CASPER, WYOMING

7/19/13  Well, here we are in Bar Nunn Wyoming, close to Casper.  We wanted to see the National Parks in Utah, Zion and Bryce.  However, from South Dakota, where we now are, we have to go through Wyoming again.  This is the 4th time in 3 weeks.  As I said, we love Wyoming.  We started out at 9am and had to get to Gilette, Wyoming, back from where we came to find a small road (59) to take us down to Wright, then to Midwest, and finally culminating in I25 where we have a reservation for 3 nights.  Joel saw a billboard for the Wright Hotel having a lunch buffet(there goes my diet again), so we get there at about 1pm.  The town is so small, you blink and its gone.  However, the hotel is new and gorgeous, lots of room to park and the buffet is in the Open Range Steakhouse which is attached to the hotel.  The buffet is fantastic, carved roast beef, sweet and sour chicken, beef stroganoff, duchess potatoes, vegetables and to top it off, chocolate and strawberry cheesecake and I had both.  On the walls were mounted heads and full bodies of all the beautiful wildlife of Wyoming.  We left really full.  We drive out of parking lot and see 4 pronghorn deer munching grass by the side of the road.  A daddy with antlers and 3 babies.  We get back on the highway and see another deer, what a great day.  We manage to get to the Koa and settle into our site.  Oh dear, a tree is blocking our satellite signal, oh well, we have books and a computer.  We can live without tv for a couple of nights.  We are now going to Walmart for vittles, rottiserie chicken and mashed potatoes.  Now we can relax, we can sightsee tomorrow. 

7/20/13  Went to the National Historic Trail Interpretive Center.  When we got there a car show was in progress, got to see lots of old Studebakers as well as classic cars.  The museum was free today, it tells the whole story of the Oregon trail and we saw a short movie.  Then went to the rv center for some supplies and ate lunch at Olive Garden, and then of course to Home Depot.  We always need something.

7/21/13  Got up early so we could got to see Independence Rock(about 50 miles) from Casper.  At this monument (pic), we almost missed it.  It is in a rest area.  This rock shows the trail taken by the pioneers on their way to Oregon.  They carved their names in the rock for all generations to see.  However, weather and erosion  have taken their toll and reduced those names so that you can hardly see them (pic).  Then we went further up the road and ended up at the Mormon Handicart Historic Site.  This was an area where Mormon travelers came from Britain in the 1850's, went by ship to Boston, then by train to Iowa city and begain a 1300 mile trek to Wyoming.  They used these carts called Handicarts which held most of their belongings and had a canvas top to sleep in at night.  The family walked beside the cart and one member pulled the cart on this arduous journey.  Many did not survive.  They started the trip in late July and encountered many snowstorms and rivers to cross, and starvation.  It is because of these pioneers that we have our beautiful country.  These emmigrants were the bravest of all people.  The picture of the split mountain is called "Devils Gate" and the sweetwater river runs through it.  We head back to Casper at about 1:15pm and stop at a Mexican place for lunch and have fajitas.  It is good and too much.  We are now back at the rig and relaxing.  Tomorrow we start for Fort Collins, Colorado.