Business and Tourism Reporter

Renée Jean

Renée Jean is the business and tourism reporter for Cowboy State Daily and is based in Cheyenne. Previously, Renée spent seven years covering energy and agriculture in North Dakota and Montana. She has won many writing awards over a 30-year career, and has written magazine articles for Guideposts.

Find Renée Jean

Latest from Renée Jean

A stand of Wyoming boxelder trees are tapped and collecting sap to make syrup.

Trash To Treasure: Box Elders Could Drive A New Wyoming Maple Syrup Industry

Those blue buckets on box elder trees in Rawlins are part of a feasibility study to see if syrup from the trees can be commercialized. Food critics say the syrup from maples - which are difficult to grow in Wyoming - and box elders is indistinguishable.

Renée JeanMarch 16, 2024

Outdoor recreation around Jackson and Teton County is driving the area to be tops in the nation for its economic boom. Here, a skier and snowboarder carve some snow on Snow King Mountain above Jackson, laid out below.

Outdoors Is Driving Teton County’s Latest Nation-Leading Economic Boom

Not only is Teton County the wealthiest county in the nation with a whopping per capita income of $406,054 but leads the nation in a new type of economic model, the great outdoors. Out of the 10 wealthiest economic booms going on right now in the nation, Teton County is leading the pack.

Renée JeanMarch 10, 2024

Bob's Diner & Bakery in Greybull, Wyoming, will be featured on the popular "America's Best Restaurant" streaming series.

Bob’s Diner & Bakery In Greybull On ‘America’s Best Restaurants’ Tour

“America’s Best Restaurants,” a popular streaming series, will feature Bob’s Diner & Bakery in Greybull on its tour of America’s unique independent restaurants. Road trippers rave about the Reuben at Bob’s, but locals love the “angry sauce” omelets and burgers.

Renée JeanMarch 10, 2024

A south-facing roof made of polycarbonates like those used for greenhouses seals the walipini from the outdoors.

Year-Round Produce: Wyoming Gardener Outsmarts Winter With Underground Greenhouse

Sara Ross loves gardening but lives in Daniel, Wyoming, where there are only 57 growing days a year. So she's outsmarted Wyoming’s brutal winters by building an underground Bolivian greenhouse called a walipini.

Renée JeanMarch 10, 2024

The Wort house in Jackson, left, predates The Wort Hotel, right, but the English Tudor style of both can't be missed.

Jackson $4 million ‘Fixer-Upper’ Tied To Iconic Wort Hotel And Lynyrd Skynyrd

That 1,000 square-foot "fixer-upper" home in Jackson that's listed for $4 million has an interesting history. It was not only built by the founders of the Wort Hotel but was the home of Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington.

Renée JeanMarch 09, 2024

Ranger chases grizzly bears that get too close to Brooks Lake Lodge, earning him the nickname "Ranger Danger."

Meet Ranger, The Wyoming Cowdog That Chases Grizzlies At Brooks Lake Lodge

Guides at Brooks Lake Lodge affectionately call this black-and-white pooch “Ranger Danger” — and with good reason. Ranger has proven himself time and again by fearlessly chasing off grizzly bears. It’s not what Hangin’ Tree dogs were bred for, but with him, it’s instinct.

Renée JeanMarch 09, 2024

Sam Watt with Platte Hemp Co. at his booth at the 2023 Bear Trap Summer Festival in Casper.

Wyoming Company Will Sue If Gordon Signs Ban On Altered Hemp Derivatives

A law that seeks to close a loophole that has some entrepreneurs adding THC additives like Delta-8 is on Gov. Mark Gordon’s desk for his signature. At least one Wyoming company says it will sue if the bill becomes law.

Renée JeanMarch 06, 2024

A Decade In, Wyoming’s Food Freedom Law Opens Markets For Mom-And-Pop Producers

There are now 13 year-round farmer’s market-style stores in Wyoming since the state's Food Freedom law went into effect 10 years ago. Every one of them boasts dozens of producers, all with one-of-a-kind products that can’t be found anywhere else.

Renée JeanMarch 03, 2024

Samira Tennyson talks about coming to America and how deciding one day to share her great Swiss bread with people in southeast Wyoming led her to quit her day job and focus on baking beautiful loaves of butterzopf.

Swiss-Born Baker Taking Wyoming By Storm With Her Traditional Bread

A Swiss woman who lives in Carpenter, Wyoming, was feeling a bit nostalgic one day for the foods she grew up with. So she asked on Facebook: “Who wants some Swiss bread?” She got so many responses, she quit her job and became a full-time baker.

Renée JeanMarch 03, 2024

Whether it's with a seafood theme of crab legs or comfort food like a corn dog and grilled cheese, the Brooks Lake Lodge bloody mary is memorable.

Drinking Wyoming: The Brooks Lake Lodge’s Insane Bloody Mary Changes Every Year

The bloody mary at Brooks Lake Lodge near Dubois changes every year. This year's version has a huge crab claw jutting unapologetically up out of it, along with a fist-sized, deep-fried Monte Cristo sandwich

Renée JeanMarch 03, 2024

The duck has become chef Whitney Hall's favorite dish to make for Brooks Lake Lodge guests. It is absolutely delicious.

