When I left Santa Fe, I had no specific plan as to where to go next. I stopped overnight in the small town of Grants, NM to think about it. I could head south and work my way home. On the other hand, I wanted to visit a couple places in Wyoming, only they were more than 1000 miles away. Impulsively, I decided to make the trek north.
The next day, I drove right past one of my favorite places, Bisti Wilderness Area. It was tempting to stop, but I pressed on. Soon I passed another favorite, Shiprock, a huge volcanic plug that is sacred to the Navajo. No stopping here, either, just keep moving. I finally stopped for the night in Cortez, CO, partly because the strong winds all day had worn me out, and partly because storm clouds over the mountains ahead had me concerned. I wanted to cross the mountains and visit friends in Montrose, but a lot of snow could force me into an alternative route through Utah.
The next morning, it appeared the storm had passed without dropping much snow, so I chose the mountainous route and headed for Montrose. There was snow on the peaks, but the highway over Lizard Head Pass was clean and dry...a beautiful drive. I took a few photos through the windshield.
After a very nice evening with my friends and former neighbors in Montrose, I hit the road again. One final stop in Meeker, CO, at a campground I've used before gave me a chance to relax a bit before entering Wyoming. As I remembered, this little park beside the river offered lots of bird watching for me and the girls.
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| House Finch (Female) |
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| House Finch (Male) |
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| Red-winged Blackbird (Male) |
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| Brown-headed Cowbird (Male) |
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| Purple Finch (Female) |
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| Purple Finch (Male) |
My arrival in Wyoming was greeted by the strong winds commonly experienced along the I-80 corridor. With sustained winds of 30 mph and gusts up to 50 mph, I stayed hunkered down most of the next day before venturing out to explore Rawlins. A town of less than 10,000 residents, Rawlins sits at the 6800 foot level, but has several mountain ranges within viewing distance. It developed around an early railroad stop and still depends a lot on the railroad. It was home to the territorial prison, and currently has the modern version called a "correctional institution". The town's history and culture are told in a series of murals around the downtown area,
One mural remembers an 1878 visit from Thomas Edison. While trout fishing, Edison's bamboo pole shattered, exposing the fibers inside. This somehow gave him the idea to use bamboo fibers for a filament in the electric light bulb he was working on. The bamboo worked, but didn't last, so was discarded.
Another depicts the days when automobiles first arrived in Wyoming.
A four-panel painting shows pioneers passing through on one of four trails that passed nearby. Passage through "Devil's Gate", parties caught in blizzards and Mormon settlers pulling handcarts are scenes depicted.
Another four-panel mural has a rancher driving cattle through "Aspen Alley" in the four seasons.
One mural contains the domestic and wild animal population of the area. In addition to the obvious species, there are several "hidden" animals.
The old territorial prison has an interesting tour which I enjoyed some years ago, so not this trip.
While most of the architecture in Rawlins is fairly nondescript, I did spot one old Victorian style home that was rather interesting.
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