Why Vacation in Wyoming this Year?

On another forum Churchboy asked this (and I don't like "double posting" but can't imagine wasting the good pr on Wyoming to the History thread only!

If I were visiting the state for, say, a week's vacation, these would be the places that are MUST see (and NOT see):

AVOID:</font>

• Avoid the entire I-80 corridor. Follows the Union Pacific across flat, barren, worthless land that is devoid of scenery or beauty.</font>
• Avoid the Northeast, except to go through the Black Hills (95% in South Dakota)(see places to visit)</font>

VISIT:</font>

• Oregon Trail. Follow the North Platte west into Wyoming like the immigrants. Register cliff, trail ruts near Guernsy, then Ft Laramie. Keep heading west, now on I-25, to Casper and</font>
• Trails Museum. Brand new huge museum explaining it all. And take a backroad tour along the actual trail to Independence Rock (you should climb it), Devils Gate and South Pass. Then west thru Lander (Sinks canyon is kewl - river flows then disappears into the ground and comes up a mile away!) and over Togwatee Pass into the high country.</font>
• Grand Teton Park. Most spectacular mountains in North America. Kid you not. And one fee for both parks. Walk around Jackson, elk refuge, Jenny lake trails. Then north to</font>
• Yellowstone Park. Go in for the entire day. The ride up from Jackson (and down from Cody if coming in the other way) is breathtaking and the Park pristine. Do the loop to the falls, Old Faithful, Lake, etc. If you want, get a less expensive motel in West Yellowstone MT or Gardiner and take another day.</font>
• Cody. Great museum (actually 5 linked together). Rodeo every night. Rafting on the Shoshone River. Then an hour southeast to</font>
• Thermopolis, with the largest (volume) hot springs in the world. Dinosaur museum if you'd like a Raptor claw fossil! All day swimming for a few bucks, like a heated water slide</font>
• Big Horn Mountains. I'd recommend going up Shell Canyon and cross over and come down north of Sheridan (and just a few miles across the Montana border is Little Bighorn). Actually from Thermop it is closer to take Powder River Pass and end at Buffalo where you hit I-90 east. Then 100 miles of desolate rangeland and badlands to</font>
• Devil's Tower near Sundance. Absolutely awesome to climb (hey, I'm into hard rock!) or just to visit and walk around.</font>

Entice you any? It is magical. And not "touristy" (like the Black Hills). The beauty of these places and the low population here makes it a great vacation.

[ December 17, 2003, 12:35 AM: Message edited by: Dr. Bob Griffin ]