Yes, Lunch Boxers, it’s that time again! A hint of fall is in the air and Augie the Doggie and I have hit the road on our fall 2014 adventure. We are chasing the changing seasons down the Rockies, pursuing the last vestiges of summer warmth. The tentative plan will take us down through Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona until reaching the turning point at El Paso, Texas. Then we will charge into the face of winter, driving north through Texas, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming until reaching home in Billings sometime around the end of the first week of November. “Click it or ticket”, buckle up those seat belts, and let’s hit the road!
Water, the Gift of Life…
The journey begins by heading southwest from Billings into the heart of central Wyoming. When most people think of Wyoming the peaks of the Grand Tetons pierce the sky, or the eerie Devils Tower comes back to us old folks from the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”. The reality is far different. There’s a reason that Wyoming is the the state with the smallest population in the United States (a little over half a million people) despite being the ninth largest in land area, and it’s all about the land. Outside of the scenic mountain areas, Wyoming is a vast, unforgiving semi-arid land with extreme weather, both winter and summer, little water, and poor soil. About 100 miles south of Billings we enter the vast central Wyoming plateau which is commonly known as the Big Horn Basin, named after the Big Horn River which flows northeast through the center of Wyoming until it enters the Yellowstone about 60 miles north east of Billings, Montana.
Shortly after crossing the state line, I stop to take a picture of the “real” central Wyoming. The Big Horn Basin stretches to the southeast, bordered by the Pryor Mountains. Beige is the predominant color. A rare sliver of green runs along the east side of the basin. The Big Horn River runs along the base of the mountains, a narrow green corridor through the stark landscape. For most of its’ journey north the river is in a canyon of varying depths so it is not visible in this picture but it is behind the row of hills in the foreground.
Beyond this point the highway gradually descends into the Big Horn River valley, where irrigation allows some farming to take place, mostly sugar beets, corn and alfalfa/grass as feed for cattle. A number of small towns string out along the next 100 miles or so, the largest being Worland (pop. approximately 5,000). Our destination is farther down the basin, the town of Thermopolis, Wyoming.
Thermopolis (from the Greek words for “hot” and “city”) was given its’ name because of the large hot spring located above the east bank of the Big Horn River. The “Big Spring” is the largest hot spring in the world. It gives forth over 18,600,000 gallons of water every 24 hours at a temperature of 135 degrees and the main pool is approximately 35 feet in diameter. The water flows over terraces formed from various minerals and then cascades down into the river (it looks like a small version of the Mammoth Hot Springs area of Yellowstone Park). Originally situated on the Wind River Indian Reservation, the land around the springs was acquired by the federal government in 1896 via treaty. A key part of the treaty required that a portion of the water and access to it remain free to the people. The impact remains visible today as there is no entrance fee to the state park (the only one in Wyoming that is free to the public) and there is an official State of Wyoming Bath House that is free to the public, It houses a 20′ by 20′ pool fed by the hot spring that is accessible free of charge. Of course, the state bath house pales in comparison to the two private business that flank it around the spring. Both of them have large indoor and outdoor pools, water slides, etc. The entire complex is just across the Big Horn River from downtown Thermopolis.
A swinging foot bridge cross the river just north of the hot springs complex. This picture was taken by the boat ramp at the base of the spring looking north with the hot spring terraces on the right.
The first picture was taken from the middle of the bridge looking north up the canyon as the river leaves the Thermopolis area; the second was taken from the same spot looking south with the hot springs terraces on the left and the town on the right.
A boardwalk circles the main pool, with views of the smaller pools just above the river.
The state park encompasses 10 square miles of land, with the actual hot springs complex located in the southwest corner of the park. Buffalo roam the dry hills in this “mini” Yellowstone Park experience!
The town of Thermopolis is a bustling little place of about 3,000 people. This is not a destination shopping experience (people drive to Billings or Casper for big purchases) so there is a little downtown area with restaurants and tourist shops that runs for three blocks on Broadway between the highway and the river. A unique feature of the downtown area is that the street is very wide, two lanes in both directions with a parking median in the middle.
Those who know me know that I am really into metal art and sculpture and Thermopolis provided a pleasant little surprise. Along Broadway and the highway every street lamp is decorated with a hanging metal art piece that carries the western theme, Here’s a selection!
East across the river on a low hill sits a relatively unassuming structure that is widely touted in all of the tourist materials as one of the “must see” attractions of Thermopolis. Sure doesn’t look like much from the outside, does it?
This metal building, sitting in the middle of a large gravel parking lot with minimal landscaping up a gravel road, is the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. Forgive my skepticism as I drove up and momentarily contemplated turning around and getting lunch. But, no, my duty as a blogger called and so I went in. OMG!!!!!! Who knew that this unassuming building would house such treasures. Hopefully the pictures will speak for themselves (the quality of some is not great due to the lighting around the various displays).
The picture above is hard to see because of the lighting but the head is in the upper left and the body stretches to the bottom right. The long tail is out of the picture. The skeleton is massive, easily reaching close to the ceiling and taking up a third of the floor space.
There was also a viewing station where you could look through windows into the laboratory where archealogists were working on specimens. All and all an unexpected bonus to visiting Thermopolis!
Next up as we continue to make our way through Wyoming is the area around Saratoga Lake, near the Colorado border. The next update may not be until early next week as there is no internet access at Saratoga Lake.
Hope you stay tuned!
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