FIRST DAY OUT - THERMOPOLIS, WY

The trip began just 45 minutes later than we had planned; we were on the freeway at 5:45am.  Our goal - Thermopolis, Wyoming.  I don't pay attention to miles, just the amount of time it will take us to get there.  We planned to be in the road for about 9 hours today.  It turned out to be closer to 11.  We got confused in the middle-of-no-where Wyoming and wandered around for a bit trying to settle on which little dirt track would take us across the desert to state highway 28.  So we just picked one and went.  I suppose that all of them would have wound up in pretty much the same place.  

I did most of the driving - a novelty, as Dallas rarely lets me drive on trips.  But he was falling asleep and found out that the rental car was actually quite comfortable for sleeping.  I am fine with that - as long as I have a book.  We are listening to Blasphemy, by someone.  I am just not good with author's names.

Our first glitch (before the wandering) came while driving up Logan Canyon between Cache Valley and Bear Lake.  This is my most favorite canyon of any I have been in.  My parents were both raised in Logan, UT and so I have spent quite a bit of time there, particularly for Easter Picnics.  The mountains are beautiful, especially in the fall with the foliage.   But the road is quite winding and it made Crayson sick to his stomach, so before we could stop he threw up in the pan of danish and then out the door on to the gravel.  He actually did very well and the car suffered no damage.  

Beautiful Logan Canyon

Our SWEET rental car.  It has a reverse camera in it!

While we were wandering around in Wyoming, we did come across a small heard of Antelope, they were fund to watch while Dallas was talking to a fisherman about where we should be going.  And then we saw fields and fields of Blue Heron, they were amazing.  No picture though, sorry.  








This is some kind of mine (coal) that has been left and has a blue lake in the bottom of it.  Very pretty!

This was just shortly after we crossed the Continental Divide!  What a day!!

While traveling down Wind River Canyon, we came across three tunnels within a mile. That was kind of unique.  They were doing work on all three - TARP money, no doubt.

Little 'O' bundled up for the football game

Look at my baby, all grown up and teaching High School!  

We went to a football game with London and Alissa and Orion.  London is the physics/chemistry/earth science teacher at the Hot Springs County High School.  And for those of you who do not know (most of you must, I can't tell you how many people have said to me, 'I know where that is, or I spent many summers there in the hot springs') Thermopolis gets its name because of all of the hot springs right here in the valley.  It also has a gigantic cache of dinosaur bones.  We will be checking both of those things out tomorrow.
Anyway, there is a look at his sweet class room.  One of Wyoming's best kept secrets is what they have to spend on education!  Take a look at this:  A class room case of iPods.  And they have the teachers who know how to use them - or at least they do now.  London, always the tools and tech guy uses them in his class. 

So there you are - the first day of our trip.  We will spend the next two days here with London and Lou and Orion. Check in tomorrow for another update on what we are up to while we are out of town.