Wyoming. Where family has to take you in!

 I lived in Kemmerer, Wyoming in 1978, working in a coal mine. Back then, when you entered the state, the sign said "Welcome to BIG Wonderful Wyoming!" It is a big, big state, and much of it is wonderful. I have fond memories of the place. Now, my oldest brother lives there with his wife, (Not in Kemmerer, but in Lander, which seems to be much more civilized) and it was just great to see them.

Ah, but the sign. Now it looks like this:

Let's zoom in a little:

Personally, I liked the old sign better.

A lot of Wyoming looks like this:

That is a loading silo for the US's second biggest coal mine - Black Thunder, originally owned by ARCO, now by Arch Coal. Different mine, different technique than the one I worked it. But just incredibly huge. You drive through the mine and it just goes on forever.

But there is a lot of this, too:

We stopped at the Tourist Bureau in Casper to get some state maps (yes, we have been using hardcopy maps, our atlas, as well as The Google Lady on the trip) and it was very, very windy. There is no product in my hair. And they had an old Conestoga Wagon. I can tell you that after driving hours and hours across Wyoming in a Dodge Grand Caravan, I could not imagine crossing the plains in this.

I don't usually take pictures of the beds in our AirBNBs but this one was very odd. Where do you get the sheets?

But FINALLY we were able to see Chas and Beth.

Here's Chas and Doreen:

We had great sunsets in Wyoming.

Doreen discovered what Chas and Beth already knew, that Sacajawea's grave is (probably) on the Wind River Indian reservation very close to Lander. We drove up, and there it (probably) was. She was 100 years old when she died!

We all were there. Me, Doreen, Beth, and Chas

This is the first Episcopal Church in Wyoming. It is not currently in use:

There was a bronze statue of Sacagawea that many people left offerings to:

Later, we ate at a local restaurant. (outside, of course). It was very delicious. Like I said earlier, much more civilized that Kemmerer.

There is a fascinating local geological phenomenon near Lander called The Sinks, where the Popo Agie river dives underground and re-emerges about a quarter mile later.

Also, very beautiful place.

I can't get enough of this part of Wyoming.

This is just off the deck of our place:

Good-bye, Wyoming!