We left Evanston, WY at about 7:30 in the morning after being unable to find a decent cup of coffee. The liquid from the motel and from the gas station were both like lukewarm dishwater. Still, it served the purpose of getting us on the road after the long drive yesterday.
We headed towards Laramie, Wyoming with the intent of exploring the little towns off Interstate 80 that closely followed the Lincoln Highway. Only by leaving the highway on Route 30 through the towns could we be certain we were actually on the old road.
About 70 miles to the east of Evanston, you come to "Little America", a tourist stop built by the Sinclair Oil magnate. It has restrooms, hot showers for truckers and a gift shop for tourists. They also provide rooms if needed and hot meals. Other than this, there is nothing there.
Cheesy dinosaur at Little America
Lots of flat land with nothing on it.
Here you can read about the making of sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate:
Making Baking Soda
Green River, WY
Mushroom Rock at Green River, WY
Same rock with people on it in the early 1900's
As we exited Green River via Route 30, we found documentation of the Lincoln Highway on an old garage.
After traveling through a lot of flat land with sparse cows and occasional oil wells, we came to Rock Springs, WY. If you exit Interstate 80 and follow Business 80/Route 30, you can document the Lincoln Highway with a marker just across from the Budget Host Motel that might be original during the LH time.
Rock Springs was a stop for the Union Pacific Railroad and because coal was discovered under the town, the coal was used for the steam engines. This created a large town with a diverse population of miners from many countries. The town had the first neon sign in the Rocky Mountains and this has been restored and placed at the entrance to a walking tunnel under the rail tacks that leads to the old, historic section of the town.
First Neon Sign in the Rocky Mountains
Old Historic Rock Springs - Not much there
Gaudy dresses for sale
Tunnel under the rail tracks
History of Rock Springs
Very first electric mine engine
As we exited Rock Springs on Route 30, we looked for more Lincoln Highway signs but could only find a Happy Buddah that Earline wanted to capture in picture. :)
At 177 miles east of Evanston, WY. we crossed the Continental Divide. You will recall that this is the point where water shed either flows west to rivers that go to the Pacific Ocean or to the Great Basin or east to the Mississippi River.
We arrived in Laramie, WY at about 3:30 pm and toured the small town briefly and then check into The Best Value Inn at 523 S. Adams St. Room cost was $64.90 including tax and after a brief rest, we set out to explore the town before stores close. Earline was scanning for microbreweries and we found the only one, called The Altitude Chophouse and Brewery. Before imbibing, we walked the town and Earline found a quilt shop to purchase threads and a custom yarn shop with handmade and hand dyed wools. She purchased a skein for $56...ouch! Still the wool was unique and since the owner had lived in Silicone Valley in the past and had worked for Stanford University, she got special dispensation for a sale. We chatted about the weather in the winter and she told me they get about 3 months of nice weather and the winters are VERY severe with high, bone-chilling winds.
After an adequate dinner of initially slimy shimp salad and pink beef coupled with great dark beer (Stoudt and Porter) we drove by Wyoming University and briefly checked out the crown jewel of Laramie, the Iverson Mansion before returning to the motel.
Distance traveled today = 308 miles. Tomorrow we move on to Cheyenne, WY and points east.
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