We got up to a misty, foggy, cool morning and lounged in the van until almost 10 when we backtracked a bit to visit the Big horned sheep information center to learn a bit about these fascinating critters. On a white board at the entrance to the building they had listed sightings of a number of sheep newly down from their summer grazing grounds so we got directions and took off. Two hours of searching, driving up and down a gravel and rock road in the refuge and we came up empty. Not one sheep was sighted.
Disappointed, we headed for Sinks Canyon SP, overlooking the Popo Agie River and spent the night; altitude 6750 feet and 69°F when we pulled into camp. By the following morning it had dropped to 36° and the fog had descended. Undaunted, we drove back to town, did some food shopping, dumped our black and gray water and spent a few hours at the Pioneer Museum. We learned a lot about the way the pioneers – the ones that survived the journey – lived, worked and worshipped.
We spent the night at another Wyoming SP, Tough Creek CG in Boysin SP just outside of Shoshoni, part of the Wind River Indian Territory. On our way into the campground, two pronghorns ran away from the road, full tilt towards the lake.
After spending a windy night along the reservoir we decided to take a detour to Thermopolis where there is a world renowned dinosaur research facility and exhibition. The drive to the center was one of the most beautiful we have yet taken, through canyons along the upper Wind River. Many cliffs were identified with signage giving the age of the rock formations, ranging from 50,000,000 to 500,000,000 years old. The center itself is an amazing place with exhibits that trace the evolution of life on earth from the first one celled life forms through the age of dinosaurs. Fossils from around the world are on display along with detailed explanations of the creatures lives and habits and where they fit into the overall arc of prehistory. Wound up going back to Tough Creek for another night.
The next day we set off for Casper, sighting a couple of small groups of pronghorns, about 50 total, on the side of the highway. We got to Casper but there was not much we wanted to get out of the van for – too cold! So we grabbed a cup of coffee at the Metro Coffee shop, texted Emmett, and hung out, getting warm and revising our plans.
Although we wanted to have a steak dinner in Laramie tonight, we had to settle for left- over pork roast in Wheatland city park, free camping right next to the railroad tracks. There was only one other site taken when we got here, but they kept coming until all six sites were filled. The people next to us were full timers, working for National insurance and going wherever needed. They travel with two dogs and two cats. On the other side we met a couple who are on the road three months out of the year, selling leather goods at state fairs and festivals. They told us they were headed to New Mexico for the hot air balloon festival next week. Sounds like a great idea! I think we might do that, too.
Before getting into bed we called Diane and made plans to get to Loveland tomorrow.
The Ultimate Road Trip 