Sydney to Rock Springs

We left Sidney Nebraska this morning and headed west for our third day in this state - can't believe how wide Nebraska is. It was still windy so Dennis did the driving again today. It wasn't a bad as yesterday but still kept him focused.









We reached Wyoming before noon and things started to get more interesting. Apparently there are coyotes here but not this large. At least we didn't see any of those cut out figures of men leaning against a building smoking a pipe. Or any fat ladies bent over in the garden.









We started to see antelope shortly after entering Wyoming. The camera was not cooperating today and it was hard to get pictures at 60 mph. But finally I managed to get a few shots. Thank heavens we are not using film or the budget would be shot already. They certainly are beautiful animals. I hope we get a chance to sample antelope meat while we are out here.








We turned a corner on I-80 and lo' and behold - SNOW! The mountains in the Medicine Bow National Forest were snow capped and impressive. When we got closer you could see the pines in the mountains so the contrast to the bleak tan we have been seeing was very welcome. We knew we were climbing for miles but the other side of the mountain required a bit of braking in addition to the engine brake. It was the steepest and longest grade we've had so far on this trip. But Bert's Bus handled it well and so did Dennis.






We stopped near Laramie for a quick lunch and talked to a man from Washington state. He and his brother own an ice cream shop and we'll try to visit it when we are in the area. It seems every time we stop somewhere people are friendly and willing to suggest things to see or do. Our list has grown.









After Laramie, the mountains were behind us but we still had some nice views of rocky hills.











There are quite a few refineries around here, including the Sinclair Oil Refinery in, of all places, Sinclair Wyoming. I remember them from years ago but thought they had gone out of business or been bought out. Apparently not.








It was strange to see some quarrying going on at one spot. Whatever they are digging out must be worth the effort.











All in all, this part of Wyoming is rather desolate but has provided a variety of scenes to keep us interested. Tonight we are at WalMart again. Clear skies over Rock Springs provided a pleasant sunset.