The weather held out for us the night before and we awoke refreshed and ready to hit Cheyenne's Capitol Building. It was a fairly easy ride into the city, nothing like Denver. It was fairly early in the morning so the streets were quiet and a parking space with our name on it was waiting to the East of the building.
We parked our car at the same time that another car from Illinois parked behind us. Those occupants, a father and son as they appeared, headed towards the capital as Tom took the dogs out of the car.
Directly across the street was a statue of a bison made out of bronze, weighing at bout 3,000 pounds. It was screaming out looking for a dog to take it's picture with. Who are we not to oblige?
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| Luther and the Bison Statue |
We headed across the green lawns, still moist from the rains the day before and the morning dew. My moccasins got drenched, again. It was nice to see the state seal emblazoned on a sign at the front of the building.
At the front entrance stood two monuments. One of Chief Washakie, Shoshone leader and Esther Hobart Morris, a pioneer of women's suffrage. Both held their heads up high, honoring the "Spirit of Wyoming."
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| Chief Washakie |
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| Esther Hobart Morris |
The Great Seal of Wyoming is situated in front of the main steps. One of my favorite things to see at a state capitol as they tend to define the state as a whole.
A few photos of dogs were taken...
and then a trip inside to see the rotunda.
I was surprised to see a square rotunda as I have never seen one before. It fit the state and the building with it's muted blue hue background.
I stopped at the Visitor's Desk to get my book stamped. They asked me to sign the visitor's book, which I did. While signing I saw a most peculiar coincidence. Above my name was the name of another Burbank. What are the odds? I wondered if they were the father and son I had seen earlier.
I took the stairs to check out the Senate and the House, passing the Governor's office along the way. It was also suggested to check out the third floor's mural, which I did. It was there that I saw the father and son exiting the room.
"Excuse me. Your name wouldn't happen to be Burbank, is it?"
"Why, yes it is!" the father said as he gave a surprised look.
We chatted for a bit about how his daughter was coming to Wyoming for college in the Fall from Texas, where they live. They were there scoping out Cheyenne. Why the Illinois plates, I never did ask. Possible relation, but I'll never no for sure.
I exited the building to find Tom and the dogs hanging on the grass. He pointed out the Liberty Bell he found, winning the scavenger hunt for this state. He took the time to use the rest room in the capitol building after learning where it was from me. Using the restrooms at the capitols has also become a fun little game.
Our original plan was to head East towards Nebraska, but found 85 to be a relaxing drive that we continued North towards the Wyoming/South Dakota border. There was talk about the Badlands, but we decided to head due East on Rt. 18 through the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands.
It's a nice drive and adds o the imagination how our country looked way back when...When the Bisons roamed and the Natives had land.
One must shouldn't should will at one point another, if going through South Dakota, reach Wall Drug. I had been there a few times before and each time I get more turned off. It's unique and it'a story is the american dream come true, at least capitalistically. But it still is a tourist trap in the upmost form.
Anything you could ask for, ever, in a one block storefront.
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| Wall Drug, Uggh! |
We parked around the corner, away from the crowds and buses and found a nice shady spot under a tree. A few PB&J's and some water for the dogs and a good stretch of the legs was necessary.
I walked over to the Drugstore and looked for some ice. I asked 3 HB-2 visa kids for the location. I was sent to 4 different areas. Not once did I find any. I did manage to snag a bumper sticker for free. Only one per family, though
I headed back to the car as Tom took off to do his own thing for a few. Not surprisingly, he was back in a few minutes, relieved and ready to go. We stopped at a real store and picked up the ice needed. Tom stowed it away in the cooler and we were off.
We took Rt. 14 towards Pierre. A whole lot of nothing except for a few small towns along the way. It was a great day for driving though. The temperatures had been cooling off as we were headed North, the clouds were puffy and white, not that dark looming kind we had been skirting the past few days.
I was driving and looking at my phone checking mileage, timing, etc. I was also looking at Roadside America checking on any unique attractions along the way. I saw the Rodeo Champion Weathervane in Fort Pierre and new we had to make a stop.
Tom went looking for his phone, but couldn't find it. Panic sets in for a brief moment. I decide to use the Lost iPhone App to do a quick search and to test how well it actually works. Uggh! It showed my blue dot, the iPad's dot and Tom's dot miles apart from each other. Not just a few, but over 100. Did Tom leave his phone in Wall? Do we really need to turn around?
I called the phone hoping that someone would answer. We hear the ring in the bad of the car. Whew! That's a relief. Stupid Siri, Again!!
With all of that drama, we found ourselves in Fort Pierre. Before we even had a chance to look for Casey Tibbs, he found us. "There it is!" Car pulls over
Click Click. Click Click.
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| Rodeo Champion, Casey Tibbs, Weathervane |
It actually still works. Casey Tibbs rides with the prairie wind in any direction it blows.
Pretty cool!
Into Pierre we go, passing the capital building on our left (too late to go in) before turning around to the proposed camping area for the night, Oahe Downstream Recreation Area.
Located on the shore of the Missouri River, it was a beautiful campground. We quickly set up camp and headed to the water to let the dogs do some swimming, the first time on this trip.
The dogs loved it. At first I tossed the ball along the shore to get them going and to also check out the river's depth and speed. Then a little more into the water. Then a long toss into the water. After 5 days in the car and deserts and mountains, these dogs needed some fresh water to clean themselves in.
After about a 1/2 an hour of swimming, Tom decided to walk them back to our campsite to assist in the drying process as I headed towards the camp store to pick up some supplies. They had a restaurant on site, but there selection of items to pick up up were corn chips, fried onions and Budweiser beer. I picked up some more ice for the cooler and a few singles of Sierra Nevada that I scrounged up in some unforgotten area of the beer cooler.
Tom was preparing some grub on the Coleman stove as the dogs lounged on the grass. What a life they have. Sleep, eat, play, sleep, play, eat, sleep.
As the sun was getting near setting, and the bugs were looking for their meals, we all climbed into the tent for a few games of cribbage for us and a down time for the dogs. As you can see, BuddyJack knows exactly where to go for comfort.
Tomorrow we would head to the capitol building and continue our journey due North to Bismarck with a small detour towards the Enchanted Highway.
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