Lander--Evanston

Traveling the road from Lander to Evanston offers many scenic opportunities that require far more discussion than I can provide right now...but here's a few thoughts.

In the summer, Lander has a Scream Shack, on 1st and Main, that offers fabulous chokecherry shakes among other things.

Leaving Lander (or coming in), make sure to stop and see the amazing red canyon.

If you are going to Pinedale instead of Evanston, and its summer, and you have time, take the Big Sandy road. It's a well-maintained and signed road that takes you across a high plateau with amazing views into Sublette county.

As I came into Farson, I ran into a fierce storm...one of those Wyo oddities. We're having a lot of wierd storms this year. This one was just over Farson, and excluded Eden (which is 2 miles away), and was windy and heavy rain. Eden was not precisely sunny, but it was certainly not raining!

Sundance

Back in my favorite part of the state: Crook County. Eastern Crook County to be exact (and NE Weston too). It's been raining, so there's green and the dirt is red and it is so delicious! Seriously, I think this is my heart place, and I would move here if it was a reasonable thing to do, in terms of supporting myself.

Sundance has a new restaurant. Sadly, I won't get to try it on this trip. It's called Etta's Place (after the Sundance Kid's girlfriend), and it has a changing menu (daily!). It is definitely a step above in terms of ambiance and food style from your average small town restaurant. I hear the food is good too.

The Crook County Community Room is very nice. It's conveniently located, and it has a kitchen, and it is big. But don't have meetings there; it has only metal folding chairs. A word to the wise.

Make sure to stop by the Sundance Mercantile and buy your favorite baby a pair of jackalope slippers. It's a must-have present!

Sundance is working hard on Old Stony, a neat old building which they are raising money to renovate for a museum. In fact, on June 11, they are having a fundraiser art auction. $20 to get in, with good appetizers and wine, and lots of artwork to bid on. I'm going to try to go; it's always fun to see the artwork, and to support local efforts to preserve their history.

Newcastle

Newcastle is up in the northeastern corner of Wyoming, on the western side of the Black Hills. Like the English town it is named after, Newcastle is an energy town with many trains of coal going through daily, and a large refinery. In spite of this, the area is somewhat depressed. The first time I went to Newcastle was very memorable for the lack of restaurants and activity downtown. However! Newcastle is a cute little town and they are actively trying to revitalize their downtown. It's also a great area if you like mining history and gorgeous natural scenery. It's a good overnight stop, or access point for the Black Hills that's not so pricey. Here's a few suggestions in case you are passing through:

1) Stay at The Pines. It is near downtown, but up a hill from it in a residential neighborhood so it feels very secluded and quiet. There are pine trees everywhere. It is locally owned and very clean and reasonably priced. http://www.pinesmotel.org/

2) Eat at Isabella's Pizza, the Italian place. Everything I've tried has been good, including the non-Italian food they serve. It's a lively, busy place! Isabella's was the first restaurant that opened as they've started the revitalization and it is a breath of fresh air.

3) For breakfast or lunch, there's a sweet little diner on Main Street.

4) The Antlers is an old hotel on Main Street that some people have been renovating. Last time I was there they'd finished the main floor and had a bar and cafe open. I heard they left, so I don't know its current status, but if they are open, definitely go in to look at the building and try some food (the cafe was very good).

5) Newcastle has a museum of its own, the Anna Miller. They focus on local history (quite colorful) and nature.

6) There's several nice drives. Stop at the Chamber of Commerce http://newcastlewyo.com/newc/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 for a map of the Beaver Creek Loop tour that takes you into the beautiful back country by historical sites. It runs on a dirt road, so check with them about conditions. You'll go through Four Corners, as well, on that tour.

7) Don't forget to stroll main street and enjoy the architecture, and the shops that are locally owned.

8) Drive around town, and enjoy the old houses. There's some very pretty ones.

9) If you are into dirt road trips, ask around, as this is a good area for them. However, south of Newcastle the rumor is that the mud can be gumbo--so it isn't a place to go if it has been or is planning to rain.

10) There's a neat Arts Council-funded mural in the downtown. The Council was excited to give a grant in Newcastle, as not many request them there.

A few other thoughts about Newcastle: they have a great, active library. In addition, the schools have some good arts programs.

I have some friends who have a house up by Four Corners. They introduced me to some friends of theirs who live in Newcastle. Their house is something to see! It is on the hill above town, up a winding dirt road all by itself. No water to it--they have to haul all water in. This becomes particularly interesting when you realize the the previous owner had installed a swimming pool...! The previous owner was very colorful--a 1970s drug lord. He built this huge house which is geared towards entertainment (his, I guess). Aside from the pool, there's a black jet tub in a dark hallway room, a disco floor, more than one bar, a sunken living room, a balcony with excellent views of Newcastle and the land beyond. They are slowly renovating the place, which was decorated in true garish 70s style, and when he was busted, left to rot for quite some time. This is one of those neat details about place that I love to learn.

