Day 15 – Curt Gowdy

Miles traveled: 240
Hours on Road: 6
States covered: 1 –Wyoming

We had a late start today because we had to figure out a different packing strategy. We expected our ride to be 4.5 hours minimum, and there was no way we could all be as stuffed into the van as we’d been the day before. We decided we’d put the large cooler on the roof with the bubble, but to do that, we needed more straps. Jeff and Trey headed to Lander to get two bags of ice and some straps. They came back with inadequate straps and no ice. Off to a great start!!

We packed up, putting the cooler on the roof with the straps they got and some bungees we already had, and hoped for the best. On the way to town I told Jeff to take it easy on the corners so we wouldn’t tip over, what with all the stuff on our roof. He deliberately maintained his unreasonable speed around a corner to prove to me that the van was not going to tip over. I liken my reaction to the startle reflex that tiny babies have: my hands rapidly pulled back toward my shoulders while my fingers curled up. The startle reflex – my reaction to everything out here in the west. We did not tip over, but that doesn’t mean he was right. He may just have been lucky. In Lander, we stopped and got ice, then we stopped at a bookstore to get the book Parker needs to read for school. The bookstore did not have it. We had gone to a bookstore before our trip specifically to get the books the boys NEEDED. Parker got the books he wanted, instead. Just a few days ago he started to panic that he really needs the book he must read for school. Now it has become our problem.

All along the roads out here are barbed wire fences, which are understandable for keeping livestock and game animals out of the way of speeding vehicles. But several times, and particularly along this ride, we’ve seen high wooden fences that are laid out in no particular, useful fashion. The only thing we could come up with is that they are to prevent snow drifts from coming onto the roads, but sometimes they’re laid out perpendicular to the road rather than parallel.

We came across Jeffrey City (spelled Jeffery City on one of the earlier signs). All the buildings were large, aluminum, garage-type structures. The only thing differentiating the church from all the other buildings was the large brown cross attached to the front of it. Parker’s opinion of the city, at the risk of offending anyone from there, is as follows: “This is a city? Every building is a rundown piece of crap.”

We crossed the continental divide again – a couple of times.

We are so thirsty out here. We bought a 2.5 gallon container of water last night around 6 p.m., and it was gone by 1:30 today. Trey and I have severally chapped lips. We complain about the humidity back home, but it’s freakin’ dry out here.

We stopped in Rawlins to grab some lunch. We didn’t buy lunch there. We just stopped at a gas station to use the bathroom and make sandwiches with the stuff we’d bought the day before. We’d bought a container of premade tuna, which was excellent, and we also had a little fried chicken left from dinner the night before. As I opened the hatchback of the overly stuffed van, the tea kettle came flying out and rolled across the gas station parking. What I sight I must have been, chasing a runaway tea kettle!

The look of the mountains that outline the plains changes dramatically minute to minute. At one point, the mountains looked like a bunch of butt cheeks mooning us from afar. The photo I got doesn’t do the scene justice.

The town of Laramie was the last one we had to go through before getting to Curt Gowdie State Park. Jeff seems to think the park must be named after the sports caster of the same name. Makes sense to me. We were able to get Parker’s book in that city, which is also the home of Wyoming University. I would hope they’d have a good bookstore there. After the city we hit construction traffic. There was a three mile backup that took us a half hour to get through, and the only work we saw the entire time on this three lane highway was one guy in the middle of the two blocked off lanes sweeping the road – by hand, with a push broom.

We made it to Curt Gowdie. Not the finest place we’ve stayed. Our site was one of three reservable sites, and evidently, they don’t like people to reserve their sites. We’re sitting in the middle of a field with nary a shade tree in sight. It must be 100 degrees. The grass is like straw; Parker already got a splinter from one piece. I think the place could be fun (there’s a nice reservoir here), but I think we just got one of the crappiest sites. As I write this, the sun has finally gone behind a hill, so the site is seeming better. We’re probably just jaded since yesterday’s site was the nicest we’ve EVER had. Cal and Parker are reading, Trey is wandering. Jeff and I are again sipping vodka Arnold Palmers.

Tomorrow we leave the great state of Wyoming. The boys and I have been here since last Thursday. We’re sorry to be leaving, but we’re certain Colorado will bring many great adventures.

For corresponding photos, go to:
http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1875124027/a=2740108027_2740108027/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/