Oh Yes Wyoming!

For some reason, I left my travel maps at home (probably packed in a box yet unopened) but Glen wasn't worry as he had his 'phone'.  As we ate breakfast in Helena, he told me the route we must follow to Billings.  We easily found the exit but it didn't look like the one I remembered from our first trip.  Turns out it wasn't.  Although not an Interstate, it was a nice road and cut across the state so perhaps shaved some time off our trip.  However, it lacked rest stops and was rather lonely.  When I saw our chance to return to the Interstate system, I took it.  We hit our first rest stop not far from Bozeman.

In 1863, John Bozeman established the Bozeman Trail which connected the gold fields of Montana to the Oregon Trail.  Today, Interstate 90 follows the same route from Bozeman, through Billings to Sheridan, Wyoming.  The rest stop (see photo) we stopped at had a plaque to Park City which was a village settled by those using the trail.  The town later died when the railroad was routed through another town.

Billings was much as I remember it and we stopped for gas near where we had spent the night on our first road trip to Denver.  Founded in 1882, it was named after the president of the Northern Pacific Railroad.  It became a trading and distribution centre for Montana, Wyoming, and South and North Dakota.  Oil fields east of the town were the largest discovery in US history and continue to fuel the economic growth of the region.

We missed the next rest stop so turned off the highway to stop at a local information centre in Buffalo, Wyoming.  The info centre may have been next to or in a saloon.  The sign was ambiguous so we retraced our steps.  There was no exit back onto the I-90 so we had to back country roads to finally reach the highway.  Next stop was Kaycee, where we'd stopped on our first trip to Denver.

As we drove the highway, we saw hundreds of Pronghorn Antelope.  What amazing creatures!  Although not really an antelope, they closely resemble those in Africa so are called that.  They are the fastest land mammal in North American and it is said, can outrun any living predator on the plains today, except man.  Originally hunted to almost extinction, a refuge was set up in Nebraska in 1936 that has led to population recovery.  However, because they migrate, hunting in other states does affect their numbers.  They are related to the giraffe family and eat everything from shrubs to cacti.

Another thought I pondered as we crossed the wild landscape of the state was where it got its name.  Apparently, there was an American Revolution battle fought in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania in 1778 and 300 revolutionaries died.  Joseph Brant supposedly led the attack but this has since been proved incorrect.  However, a Scottish poet, Thomas Campbell, wrote a poem about it in 1809 (Gertrude of Wyoming) and the popularity of this led to the state being named Wyoming.  It is actually an Algonquian Indian name meaning 'at the smaller river hills' or 'at the big river flat' depending on the translation.

Wyoming has a history of equality; it being the first state to grant women the vote.  In 1925, they even elected the first woman state governor in all the US (Texas was second).  The official state motto is 'Equal Rights' and It was admitted into the union in 1890 as the 44th state.

We arrived in Casper, Wyoming later than expected so the sun was setting as we pulled into the Best Western motel.  When we checked out the dining room, it was like a morgue so we opted to enjoy the warmth of the Spirits Lounge.   The downside was you had to go into the restaurant if you wanted a salad so we opted to forego that side dish.  Our burgers were delicious and so was the Lewis and Clarke Ale we drank.

Casper sits on the North Platte river on the site of Fort Caspar.  The original trading post (founded in 1859) on the Oregon Trail, was later named for an army officer killed in the 1865 Battle of the Platte River Station.  A typo when the town was registered caused its name to be spelled Casper.

After a hearty breakfast the next morning, we bought sandwiches for lunch but once we hit the Colorado border, the rest stops dried up.  We ended up eating lunch at Geoff's.  He and his friend, Brady, unloaded the truck and Glen returned it.  Our trucking adventure had ended.

An interesting note to this piece is that the blog I wrote about Wyoming in 2010, Day Ten -- Back to Wyoming, is one of my most popular.  It garners a couple of hits a month.  I guess Wyoming's wilds still fascinate those interested in this incredible state.

And the title of this blog?  Oh Yes Wyoming is a song that our grandkids love.  You can watch the video here.  Be forewarned the song is catchy!