Wandering Around America One State at a Time – Wyoming

Posted in National Parks, RVing, Tourist Attractions, Wandering around America, Waterfalls, Wildlife, WyomingTagged , , , , , , ,

State 45:

Welcome to the last post in my series highlighting states we have visited throughout the years. I have only featured 45 of our beautiful United States because our wandering has  never taken us to Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island or Vermont.

I will be featuring the states alphabetically. The next and final state of my series is

Wyoming

Wyoming became the 44th state on July 10, 1890. The Capital is Cheyenne.

 

20130527Day-12SD-to-WY-(30)
Welcome to Wyoming

The Wyoming welcome signs feature the copyrighted symbol of a Bucking Horse and Rider that has been used on Wyoming license plates since 1936. According to legend the Bucking Horse and Rider is based on the early 1900’s horse Steamboat, “the horse that couldn’t be ridden”.

My husband and I are huge fans of the Longmire mysteries by Craig Johnson. I’ve read all of them except his latest The Western Star (I’m on the waiting list at the library). Set in the small fictional town of Durant in Absaroka County somewhere near Sheridan and the Montana border, the stories feature Sheriff Walt Longmire and a wonderful cast of characters. With beautiful descriptions of Wyoming and the Bighorn Mountains, page turning mysteries, and great dialog Johnson’s books are hard to put down. Boy Howdy!

20070415aWyoming-(17)
Bighorn mountains in Wyoming
Storm over the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming
Storm over the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park is the world’s first national park and is one of the most popular national parks in the U. S. The national park covers over 3,000 square miles. We spent several days exploring and as we drove through the park we stopped to explore the geysers, natural formations, hot springs, rivers, waterfalls, lakes and so much more.

Geysers, Yellowstone National Park
Hot Spring, Yellowstone National Park
Along Yellowstone Lower Loop Road
Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park
Mud geyser, Yellowstone National Park
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is famous for it’s wildlife. Huge bison herds roam freely through the park and often stop traffic. Elk and many other animals are frequently seen.

Bison in Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming)
Elk in Yellowstone National Park (Woming)
Elk, Yellowstone National Park
Bison along Yellowstone Lower Loop Road
Elk beside a river on the Yellowstone Upper Loop

If you love waterfalls you won’t be disappointed in Yellowstone.

Moose Falls, Yellowstone National Park
Lower Yellowstone Falls in Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming)
Waterfall along Yellowstone Lower Loop Road
Waterfall along the Yellowstone Upper Loop Road
Waterfall along the Yellowstone Upper Loop Road

Our time was limited in Grand Teton National Park but we were able to take in the majesty of the spectacular landscape.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Grand Teton National Park

On one of our trips we left the Black Hills of South Dakota and traveled into Wyoming to see the Devils Tower. As we drove along we could see the tower jutting up from the prairie. Our campsite at Devils Tower KOA had a great view of the tower.

As we took a hike around the base of the tower images from the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” popped into my head. There were climbers on the tower and some had made it all the way to the top.

We stopped in Alladin, Wyoming on the way to the Devils Tower
The Devils Tower can be seen from the highway
We loved seeing the Devils Tower from our campsite
There was a car show going on just out side the Devils Tower National Monument when we arrived
Devils Tower National Monument
We watched climbers making their way up the tower
We passed a prairie dog town on the way to the tower
Devils Tower at sunset
Devils Tower at sunrise

We enjoyed our stay at Peter D’s RV Park in Sheridan on our way to Alaska in 2013 so much that we stopped there again on our return trip. With a view of the Bighorn mountains, a historic town to explore, and dinner at the Wyoming Rib and Chop House it was a worth a return visit.

Buffalo Bill Cody stayed here when he was in Cody
Beautiful Sculpture in front of the Sheridan Inn
Mule deer walking through the campground in Sheridan, Wyoming
View of Bighorn Mountains from Peter D’s RV Park in Sheridan, WY

On our return trip from Alaska, we drove south from Sheridan through the high plains where we saw ranches, several herds of pronghorn antelope, and prairie dogs beside the road. We spent a night in Casper, Wyoming at Ft. Caspar RV Park where we visited Fort Caspar on the North Platte River.

A view inside Fort Caspar
Fort Caspar, Wyoming
We camped beside the North Platte River in Casper

 

To read previous posts about the states featured in this series just click on the state name: Alabama      Alaska      Arizona      Arkansas      California      Colorado     Florida      Georgia      Hawaii        Idaho  Illinois      Indiana      Iowa     Kansas     Kentucky     Louisiana     Maine     Maryland     Massachusetts     Michigan     Minnesota    Mississippi     Missouri     Montana     Nebraska     Nevada      New Hampshire     New Mexico      New York     North Carolina    North Dakota      Ohio     Oklahoma     Oregon     Pennsylvania    South Carolina     South Dakota     Tennessee     Texas     Utah     Virginia   Washington     West Virginia     Wisconsin

18 thoughts on “Wandering Around America One State at a Time – Wyoming”

  2. Beautiful pictures! We took our kids to see the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone in 2009, although our time was limited, so we didn’t get to Devil’s Tower. I want to go West again!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. What a way to close out your series – Wyoming. Gorgeous photos. I’ve actually been there, seen some of the sights, and love Longmire. 🙂 I’ve read every book and watched the series. I’m looking forward to the last season but sorry to see it go. It is truly one of the few quality adult shows out there, and both my husband and I enjoy it. Now, the big question – how is that you have missed visiting five states? It can’t be possible. You need to get back on the road and finish this up. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Judy. Just saw a trailer for the last season of the series. It starts in November. We have driven through Delaware on the Delmarva peninsula but never stopped to explore. And we drove through a corner of Vermont. We are really only missing three states 😃

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Great state! And great blogs too. They’ll be good ones to re-read when we are heading somewhere and trying to decide what is a must see. Thx!!

    Liked by 1 person

  8. I also thoroughly enjoyed your states series. Wyoming is one of my favorite states. The Devil’s Tower was a highlight of our RV trip and we also love quirky little Dubois. Are you planning any trips for this fall?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Brenda, so glad you enjoyed the series. I didn’t realize how much time we spent in Wyoming until I started working on this post. We are currently in Athens for the UGA-Mizzou game and then going to the Georgia mountains for a few days. Our RV trips are getting shorter and closer to home.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. What a beautiful state! You have such great pics and memories. I was born in Cheyenne, actually on the base. My dad was transferred when I was two. I have been yearning to return to my roots. It’s on my bucket list!

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.