WLM | my Wyoming craving
CARBON COUNTY
Go Fish! If fishing is your jam, are
you in luck! Besides the World
Famous Miracle Mile (a stretch of
the North Platte River around five
to eight miles in length), you also
have the Encampment River, Little
Snake River, Seminoe Reservoir,
Hog Park Reservoir, High Savery
Reservoir and Saratoga Lake (just
to name a few) to choose from. a delicious lunch and strolled the
town. However, there are multiple
options for your adventure. Check
out the Seminoe-Alcova Back
Country Byway, Outlaw Trail Loop
(aptly named due to a Wild Bunch
train robbery), and Battle Highway.
There are several quaint towns
and breath-taking scenery creating
photographic stops to dot your trip.
Take a Hike! My personal outdoor
recreation of choice, you just can’t
go wrong with hiking – unless you
have kids and forget to call for a
rest when they tire out. Our son
has kept us humble in that regard…
The Medicine Bow National Forest,
accessible from the Carbon County
side or my own Albany County side,
is my old stomping grounds and
I can attest to its wonder. Besides
packing the obvious (snacks, water,
sunscreen, a jacket, area map,
compass, field glasses, etc.), we
enjoy taking along a wildflower
identifying guide and our son usually
brings his butterfly net. We also take
along their dad and my hubby, Levi,
who is a geologist – but if you don’t
have a geologist to pack along, it’s
worth investing in a guide. The area
is rich in fascinating geology! Over
at wyomingcarboncounty.com, there
are helpful links to hiking resources.
There’s also a lovely little visitor
center right outside of Centennial
that has area maps. Ahhh…. At the end of your
adventurous day, take a soak in
a natural wonder – Hobo Hot
Springs, world famous for its
mineral hot springs and thermal
waters. Free and open to the public
24 hours a day, seven days a week,
this gem resides in Saratoga’s City
Park on Walnut Street. When Levi
and I were in college in Laramie,
this was a weekend evening getaway
perfect for a starving college couple’s
budget. Today my Nebraska family
makes this a regular stop during
their annual Snowy Range camping
adventure. They usually have a
story to share of a friendly someone
they met in the springs that knows
someone that knows someone that
they know … such is Wyoming.
Hit the Road! My elderly Texan
grandmother and her husband
aren’t hikers, so we jumped in the
car and explored. We had a great
time traversing the Snowies from
the Centennial side, over the top
to Saratoga, where we grabbed
ADVENTURE OF
ANOTHER TYPE
Pairing outdoor adventure with
cultural exploration equals a
vacation full of stories to take
home. You’ll also need to remember
that Wyoming summers are full of
thunderstorms, frequently in the
afternoon/evening, and usually
relatively short. It’s a great time to
pop into a local museum and learn
some of the fascinating history of the
region.
Say what?! I am a museum junkie –
history is our family’s hobby, and
if you’re like us, you will not be
disappointed in Carbon County. I
can’t give all the good stuff away, so
let me give you some clues … Head
to the Carbon County Museum in
Rawlins and ask about the shoes
and Thomas Edison. Head over
to the Wyoming Frontier Prison
Museum, also in Rawlins, to get up
close and personal with prison life,
including the gas chamber. While
camping in Ryan Park, be sure to
find the interpretive signs detailing
its past as a Civilian Conservation
Corp site and a Prisoner of War
camp in World War II. In each
of Carbon County’s quaint towns
there are fabulous museums, small
but mighty. I love a small museum
myself as I get to really connect
with the history and docents and
have fascinating conversations.
The Saratoga Museum was a real
treat for my history-loving kids!
Inquire about their concert schedule
so you can time your visit with
entertainment and good food in
downtown Saratoga. The Grand
Encampment Museum includes a
lovely area of historic buildings that
capture 19 th & early 20 th century life
in Wyoming. If you’re traveling to
Carbon County on I80, make a stop
in Sinclair to learn the town’s origins
as Parco, built as a community
for the refinery workers. There
is beautiful architecture to enjoy
as well! In Medicine Bow, learn
about the origins of Owen Wister’s
The Virginian. There are still more
museums to enjoy – I could write a
single feature on them to do them all
justice – check out the Little Snake
River Museum, Baggs Outlaw Stop,
www.wyolifestyle.com
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