Speaking of time, we are finally heading east toward home today. You know the old saying, “All good things must come to an end.” But before we call it done, we have a few more things to do and sights to see.
We backtracked a little this morning, south on 191 and back to Flaming Gorge. We fueled up in Rock Springs first, and paid $4.11 per gallon. That is the most we have paid this entire trip. We wondered if some unrest had occurred in the Middle East or something, since we have been completely out of touch with the news. But is seems gas prices follow their own perverse logic, so we didn’t waste much time wondering why this podunk little town had the most expensive gas in the state.
None of the guidebooks we had gave good information on how to get to Chimney Rock, even the one with its photo featured in the article about scenic drives. But by piecing together bits and pieces of information, Gin had narrowed it down. We followed a little side road called Firehole Canyon Road, and it wasn’t long before we found Chimney Rock. Or at least one of them – it seems there is at least one more here, and others around the US. Once more we enjoyed the tapestry of colors and unusual rock formations of the north end of Flaming Gorge before I-80 snared us for the remainder of the trip home.
Just 25 miles east, though, we found another excuse to stop. Point of Rocks Stage Station was built in 1862 as a stage stop on the Overland Trail route across southern Wyoming. Today, this structure built from native sandstone is one of the only stage stations remaining intact on the Overland Trail. While the stables are now in ruins, the station building has been restored and we wandered around the site, imagining what stagecoach travel was like in the 1860s.
On a hill not far from the station was a wooden fence encircling the burial site of seven passengers who were murdered during a stagecoach robbery in 1863. There were no stones, just the fence and an explanation of why this area was enclosed. I find these tiny little historical sites fascinating, and if it’s only a short stop the kids don’t balk too much.
In Rawlins, we made a visit to Wyoming’s first state penitentiary, the Wyoming Frontier Prison. The prison is a remnant of the grisly past of the old west, and our guide gave us an interesting and informative tour full of grim and funny stories as he led us through the building.
Built in 1901, the prison originally had no electricity or running water, and very inadequate heating. It was equipped with different means of disciplining including solitary confinement and a “punishment pole” to which men were handcuffed and whipped with rubber hoses. The prison also used different execution methods, including the Julien Gallows for hangings and a gas chamber. After eighty years, the prison closed its doors
and sat abandoned until 1987 when a low budget movie titled “Prison” was filmed there. Significant damage was done to the prison grounds during filming because it had not yet been designated a historic site.A demonstration in miniature of the Julien Gallows in action began our tour. We viewed the cell blocks, the execution areas, the showers, cafeteria, and yard. At each stop, we were regaled with tales of prisoners throughout the years. At the end, we were even able to climb a small hill and view the prison cemetery. It may not be everyone’s idea of a fun vacation activity, but for our group with its macabre sense of humor it was perfect.
Just east of Laramie, we pulled over at the Lincoln Memorial Rest Stop for a late lunch and to change a tire the men had been worrying about. The front passenger-side tire had bald areas and a large crack, and it was causing the van to shimmy pretty badly going down the road. Tim and Dan replaced it with the spare, and we were on our way in record time. But the tire change didn’t seem to fix the problem much, and the shimmy continued to plague us. Then, at mile marker 379.5 the front driver’s side tire blew out!
Tim wrestled the van to a stop, and a frightened group of travelers waited on the roadside while Dan and Tim once again changed a tire. Unfortunately, they had to put the bald tire they had removed a few miles ago back on and we all knew it wouldn’t last long. We weren’t far from Cheyenne, and a slow, cautious 15-mile drive brought us to a Walmart whose service center was luckily open on the holiday. In less than an hour, we had new tires were on our way once again. I’m not going to lie, it scared the crap out of me! I think it is inexcusable to rent someone a van with bad tires (and brakes) for a 3,000 mile journey. The end of that story hasnot been written yet!
We put some miles behind us, glimpsing fireworks all around us on the horizon as dusk arrived. A bathroom break in the little town of Chappell, Nebraska gave us a brief opportunity to see some fireworks up close. It seemed the whole town was celebrating, with fireworks going off from every direction. This was small-town America at its best, and the quick stop in Chappell put a smile on everyone’s face.
We finally arrived in North Platte, Nebraska and found a hotel. Exhausted, we trudged up to our rooms as our 13th day of vacation came to an end. Was 13 lucky or not? We are still deciding!
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