Thursday, October 5, 2006

A visit to eastern Wyoming

 

Wyoming's State Capitol building.  Notice the new cars!

I have traveled from Boston to Key West and out to the US Virgin Islands.  Driven from Ocean City, Maryland to Seaside, Oregon. This is a beautiful country with landscapes as diverse as one can imagine. Ask anyone who has driven across Wyoming and a couple of thoughts will be universal.  First, is how dry and desolate it is; there are more Pronghorn Antelope than there are people.  Second, how big it is, almost 400 miles east to west. Third is the wind; it blows all the time (there's a joke in there about Idaho and Nebraska but I can't quite seem to remember what it is).  It is difficult for me to explain several things about Wyoming. 

The concept of space and distance are quite a bit different than what is experienced on the east coast of the US.  I have been called a liar by folks in Baltimore when trying to explain how far you can see.  On a clear day, you can sit just north of the Wyoming-Colorado border, just south of Cheyenne and see the top of Pikes Peak, 175 miles to the south.  With this in mind, I have been perplexed on how to accurately describe Wyoming.  Upon asking friends, I have been given two suggestions.  The first was to read several books by Louis L'Amour.  He has a way about describing the wide open spaces of the American west.  Another friend suggested (and this is the truth) that there are places in Wyoming that you can stand and not see any sign of civilization, as far as you can see in any direction, north, south east or west.  As a matter of fact, you won't see anything except blue sky and grass.  No trees, no nothin'  As funny as this may sound, there is a kind of beauty to it.  When watching "Dances With Wolves", there is a scene when Kevin Cosner wakes up after sleeping under a wagon.  As he stands up, the camera pans the country side.  It almost took my breath away.  I leaned over to Janice and said, "I can almost smell the air, the smell of the sage brush."

With that out of the way, Eastern Wyoming is mostly grass, prairie, farming and ranching.  The two pictures in my last post were taken in eastern Wyoming.  The capitol and largest city(? only 53,000) is Cheyenne, in the southeastern corner. Toward the northeastern corner is Devil's tower.  Some where in the middle is Douglas, home of the Jackalope.  They even have a statue of one in the middle of downtown, but then, that's another story. (I have mine mounted just above my bar)  Now, keep in mind, most folks from Wyoming have a very strange sense of humor.  At least I blame mine on the fact that I was born and raised in Wyo.

Oh...BTW....the character who plays Jack in "LOST" is also from Wyoming.  I don't know him but I'll bet I know someone who does.  You are only one person away from knowing most everyone born in the state.  That's a story I'll share when we visit Yellowstone.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice entry. :)
Have a lovely upcoming weekend, David.
Hugs, Sugar

Anonymous said...

have a good weekend:)

Deb

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing, this sounds like a great place. I cant imagine seeing nothing for miles. Someday, I have to go visit.
Take Care
Ellen

Anonymous said...

I love that shot at the very top so pretty thanks Vicky

Anonymous said...

I would love to travel past the Mississippi River . . . in time, maybe I will follow the Reds cross country! :-D

Keep on smilin'.

Amanda :)
http://journals.aol.com/trickeytricky/CountryMyKindaLivin

Anonymous said...

Theres just no place like the Rocky mountains!  I LOVE Yellowstone and haven't been there since I was a girl!

Kara :)

Anonymous said...

I hear you have some great beauty.  My boss & his family did a summer trip out to Yellowstone and various mid west stuff....beautiful pictures they brought back!  You are blessed.

Anonymous said...

I learn more about history from you than anyone else!!!! Were you ever a history teacher???????? If not you should have been!!!! LOL.... http://journals.aol.com/shayshaydc/Golfaholic
Sharon:)

Anonymous said...

I remember Devil's Tower from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I think I am a Western fan... not a country music fan, but a western fan. The first book I read of the western genre was Shane... I also saw the movie, but I read the book first and fell in love with that genre, in books and movies. My favorite part about Dances with Wolves was the panoramic photogpraphy... who couldn't fall in love with the beauty of the Dakotas .... i don't remember living in Wyoming, but my mother says we did when I was a baby because my dad was briefly stationed there. I think I would love to travel west someday, drive through and witness that kind of open expanse. I've seen it from airplanes, but not from the ground. I love the NC mountains and foothills, and the presence of miles and miles of trees, but I would love to see the sky unobstructed by tall buildings (as at the coast). I would love to turn 360 degrees and see open sky, daytime and nighttime. Thank you for sharing your travels. bea

Anonymous said...

DAVID,
             YOU MENTIONED IN THE E-MAIL TO ME, STAGECOACH DRIVING.
IN 1983 I BOUGHT AN OLD VICTORIAN HOUSE IN CANON CITY, HAD BEEN OWNED BY VIRGINIA COWAN, DECEASED ABOUT 1981.
       THIS PROPERTY LOCATED AT 420 GREENWOOD WAS AT THAT TIME BEAUTIFUL AND WELL KEPT.
   THERE IS A LARGE STABLE ON THE BACK OF THE LOT, ( NOW IN SAD DISREPAIR AS IS THE 3 STORY HOUSE. I SOLD IT ABOUT 1997.
      VIRGINIA COWAN AND FAMILY OWNED THE MARBLE QUARRY WEST OF TOWN. IN THE STABLE AT 420 GREENWOOD WERE HOUSED NICE BUGGY HORSES AND BEAUTIFUL SURREY. ( THIS INFO' FROM VIRGINIA'S NEIGHBOR).
     A CARETAKER LIVED IN THE STABLE LOFT. THE CARETAKER'S NEIGHBOR LIVING ACROSS THE ALLEY IN 1983 TOLD ME THAT HIS DAD HAD TOLD HIM THAT AFTER STAGECOACHES WERE NOT BEING USED ANYMORE AND SUCH LOW WORTH AT THE TIME THAT AT SALIDA SEVERAL STAGECOACHES AND THE BARN HOUSING THEM WERE BURNED.
     DAVID, HOPEFULLY YOU KNOW OF HISTORICAL FACTS THAT WOULD SAY THE DESTRUCTION OF THE STAGECOACHES STORY IS UNTRUE. SO SAD IF IT WAS TRUE.   I ENJOY READING YOUR ENTRIES DAVID.      sam

Anonymous said...

I have been to eastern Wyoming many times.  Love that part of the country.  After my son graduated with his Master's in Agriculture from the University of Wyoming,  I thought he would stay in Wyoming, but he chose to move to Boise, Idaho.  Wyoming is so pretty and I think it has the most beautiful skies.

Enjoy your postings.

jeane

Anonymous said...

"I can almost smell the air, the smell of the sage brush."
And you left out...,"I can almost smell the sheep!"
ha ha Smiles, David.   :0)
penny

"I can almost smell the air, the smell of the sage brush."

Anonymous said...

Very interesting.  I would like to visit Wyoming.  I'd like to see a lot of the Western states, like Colorado, Wyoming and Arizona.
Lori