EXPLORE: A Beautiful Drive in Goshen County

Follow Wyoming's Highway 85 between Cheyenne and Torrington and you'll see a water tower off in the distance, about 10 miles south of Torrington. That would be Yoder, Wyoming. It was once a bustling little town. Today only a handful or residents remain.

The way to Yoder is County Road 152, which becomes 154 as you pass Yoder.

Take that road; it will take you west and then back around to Torrington. That little loop is, trust me, worthwhile.

Along the way, you'll pass what is left of the little town of Veteran, Wyoming.

Veteran was founded specifically for soldiers. In the early 1920s, Goshen County in eastern Wyoming, along the Nebraska border, was one of the last areas in the country open for homesteading.

Free parcels of land up to 620 acres were set aside for soldiers returning from World War 1. It was known as "Veteran's Area" until the Civilian Conservation Corps built a camp and officially incorporated the town. Before long, Veteran, Wyo., was home to a school, several churches, a post office, a lumberyard, a hardware store, and a grocery store.

Drive slow, take your time, you'll pass working farms and old homesteads that are falling about.

It is always amazing to me how tiny the homes were that people lived in back then.

There are plenty of them to stop and take pictures of along the way.

At the end of this loop, you'll arrive back in Torrington. Their downtown area is a perfect little place for a walk, to explore some shops, and stop somewhere for lunch.