Foodies Get 5-Star Cuisine In Middle Of Nowhere Wyoming’s Brooks Lake Lodge

Brooks Lake Lodge in remote Fremont County Wyoming might be in the middle of nowhere, but it is a foodie heaven thanks to longtime executive chef Whitney Hall, who creates a 5-star dining experience for guests.

Renée JeanMarch 02, 2024

Held every five years, the International Pathfinders Camporee event draws tens of thousands of people. The last event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, had 55,000 attendees.

Gillette Camporee Expected To Bring 60,000 People To Event This Summer

The International Pathfinders Camporee is expected to bring 60,000 people to Gillette this summer which will shatter the record attendance of a single event in Wyoming. Everything is sold-out in Gillette and rooms were going for $800 a night.

Renée JeanMarch 02, 2024

Other Authors

This 1,000-square-foot home in downtown Jackson, Wyoming, lists for $4 million. Its real value, however, is its land and location.

1,000-Square-Foot Jackson, Wyoming, Fixer-Upper Home Lists For $4 Million

There’s nothing particularly remarkable about the 1,000-square-foot home at 165 N. Gros Ventre St. in downtown Jackson -- except for the location. That's enough to give it a listing price of a whopping $4 million.

Renée JeanMarch 02, 2024

Shellabarger Robert T 6 Class Race 4389 2000x1200

Casper One Of Three Finalists To Land National Air Championship Races

Casper has made the short list of three cities still in the running to become the new host for the National Championship Air Races, which could be a $100 million shot in the arm for the Cowboy State.

Renée JeanFebruary 29, 2024

Wyoming Office of Tourism Director Diane Shober talks about tourism trends during the 2024 Wyoming Governor's Tourism and Hospitality Conference.

Wyoming Tourism Is Back: Visitors Spend $4.7 Billion In 2023

Wyoming Office of Tourism Director Diane Shober said the tourism industry back on top as the state's number one employer providing 33,000 jobs. In 2023, visitors spent a record $4.7 billion -- a significant increase from 2022.

Renée JeanFebruary 28, 2024

Jim Waldrop is almost speechless for a few moments at the podium after winning the 2024 BIG WYO Award.

Jackson’s Jim Waldrop — AKA ‘Mr. Hospitality’ — Wins Wyoming's Highest Tourism Award

Tourism is big business in Wyoming and every year one Wyoming citizen wins the BIG WYO award for making significant lifetime contributions to Wyoming’s tourism and hospitality industries. This year, Jim Waldrop, who oversees the Wort Hotel and the Silver Dollar Bar in Jackson, was the winner.

Renée JeanFebruary 28, 2024

Participants make last-minute connections during the 2024 Wyoming Governor's Hospitality and Tourism Conference.

Wyoming’s Fun, Quirky Small Towns Could Be A Big Draw For 2024 Tourism

Small Wyoming communities have an oversized opportunity to attract new visitors to their communities, thanks to the mood of travelers in 2024, according to experts and analysts at the 2024 Wyoming Governor’s Tourism and Hospitality Convention.

Renée JeanFebruary 27, 2024

Wyoming Joins FTC Lawsuit To Block $25 Billion Albertsons - Kroger Merger

Wyoming is one of nine states joining the FTC in a lawsuit filed Monday to block the $25 billion merger of Kroger and Albertsons. “Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons would lead to additional grocery price hikes for everyday goods," said the FTC.

Renée JeanFebruary 26, 2024

This Princess Blue Water sculpture will find a permanent home at Cheyenne Frontier Days. As part of her amazing life, she had a long and legendary relationship with CFD.

Cheyenne Frontier Days Legend Princess Blue Water Bowed To Nobody, Not Even The Queen

Cheyenne Frontier Days legend Princess Blue Water performed with Buffalo Bill Cody, was invited to Kennedy’s inauguration and refused to bow for England’s Queen Victoria, saying the Oglala Sioux bow to no one.

Renée JeanFebruary 25, 2024

Casper artist Travis Glasgow is building a following for his hybrid art combining wildlife and the landscapes the inhabit.

Casper Artist's Unique Wildlife - Landscape Fusions Gain International Audience

Casper native and artist Travis Glasgow creates stunning, portraits of Wyoming wildlife by fusing them with the landscapes they live in. His unique approach is gaining an international audience.

Renée JeanFebruary 25, 2024

The 2024 lineup of rescue dogs at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, from left, Cache, Sparrow, Levi, Dolly and Toby.

Meet Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Elite Life-Saving Avalanche Dogs

When the avalanche risk is high in Jackson Hole, there’s a pack of superheroes ready for action on a moment’s notice to find and rescue buried skiers and snowmobilers. These superheroes don’t wear capes, they wear collars.

Renée JeanFebruary 25, 2024

Page 44