Stops #2 and #3 in Wyoming
Life still happens when you are a full-time traveler. It is not a perpetual vacation. This leg of our summer of travel fun got hit with a little bit of “life”, smack in the middle of Wyoming. We had planned that the last two of our three stops in Wyoming were going to be filled with a couple of hikes, a stop at a rodeo, some downtown historic district shopping and a mix-in of a museum or two. Instead, we had to go with “Unplanned Plan B”.
We did enjoy a delicious restaurant meal, but much of the rest of our time in Casper and Sheridan Wyoming ended up at home – watching movies, eating (waaay too much ice cream), crafting (I can’t wait to show you some of my recent crafts!) and catching up on household duties (yes, ya still gotta pay bills, run the biz and clean the house as a full-time traveler).
Perhaps it was something in the water, but within two days of arriving in Casper, we all started needing to stick very close to the bathroom – and I mean ALL of us. The dogs, the humans and ultimately, even the cat. At first, we thought only Calvin was having issues. Then we spent a couple of days feeling very “off”. When we thought Calvin was in the clear, we ventured out for a few hours, to do some exploring and enjoy a meal at a local steakhouse, only to come home to find that Bug also was now suffering the same fate…ALL throughout the camper. Sigh. It was then that we decided that sticking close to our RV home was our best “Unplanned Plan B”.
When it came time to move from Casper, north and west to Sheridan, we felt like the dogs were well enough to travel, only to discover an hour into the trip that Stencil the cat was suffering a similar fate. Worse yet, she was struck as we were driving up the highway. She became agitated and meowed and complained (not unusual for her on travel days – just about the only thing she hates about the RV life). Then the complaining paused and we smelled the distinct odor of a cat that had just had an accident in her crate. With no pull-offs or rest stops in sight, and not really sure how to safely resolve the issue and clean up the cat on the side of the highway with only a water bottle, we drove the next hour and a half with the windows down. Thankfully, it was a short travel day and Stencil settled down and found a place to rest in the back of her crate and away from her offending odor.
We arrived at Peter D’s RV Campground, cleaned up the cat and her crate, set up our home on wheels, and almost immediately, the hottest of the HEAT set in. It had been in the 90’s for days, but for the remainder of our stay, the effects of global warming were apparent, with record-breaking temperatures between 99 and 109 degrees for days on end. Additionally, the wildfires, still many miles away in Montana, Oregon, California were spewing a grey haze of smoke throughout Wyoming. Each day, as our pets healed, we did our best to keep the A/C running and the camper cool. The shades were pulled, a blanket was hung over the door window to reduce the sun’s impact, and we managed our electricity use to prevent any further problems (the electric capacity was being taxed since it was so hot that most folks decided to stay home each day). The smoke and heat beat out some exploration of Wyoming.
Instead of Plan A, full of fun visits and exploration, we wound up our visit to Wyoming mostly at home. The nice thing that I learned about this experience is that it was really nice (once everyone’s intestines were settled, at least). We are blessed to be living this semi-retired, traveling lifestyle. We don’t have to feel rushed or compelled to “cram it all in” to a specific timeframe. We didn’t get to see and do Wyoming like we had planned, but we can return some time and try again. Perhaps we will pass through here again this fall on the way to Denver for the Broncos-Ravens football game (that is another adventure we have in the planning stages!). Wyoming will be cooler then – and this time, we won’t drink the water.
(The fun we still had):
We were able to stop by the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Casper during our stay. Operated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the center does a great job of educating and bringing the late 1800s to life. The Platte River runs through Sheridan and is the location where the major western frontier trails converged (before Sheridan even existed). Pioneers, missionaries, Mormons, miners and explorers traveled thousands of miles, mostly on foot, through this area. Sometimes 600 wagons a DAY passed through the area. We discovered the Atlatl (AT-lat-uhl), a Native American hunting tool that aided in throwing a dart. We learned about the varied reasons for westward exploration of North America, the hardships they faced and the methods and planning that brought them success in their amazing efforts.
Always a fun hobby of mine wherever we travel, we hit a few thrift stores for some bargains, and then we enjoyed dinner date night at FireRock Steakhouse. The service was strong (thanks, Bailey) and the food was delicious. Top on the list was the Firecracker Shrimp appetizer. The French Onion Soup was the 2nd best we’ve ever had (sorry, but Dobbin House Restaurant in Gettysburg, PA has everyone beat!), and the Blue Cheese Wedge salad was PERFECT! The flavor on our steaks was amazing, and when there was a temperature problem with the main entrée dishes, they cooked it all over again and made it right. Thanks to the manager that was attentive and wanted to be sure we had a great experience. The décor was dark, appealing and BUSY!! Our cocktails were exceedingly well made.
My DH fell into the crab cake trap – again. As native Marylanders, we know what crab cake is supposed to taste like. The lesson: stop buying “Maryland Crab Cake” from places that are NOT in Maryland! We should not be surprised that Wyoming crab cakes are not going to be as they claim.
While at home, I enjoyed lots of crafting. My latest project includes a counted cross stitch that I now have about ⅓ complete. I also have been making vinyl stencils for glass etching, and as always, sending gift packages to our loved ones back east.
Most of the campgrounds where we have camped out west have been unimpressive, even disappointing (and expensive for what you get). There are MANY great campgrounds around, but we simply booked too late to get the top picks. But we were happy to find Peter D’s RV Campground. This is camping a little more like I remember it! Privately owned and exceedingly polite and helpful, our dogs enjoyed their morning walk with a visit to the camp office where owner, Peter D, would offer them a treat. The campground is spotless and meets all the basic needs (there is no pool, but I am told there is a town pool nearby). Our reservation was made with a phone call and a verbal promise that we would have a site when we arrived. No cash on hand to pay the bill? That’s okay, just bring it when you can! The laundry is spotless and includes a “take one, leave one” book nook. The dog run is large and there is a center grassy section of the campground that sports a beautiful vegetable garden (thanks so much for the squash we were sent on our way with on travel day!) and a few resident bunnies that seem very content.
The campsites are TIGHT, but that is the only criticism I could mention. With slides and awnings out, we were within six inches of our neighbors. All sites are pull-through. The cost is exceedingly reasonable ($35 per night this year in celebration of their 20th year in business) and puts all those gravel covered KOA Journey’s to shame. The location is on the edge of a residential neighborhood, close to everything, but sits below the highway in a little hollow, so the highway noise is reduced and hardly noticed. This is a terrific quick stop or even good as a stopping point for a while as you explore the Sheridan area.
While in Sheridan we enjoyed an afternoon exploring the Trail End Mansion and learned about how a poor Texas cowboy, turned wealthy rancher, governor and senator, built and lived in this beautiful mansion. I have always been drawn to old homes, and this Flemish Revival is exquisite from the early 1900s did not disappoint..
We wandered into downtown Sheridan and shopped a few of the unique stores and admired the plentiful sculptures all around town. We ate at Just Ledoux It Saloon and Steak Out, a restaurant with a great story – honoring a man that I didn’t know of until I was intrigued by his mention on their menu. Visit here to find out about his interesting life.
We ended our evening with a couple of drinks at the historic Mint Bar, founded in 1907. Uniquely decorated, this is the place we felt like we were truly hanging with the locals. We saw some genuine modern day cowboys and felt like we almost fit in with our own western garb. One additional happy discovery in Wyoming is the price of drinks! We managed to have two whiskey’s and a glass of wine here for $17.
We left Wyoming with happy memories and a lot of excitement for our next destination – MONTANA!
Safe travels, and remember that it isn’t your plan!