Yee Haw!
Welcome to Wyoming!
44 Stars over Wyoming
The 44 star flag was flown after July 10, 1890, when Wyoming was admitted to the Union as our 44th state. As we have driven across the rolling plains and high mountain passes, and visited a few of the small towns of this state we have discovered things new to us and revisited places we have been to in the past. Wyoming is truly a beautiful state to explore!
Yellowstone National Park
Grasslands and ranches lie atop some underground marvels. Of course the Yellowstone basin is one of the biggest marvels not only in Wyoming but in the world!
Because Yellowstone National Park sits atop a super volcano, hydrothermal activity rises to the surface here in various ways producing amazing and colorful results.
Yellowstone National Park is immense in size! Near the southern entrance we visited West Thumb Geyser Basin. Here bubbling springs of various colors line the shore of Lake Yellowstone. Boardwalks bring the many visitors around the boiling hot features.
As we continued North on the Grand Loop road we stopped in the middle of the park for some views of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. The canyon walls are bright yellow, red and white stone. Several viewpoints on either side of the river afford views of the falls and the long canyon.
We camped near Mammoth Hot Springs at the North end of the park and took a walk around the formations from the base of the mountain to the upper portions of the gigantic hot springs. Water bubbles up near the top of the hill and slowly seeps down the hillside. The minerals form pools where the water accumulates, looking like so many steps!
After enjoying walking around Mammoth Hot Springs we drove down the west side of the park to Grand Prismatic Spring. This is one our favorite sights in Yellowstone; the multi colored spring can be enjoyed by way of boardwalk right over the steaming spring or from a view point located a short hike up an adjacent hill. Either way this is a stunning display of God’s grandeur revealed in His creation!
Coal Mining
In the town of Gillette, we learned that Wyoming produces about 30-40% of the nation’s coal in large open pit mining operations. The Visitor’s Center here arranges tours of local features, including a tour of the Belle Ayr Coal Mine. We boarded a small bus with our knowledgeable tour guide for a drive out to the open pit, where mining is taking place 24 hours a day.
We were dwarfed by the huge mining vehicles which were coming and going on the dirt roadway around us, bringing coal from the open pit to crushers which then sent the coal by conveyers to be loaded onto rail cars. This mine loads three trains a day, each train being about a mile and a half in length!
Small Town America
The main streets and historic downtown districts of the small towns we visited show off brick and stone architecture of the late 1800’s.
Sculptures recall great people of the past while murals entice visitors with what to see.
Unusual artifacts take on new tasks. Any ideas on what function this planter container was originally intended to have?
By far, the best small town museum we have encountered is Frontier Auto Museum in Gillette. Billed as an auto museum, it is really so much more. Filled with amazing pieces of Americana from the first half of the 1900’s we were constantly amazed by the careful curation of pristine collections ranging from clothes, jewelry and housewares to automotive tools, porcelain and neon signs, gas pumps, pedal cars, automobiles and too many other things to list.
This 13,000 square foot museum reflects the collections of three generations of one family lovingly displayed and cared for! They have an eye for picking great pieces of history from homes and ranches in the area and then displaying them in such a great way! Just look at those cars on the mechanic's auto lift. We felt like we walked into a gas station garage in the turn of the century!
Devil’s Tower National Monument
Our last adventure in Wyoming was a revisit to this amazing geologic feature. Great columns of stone twist and turn their way skyward creating this massive stone tower. There is a path around the base that is about 1 1/2 miles long through the surrounding forest, past the boulder field at the tower’s base, which has great vistas of the surrounding valley.
I think that Wyoming gave us more than we expected on our summer Adventures on the Road.
“I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.”
-Psalms 145:5
By far, the best small town museum we have encountered is Frontier Auto Museum in Gillette. Billed as an auto museum, it is really so much more. Filled with amazing pieces of Americana from the first half of the 1900’s we were constantly amazed by the careful curation of pristine collections ranging from clothes, jewelry and housewares to automotive tools, porcelain and neon signs, gas pumps, pedal cars, automobiles and too many other things to list. 
This 13,000 square foot museum reflects the collections of three generations of one family lovingly displayed and cared for! They have an eye for picking great pieces of history from homes and ranches in the area and then displaying them in such a great way! Just look at those cars on the mechanic's auto lift. We felt like we walked into a gas station garage in the turn of the century!
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