Home Is Where The Heart IsJul 28, 2012
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Wind and snow breaks are commonplace in this part of the US
Driving into Utah from Wyoming on our way to the Flaming Gorge...
View from afar of the Flaming Gorge through our binoculars
| After leaving the Black Hills of South Dakota, our next stop was the town of Casper, Wyoming (note to our RV friends…don’t stay at the KOA in Casper). Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming (only Cheyenne, the state capital, is larger), Casper is nicknamed "The Oil City" and has a long history of oil boomtown and cowboy culture, dating back to development of the nearby oil fields. The city was established east of the former site of Fort Caspar, which was built during the mid-19th century mass migration of land seekers along the Oregon, California and Mormon trails. During our only full day there we trekked the 150-mile loop that circumvented the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. The highlight of the trip was the 91 mile long Flaming Gorge Reservoir, a reservoir created by the Flaming Gorge Dam along the Green River in 1964. The area was given the name "Flaming Gorge" by John Wesley Powell during his 1869 expedition down the Green River due to the spectacular red rock cliffs that surround the river in this area. As you can see from the photos it is truly a spectacular sight to see. We also enjoyed a marvelous meal at the Flaming Gorge Resort restaurant; don’t miss their stuffed baked potato soup or the Navajo Fry bread with chili verde, yummo! We left there with intentions on staying in the Provo, Utah area but as I was exploring possible campgrounds to rest our heads for a few evenings I came upon the town of Fillmore, about 50 miles south of the Provo area. Fillmore is a very small town with a population of about 2,500 people but it was well worth the two-day stopover. Brigham Young who was attempting to curry favor with Washington, DC to obtain funds to build the territorial capital building there named Fillmore for the 13th President of the United States, Millard Fillmore. Only ¼ of the building was completed because of a variety of reasons, the main being that the Utah Territorial Legislature moved back to Salt Lake City after a few sessions. The one wing houses a wonderful museum that showcases local and state history. The area is also a mecca for ATV’s and other off road vehicles….we will definitely be back for another visit to Fillmore! As we wound down this particular journey we thought it apropos to end it with the couple we began the trip with, my aunt and uncle, Charlene and Dennis Bim. As you may remember, we began this expedition with them in Death Valley, California. We had a wonderful three days with them in their hometown of Boulder City, Nevada. We were excited for them because they are in the process of going from the ranks of 5th wheel RV’ers to owning a Class A motorhome. Dennis and I toured their RV one day and while they were working, we did a bit of antique shopping and relaxed in their home before sharing some wonderful meals and family time together. We will visit with family in California for a bit and I (Cheryl) will take some of that time to apply (finally!!) for my STRS retirement check. Dennis has a long list of “to do’s” for the RV all they while we will plan our next adventure….hope you enjoyed “joining us” during this particular voyage! |
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