Leaving Newcastle, my favorite roads to Sundance are either Highway 85, turning on 585 and passing Inyan Kara, or taking 16 to Upton and then 116 to Sundance. I love that red earth! Highway 85 takes you to Lead/Deadwood, and is very pretty all the way there. South and west of Newcastle you are in prairie land. West, highway 450, takes you through part of Thunder Basin National Grassland.

Lingle

Lingle is in Goshen County, a tiny place near Fort Laramie. In fact, usually we say LingleFortLaramie as if it is one word. I've never yet been to Fort Laramie--in fact, I am ashamed to say I really haven't spent enough time in Goshen County. However, we drove through last week and stopped in Lingle at Lira's, a Mexican restaurant. The hard shell (fried) tacos are to die for! The place has nice atmosphere, if simple.

I'll be back to Goshen County sometime soon for an update.

Images from Crook County

New picture for the top of the blog--a rainbow, actually double but you can't see it so well, in Colony WY. Colony is only accessible from one highway, Wyo 212 which cuts across the northeast corner of Wyoming from Belle Fouche, SD to Alzeda MT. There's nothing there, really, except a bentonite factory. Apparently Colony produces more bentonite than anyone else. It is on the wide open plain, rather like what one thinks Montana will be like.

I spent some time--not enough, it never is--in Crook County this week. Aside from being home to the first national monument, Devil's Tower, and the western side of the Black Hills, it is, in my opinion, one of the most gorgeous sections of a beautiful state. It is raining like crazy up there and all the water is causing some problems because the ground and the creek beds can't handle it all. When ground is as dry as it gets in Wyo the water just doesn't soak in that easily. Anyway, the rain was coming down, a lot of it, and all the water ended up blowing out some culverts and bridges, resulting in people not being able to get home. It is starting to receed, but since it is still raining, it may take awhile.

I didn't get any pictures of this, but when it rains a lot, the grass gets to be a very bright green, nearly neon, and the red earth shows through in startling contrast. It was raining too much to get a lot of pictures, but here's one of a flooding area.

Crook County is a place of small towns. The biggest are Sundance, Moorcroft and Pine Haven, all on the western end. I prefer the eastern side of the county, where Hulett, Aladdin, Beulah and Alva are. Hulett is the only town of any size in this group and it is up near the northern area. It is the closest town to Devil's Tower, and possesses a new Best Western that is just fabulous. Super comfortable beds, large rooms, very quiet location, convenient to town, a nice breakfast, nice swimming area, and friendly people. I recommend it highly. This image is from Alva, WY, a settlement of about 30 people. This was sitting on the side of the road near the post office. There are no other businesses (obvious businesses, I should say) in Alva, unless you count this lemonade stand. Aladdin, population 15, has a 110 year old store, a cafe with good food, and a small motel. Aladdin is also home to the Woolly Llama, the studio/gallery of Ila Miller, fiber artist extraordinaire. If you go by, it is a must see stop. She makes clothing, bags and hats from felted llama, and sometimes includes fur in her creations. She and her husband run an outfitting business from their ranch nearby. Aladdin was once a bustling mining town of 450 with a train spur from Belle Fouche, SD. There's also a nice B&B called The Bunkhouse a few miles down the road towards the freeway. Aladdin will be hosting its first art & craft fair in the town park on June 21, 2008.

Beulah is the easternmost exit on I90 in Wyo. It is home to the Buffalo Jump Saloon and Steakhouse, which serves excellent food in a comfortable atmostphere. South of Beulah, if you come off the freeway and turn the other way, is the Sand Creek Canyon area. This section of Wyo really should be protected. Sand Creek is lovely. There's a lot of informal camping and fishing access (don't forget to buy a license if you plan to fish). You will also probably see flocks of wild turkeys and groups of deer. Back a ways there is a little housing area, and past that, you come to Ranch A. A historic site owned by the State of Wyoming, it is now run by a foundation which allows use of the lodge and property for educational purposes for very reasonable prices. It was built by some Finnish men for Moses Annenberg in the early 1930s. It is perhaps a tad rustic, with bunk beds and shared bathrooms, but the location cannot be beat for privacy and retreat type experiences. If you keep driving down that road, you eventually come to Moskee, which doesn't exist anymore. It is currently fenced off, but rumor has it that this is a delicate and beautiful area that is very unusual and should also be protected. I recommend you turn back and exit the way you came, although you can get to South Dakota or turn north and come out near Sundance if you know what you are doing or are adventurous.

from Thermop to Dubois

The river which runs along the highway as you leave Thermopolis is the Big Horn River. Going south the first thing you come to The Wedding of the Waters, just north of the entrance to Wind River Canyon. Apparently, this river had two names for a long time--the Crow and Absaroka Indians called it the Wind River, and the settlers to the north the Big Horn River. It was decided at some point to simply have a place where the name changes and that spot is called The Wedding of the Waters. Wind River Canyon is scenic enough to warrant driving slowly, although you will no doubt annoy the locals who speed through it. As you drive along, signs help you recognize various geologic eras which are visible in the canyon's rock walls. The Wind River which runs through it is wild and rocky and apparently a good one for rafting. There's nice camping along here as well. Trains run along the opposite bank and sometimes you can see people driving special trucks on the tracks.

