorite was the Carbon County Museum, which was fascinating too. And I love these little small town museums. I mean, they had over 30,000 artifacts telling the story of copper mining, timber ranching history. And, uh, also kind of a, uh, a rather gruesome story that's of local legend Oh, of George Big nose parrot.

It was a, , train robber. Okay. And he killed two US marshals. They hunted him down. They brought him back to Rollins where he was going to pace trial, but the people decided vengeance was theirs and they lynched him. Mm-hmm. His horrors did not in there. Did he haunt? No. No. They took his body and a local doctor.

I basically did this autopsy on him trying to figure out what made a criminal sprain different, and he had an assistant who would eventually become Wyoming's first female surgeon. Hmm. So she kept his skull cap and used it as a door stop and an ashtray from most her life. And this doctor had shoes made.

From, uh, big Nose’s Skin. This is a little Ed Gein-ish It is. He wore them to his inauguration as governor and kept those shoes in his bank. For decades. Hmm. So that's in the museum. It's a little gruesome history, but, um, it, it, it goes on from there. If you're ever curious about George Big Nose Parrot is a fascinating story.

So Yeah. And then you can see his skin made into a pair of shoes in the museum. Yeah. Yeah. It's there. Yeah. That's one of those odd ones, that's for sure. But one of the coolest. Places I went to was um, I drove to Elk Mountain for the Garden Spot Music Festival at the Historic Elk Mountain Hotel. Okay, now I know that this hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places built in 1905 and it sits right on the Medicine Bow River,

it's also under these huge cottonwoods pictures are gorgeous, it's very picturesque, and they were celebrating their hundred 20th anniversary with live music. So Sam Plats and the Plainsmen were the headliners, , and had this great dinner on the porch while watching the sunset over the river. It was pure magic.

How pretty. So, okay, so you've convinced me that Carbon County is a place where I should go, but I know that we have been tracking some news about Jackson Hole. What's happening there? Yes. So if listeners are thinking, I want the Wyoming experience, but with a little more luxury. Well, Jackson Hole is having a major moment in 2026.

Okay. First, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is celebrating its 60th anniversary this December. So there's gonna be special events and celebrations throughout the entire ski season. Hmm. So now that's the resort where Olympians train. I remember visiting, uh, when I visited Jackson Hole years ago, it was well before COVID, so it's been a hot minute. And the resort is famous for legendary terrain. And speaking of which, there are two properties right at the base that have either just reimagined or just opened, right?

So I have yet to go to Jackson Hole, and this is why 2026 is gonna be my year to actually visit. Okay. , The Hotel Terra. That's T-E-R-R-A and it's sister property. Teton Mountain Lodge and Spa just got completely reimagined. We're talking true slope side luxury with heated floors, fireplaces, mountain views, ski valet service.

Ooh, very nice. Heated floors after a day of skiing or just being out on the snow sounds absolutely like heaven. That's what I was thinking. And then their concierge can set you up with experiences beyond skiing. For instance, an Elk Refuge sleigh ride, which is right up my alley. They've got , wildlife, safaris, dog sledding, which is at my alley.

Yeah. Plus, both hotels have award-winning spas with cold plunges and red light therapy for recovery, which at our age, Nicky, Hey, we're young. Speak for yourself. But yes, recovery is key. And here's a really exciting one.

The Sylvan Lodge just opened this past summer. Within the Snake River Sporting Club, this is Jackson Hole's newest luxury boutique lodge. It has 38 rooms, RH furnishings, oversized soaking tubs, and every room has a balcony with panoramic mountain views. What can be better?

Oh, it gets better. Oh, it's on nearly a thousand private acres along the Snake River and. Bridger Teton National Forest. So guests get access to experiences that are usually members only. Okay. Like uh, Tom Weiskopf  designed golf course. For instance, guided horseback rides, fly fishing, miles of private hiking trails, and in the winter, you can literally step outside your door for heli skiing, ice skating, snow tubing, or horse-drawn sleigh rides.

Oh, and they have a 10,000 square foot wellness center with rooftop hot tubs under that endless Wyoming sky, and I love that you can actually combine those experiences. You know, start in Jackson Hole with the luxury and the legendary skiing. Then road trip down to Carbon County for authentic small town Wyoming experiences.

The history, the hot springs, you know, you keep going and then, maybe even some llama tracking . Yes, absolutely do the llama tracking. So it's the perfect Wyoming adventure you have. High and low luxury, authentic, all of the things. Exactly. And this is what I want our listeners to know. Wyoming isn't just a pass through state.

It's not just Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, though. Those are spectacular. There's this whole world of small mountain towns genuine. Western hospitality, incredible outdoor recreation and stories that go back centuries. Yeah. And for women like us over 45 looking for adventure and maybe a little different than what everyone else is doing.

Well, this is it. Yeah. And without the crowds. Without the crowds

whether you want to soak in free hot springs, hike with llamas, explore Old West history or luxuriate in a brand new mountain lodge with a hot tub on their stars, Wyoming delivers and 2026 is shaping up to be a big year, especially with the Jackson Hole anniversary and the new properties opening. So right now is the time to plan.

Your Wyoming visit and I'm, I'm in the process of doing that myself. Mm-hmm. What do you think the best time to visit for next year is? Uh, well, that depends on what you want. Sure. Winter is great for skiing in Jackson Hole, so that's obviously peak season, December through March. But I went in early September and the weather was perfect for hiking for the hot springs.

The fall colors were just starting to pop and it was way less crowded. Summer's great too. Everything's open. You got the long days, the wild flowers in the high country. It's good for, for. Taking a dip in those icy mountain lakes. Very fun. So really Wyoming in this area is really a four season destination.

Absolutely. And Grand Teton National Park, which I've never been to. So this is on my bucket list for 2026. I've been, it's one of my favorite parks. Yeah. And everybody tells me that. I can't believe I haven't explored it yet, but it's only a mile from those Jackson Hole properties. So you can combine outdoor adventure with luxury accommodations really easily.

Mm-hmm. Okay. I'm sold. I need to go back to Wyoming in 2026. Let's do it. Birthday trip. Yeah. Hmm. So how do people find more information? Well, for Carbon County check out, discoverCarbonCountyWI on Instagram. So discover Carbon County, Wyoming on Instagram. They've got gorgeous photos and current information for Jackson Hole Hotel Terra is at hotel terrajacksonhole.com.

Teton Mountain Lodge is @tetonlodge.com and the Sylvan Lodge is at snakeriversportingclub.com. And for general Wyoming travel planning, Travelwyoming.com is your go-to resource. Oh, perfect. And we'll have all these links in the show notes. Definitely. So, alright, wanderer, as you heard it here, first put Wyoming on your 2026 list.

I know we are. So whether you're soaking in hot springs with locals sipping wine in a luxury lodge overlooking the Tetons, the cowboy state is calling and trust me, it's worth answering that call. So until next time, stay untethered and wander wise.

Be sure to like, follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcast fix. Check us out on Instagram at untethered Wonder wise, that's no, and for even more travel inspiration and tips. Until next time, happy travels.