Wyoming

Well, if Nebraska and Iowa are corn country--and they are--then Wyoming is cattle country. We passed herd after herd after herd of cattle. Brown, black, creamy, and speckled. Most were grazing on wide prairie. We saw one small field crowded with cattle standing in what could have only been manure from the smell of it! Incidentally, we also passed antelope several times too which was kind of cool. Apparently wind is another big natural resource in Wyoming. We lost count of how many wind farms we passed. We had started out the trip planning to count windmills, but we were clearly overwhelmed and gave up long before we hit Wyoming, but this state with it's open spaces and brisk winds is clearly doing a great job capitalizing on that option. We passed farm after farm with scores of giant modern windmills twisting in the wind.

As Sunday evening wore on, we debated whether to camp or stay in a hotel for the night. A state park in Wyoming between Cheyenne and Laramie won out and we were so glad. The air was so clean and fresh. The temperature was cool and cozy. We woke up to clear blue skies above the tent, flocks of birds chirping, a beautiful clear lake, fantastical rock formations, and the sweetest little prairie wildflowers. Families of prairie dogs scurried around the campsites around us and the girls thought they were so cute. Well, I might have thought that too. Hannah found the cutest little mini cactus. They were absolutely adorable! Unless you stepped on one, which she may have done. It was a beautiful morning after a great night's sleep under the big sky, and we were on the road by 8:30.

We stopped a short while later for gas and breakfast in the thriving metropolis of Laramie. We were hoping to hit up a Denny's or something similar, but couldn't find anything of the like. For one of the biggest towns in Wyoming, Laramie We asked for a recommendation at the Loaf & Jug where we stopped for gas, not too far from Fat Dogs. "You want to go to the CK Chuck Wagon just down the street! That's where all the locals go. It's been in business for 40 years!" Seriously???? For one of the bigger towns in Wyoming, Laramie seemed a bit . . . sparse. It took a little convincing to wrangle this skeptical New York city girl into it, but that's where we ended up. We had ourselves a gen-u-ine cowboy breakfast. Eggs, hashbrowns, waffles, big fluffy pancakes & sausages. Super yummy!

As we neared Salt Lake later in the day, we took the scenic route through the Unita Mountains that Jeff grew up camping in. The girls wanted to stop every quarter of a mile or so to take more pictures. It's beautiful country. Hannah volunteered to photograph the scenery, and we finally had to promise that we'd be back for more pics another day. Meanwhile, Meg & Ali masterfully entertained themselves in the car by having Baby Bunny listen to an mp3 player, and the OmNoms went on their own crazy adventures.

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