At the south end, there's a dam and then the Boysen reservoir opens up on the plain. Boysen is a large lake in a state park. If this lake were natural, I am sure the pioneers would have been very excited!! The land around it could be considered boring as it rolls a little, is arid and dry with sagebrush. Prime rattlesnake land--and rumor has it that they swim, in balls, in Boysen. However! The lake is heavily used for fishing, boating, etc., in the summer. Lots of camping around here. For some reason, the desolate land appeals to me, just as the road from Shoshoni to Casper does. The fierceness of the weather and open space is delicious--and also formidable in the right circumstances.

The small town where the road comes to a T is Shoshoni. Shoshoni is famous for the Yellowstone Drug Store which makes malts. That's to the left, on the left side, in its new home. Shoshoni is a fun place to poke around if you like abandoned buildings.

Turning right takes you to Riverton. You can go to Riverton and turn west, or you can turn west part way along where the sign says Pavillion. This takes you into some back country through Pavillion and is a nice way to get a feel for the land. It also cuts off 7 miles and avoids the traffic of Riverton. Pavillion is a tiny place with a school, a bar and some houses. Rumor has it that the bar, Miss Ginny's Roost, has excellent food, but I haven't had the chance to try it for myself as of yet.

The road takes a sharp turn to the south after Pavillion (which most people might think is a blink and you'll miss it town, but wait--this is bigger than some coming up!) and comes out at Kinnear, also a small place. The next spot with a sign is Morton--truly a place where if you blink you'll miss it. It appears to be occupied by a ranch with an old house that is falling apart next to it.

I suggest stopping at the rest stop that comes after the turn to Ethete--it is the last place to go to the bathroom until Dubois. At this point, you enter the Wind River Reservation. This is tribal land, and is governed by the Shoshone and Arapahoe Tribes. Going off the road is not a good plan unless you have prior permission from the landowners, although there are points where you can access the river for fishing. There's also a couple of dams and lakes which I believe you can go to, but you do need a Tribal fishing license--not a Wyo Game and Fish license. Not sure where you get those. The land as you drive west through Crowheart is open valley between mountains. After you pass Crowheart (a long blink on the road) and Burris (a much smaller blink--I missed it and I was looking for it), watch to the right. The cliffs emerge, dramatically striped with a lot of iron created-red and grey and eroding, exposed rock. If you look, you can also find purples and blues in the cliffs. Behind the cliffs rise the Wind River Mountains, often snowy.

If you are driving this road in late afternoon or early morning, watch carefully for deer--a lot of them like the fields around here and they like to cross in front of cars. They are in no hurry whatsoever. Dubois, a sweet little town that bills itself as the gateway to Yellowstone, deserves its own post.

Thermop...

is an affectionate nickname for Thermopolis, WY, a city in the center of the state. Thermopolis, which means city of heat in Greek, is home to the largest mineral hot springs in the world. The presence of these springs creates a microclimate unlike the rest of the state--somewhat warmer and slightly more humid. The city is home to Hot Springs State Park, which includes a recently refurbished free bath house with indoor and outdoor pools and comfortable dressing rooms. The mineral water creates all sorts of interesting colors with the deposits. This tendency of the water has been exploited in a couple of fountains where the water comes over the top and runs down over rock which then changes color as minerals are deposited on it. You can drink the water, and it is probably even good for you, but it sure doesn't taste too yummy!

Some information in here I have mentioned in an earlier post. You might check it out for some elaboration and repetition. A good, cheap place to stay that I just discovered is Roundtop Mountain Motel, just outside the park. They have scrupulously clean cabins with kitchenettes only 4 blocks away for much cheaper.

Thermop is also the home town of our current governor, Dave Freudenthal.

Downtown is quaint, although perhaps struggling a bit. There are some empty storefronts, and those who come here often know that businesses come and go. For instance, for a few years, there was a fabulous artist-owned gallery on Broadway. There's several antique shops/flea markets, as well, but they seem to shift about periodically. One constant on Broadway has been Keeping You in Stitches, the quilt shop. They have a lovely selection of fabric and quilting supplies, and also partner in hosting a quilting retreat each year. I noted today that there's a new yarn and needlecraft shop across the street from it which I am looking forward to checking out tomorrow.

Thermopolis is home to the Dinosaur museum, which I talked about in an earlier post. Another museum worth checking out is Dancing Bear Folk Center, in the Old West Wax Museum complex. Dancing Bear celebrates the many crafts people have done for centuries such as spinning, weaving, food preservation, tatting and much much more. It also, curiously, includes a large collection of teddy bears. The Old West Wax Museum is "a historic wax museum focusing on the American West frontier and folk history and culture" which has figures made in some very specific style I can't recall right now.

Thermop also has a strong drama program in its high school. If you happen to be in town on the rare occasion that they offer a play, I recommend attending. They have one of the nicest auditoriums in the state and take full advantage of it.