Welcome to Wyoming— land of rivers, reservoirs, ranches, trout fishing, dinosaurs, and mountain men.
It has been a delightful discovery to experience the uniqueness of each state almost immediately upon crossing its border. Wyoming provided some of the best cloud watching to fuel the almost-daily thunderstorms, which in turn brought us some of the most expansive green vistas we’d seen in over a year. The Continental Divide winds through the state often forming huge basins where crystal blue lakes are fed by mountain snow melt. The Wild West feeling in the southeastern part of the state gives way to the rugged mountain man and Native American cultures of the back country wilderness to the north. The North Platte River which guided the Lewis and Clark expedition through this area, became our guide as well to more dinosaur bones.
Rawlins, WY
Our first stop in Wyoming was Rawlins. We had no sooner settled into our campsite when a magnificent thunderstorm whipped through the area. And while we still usually cook our meals outdoors on our Coleman camp stove, rainstorms require the use of the indoor kitchen. So as the rain pelted Lil’ Sebastian’s windows, we enjoyed soup and sandwiches while watching the lightning show high in the clouds above.
The Rawlins area offers several museums with unique collections ranging from frontier life to oil booms to haunted prison tours. Carbon County Museum gave us an eclectic overview of Rawlins’ history including some of the more famous outlaws of the territory, like “Big Nose George,” the rivalry between ranchers and shepherds, and the solitary mountain men.
SLIDESHOW: CARBON COUNTY MUSEUM (click on image to start)
Casper, WY
Independence Rock
As we headed north from Rawlins at 6,700 ft elevation and down to Casper at 5,100 ft., we stopped at Independence Rock. This giant granite rock landmark is famous from the days of the westward trek by thousands of pioneers and fur traders seeking their fortunes and independence in Oregon or California. Over 5,000 names are carved on the boulder dating back to 1840, however, an estimated 500,000 emigrants passed by this marker on their way to the West. The small park contains several kiosks, maps, and artifacts detailing the histories of the travelers. A few trails lead visitors around the rock and to various points of interest. The combination of another rainy day and the grassy prairie wetland surrounding the rock provided us some great encounters with frogs, monarch caterpillars, robins, and mosquitoes.
SLIDESHOW: INDEPENDENCE ROCK (click image to start)
Paleon Museum
Wyoming is rich in dinosaur fossils. The Glenrock Paleontological Museum (or Paleon Museum) is located just outside of Casper and is famous for “Lady Stephanie,” the Triceratops found on a local ranch. We were given a private guided tour of the the fossil exhibits and fossil preparation lab by a long-time volunteer who loved sharing his knowledge and experiences with each and every bone! All fossils in the collection were found in Wyoming and span from Jurassic to Cretaceous and Oligocene time periods. We also met some of the volunteers in the lab working meticulously to clean, identify, and prep fossils from the museum’s on-going field work. Many had been with the museum since its inception in 1995. Their passion for fossils got us excited for our next fossil dig later in the week.
SLIDESHOW: PALEON MUSEUM (click image to start)
Thermopolis, WY
Our last stop in our Dinosaur journey was Thermopolis, home of the world’s largest mineral hot spring and the world’s greatest dinosaur experience (according to the travel brochures). Thermopolis means “hot city” in Greek, and in addition to the big spring, several other geothermal heated waters are located in the town. Thermopolis is ringed by mountains in the Big Horn Basin. From Casper, we drove north through rocky terrain and tunnels. Thermopolis still shows evidence of its frontier and mining heritage, especially down main street. Our shady campsite was a welcome relief from the 90 degree days.
SLIDESHOW: CASPER TO THERMOPOLIS (click image to start)
Wyoming Dinosaur Center, Thermopolis, WY
The Wyoming Dinosaur Center was originally constructed to process and exhibit the specimens found at the Warm Springs Ranch fossil bed. The museum also contains numerous fish and invertebrate fossils in addition to over 50 mounted dinosaur skeletons. One unique exhibit stretched about 50 feet in length and was the preserved trackway of an ancient horseshoe crab. Titled, “Death March of the Horseshoe Crab,” the visual was quite astounding.
The Museum also displayed a rare Archaeopteryx specimen, the only one of this genus outside of Europe. It’s significant because it is viewed as a transitional fossil between dinosaurs and birds. Featured here as well is the local favorite, “Jimbo, ” a 106 ft. long Supersaurus – the second and most complete one of its kind ever found.
SLIDESHOW: WYOMING DINOSAUR CENTER (click image to start)
Dig for a Day
We joined the museum staff for our second fossil dig. The active sites at Warm Springs Ranch have been yielding bones for decades. We were shuttled to the site in the early morning and worked under the direction of our terrific geologist guide, Allie. It was amazing to see dinosaur bones sticking out of the ground in different states of recovery. Some were just barely breaking the surface, while others were completely excavated into a pedestal and being jacketed with plaster for transport back to the lab. That afternoon, we had the thrill of uncovering a new bone and having our name assigned to the record of discovery! We also spent a few hours in the Paleo Lab, learning how to remove the layers of rock from a fossil utilizing brushes, dremels, and dental picks. We ended our day of digging – dusty, tired, and with great big smiles! It was the world’s best dinosaur experience!
SLIDESHOW: DINOSAUR DIG (click image to start)
Thermopolis
Thermopolis had other surprises for us as well. Wyoming Whiskey is headquartered in the nearby hills and is known for their small batch bourbons made from locally sourced ingredients. The distillery and tasting tour gave us a greater appreciation for the exacting procedures and artistry that go into every bottle. It was fun to recognize WW on the menus of restaurants we went to throughout the state.
One of the most unique restaurants we enjoyed was The Safari Club. Located in Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, the restaurant is filled with trophy animals and fish from the local territory as well as from around the world. The food was reasonably priced and delicious, too. Which leads to another surprising discovery in Thermopolis, which is the weekly Farmers’ Market. We met many friendly local vendors and walked away with an armload of home grown, baked, and canned goods!
SLIDESHOW: THERMOPOLIS – 3 SURPRISES (click image to start)
Thermopolis was the perfect place to conclude the dinosaur portion of our expedition and begin our rendezvous with the famous legends of the mountain men. The Wind River Mountains were waiting to introduce us to the beauty of the Wyoming high country.
CAMPGROUND REVIEW: EAGLE RV PARK, THERMOPOLIS, WY
We stayed a week at Eagle RV Park located in Thermopolis, WY. Our site was a back-in, full hook-up site on gravel with picnic table and fire ring. We had plenty of shade from nearby trees. All utilities were in good working order, showers and restrooms were clean. Playground had some older structures in good condition. Cabins were available for rent as well. WiFi was good. Easy drive to Dinosaur Center Museum and Hot Springs.
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Next up…The “Winds”
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