Typically I travel Interstate 80 east of Cheyenne, Wyoming. This time will be my first traveling west on the interstate. So I stopped in Laramie to see the town. Plans were to visit the Women’s History Museum. Its door opens at noon so my early arrival allowed me to do my laundry at a local laundromat. I had the pleasure of talking with a woman who has the same model van as mine, except hers is a “high roof” van. She lives in her van, decked out with many conveniences, for her full-time living. It’s always interesting for me to hear people’s stories and about their travels; she was no different.
The Women’s History Museum has a couple of rooms of informative material. I learned the first woman voter in the Wyoming territory in 1870 was 70 year old Louisa Gardner Swain. Fifty years later, 1920, the 19th Amendment is finally ratified to the US Constitution for all women to vote! Other Wyoming firsts: six Laramie women serve on a jury, first woman Justice of the Peace, first woman prison chaplain, first woman Governor: Nellie Taylor Ross, and the first woman bailiff.
The business next door could not be missed. The Sugar Mouse Cupcake House & Tea Shoppe had all these delicious, colorful looking cupcakes. I decided to treat myself to a German chocolate cupcake; yum!
I camped in Rock Springs, unfortunately it was hot and with wildfire smoke. The next day I drove the Wild Horse Scenic Route. Even after driving to the area, it was still about 15 miles before I saw 8 wild horses on this loop road. Prior to my sighting, I saw plenty of horse manure, also politely called “horse buns” or “road apples”, or otherwise you know what I call it! So I knew horses were somewhere! After seeing those 8 wild horses, it was a short drive to the main road. Somewhere more than 1,000 other wild horses are in the area.
I drove through plenty of open land on the southern border of Wyoming into Utah; an area I had never been before. This is the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area with Red Canyon Visitor Center in Utah! On the bighorn sheep geologic loop drive, no bighorn sheep, but plenty of beautiful rock formations. Here are some:
I did spend time at Red Canyon Visitor Center overlooking Flaming Gorge Reservoir. From the center, you can see Red Canyon: 4,000 feet wide and 1,700 feet below the visitor center. This area is beautiful and worth the drive to see it. It was a fitting end to this day, yet I had a 90 minute return drive to my campsite for the night.
