Our day started at 8 am with a Yankee Breakfast at the KOA
Kafe. The Kafe manager did a great job, biscuits & gravy, scrambled eggs,
bacon or sausage and hash browns, besides all the drink choices you could want!
As we departed the Devils Tower KOA, I had to snap one more picture … I think I
captured our time there perfectly!
I loved how this farm, it might be a ranch, looked against the colors of the hills!
We traveled on WY 24 to US 14 W, where we crossed the Belle
Fourche River. We were next to the red cliffs and the Belle Fourche River,
while we were camped at Devils Tower. Belle Fourche means "beautiful
fork" in French. The river was also known as the North Fork of the
Cheyenne by many early explorers.
This is the second building I have seen that was built into
the hill. The first one was a fire department, but I was not fast enough to get
a picture of it.
Belle Fourche River was dammed to create the Keyhole
Reservoir. The Keyhole Dam and Reservoir is on the Belle Fourche River about 17
miles northeast of Moorcroft, Wyoming. French trappers settled in the vicinity
of Belle Fourche and engaged in fur trading as early as 1854. Settlement in the
area began with the gold rush to the Black Hills in 1876. Livestock became the
principal industry in the general area. The Chicago and Northwestern Railroad
reached the city of Belle Fourche in 1891 and for the remainder of the 19th
century, the city was considered the largest original shipping point for
livestock in the US. The reservoir has over 9,000 acres and 53 miles of
shoreline.
In Moorcroft, I found this very patriotic roof!
We got onto Interstate-90 W. If we were on our
own, the interstate would not be our first choice, but with the caravan, we go
with the flow! The interstate roads are red, why? Wyoming uses aggregates for
their pavements that contain a lot of iron. The red, or rust color is due to
oxidation of the iron in the aggregate. The iron makes for strong aggregate.
Powder River Coal Company in Gillette, is the second largest
coal producing company in the US. Powder River Coal Company owns and operates
four surface mines in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. Together, the four
mines control 2.5 billion tons of recoverable coal. The coal seams at the four
mines range from 65 feet to over 100 feet thick. These mines produce coal with
high Btu's, low sulfur, and low ash, which means that much of the coal produced
is compliant with the Clean Air Act. Because Powder River coal has such a low
sulphur content, it is in demand for use by electric power companies all over
the US.
More coal is produced in the state of Wyoming than in any
other state in the United States. According to the Gillette, Wyoming Convention
and Visitor's Bureau, Wyoming's Powder River Basin produces one-fifth of all
the coal produced in the US annually. In the United States, coal adds $81
billion a year to the economy and more than one million jobs for Americans.
Coal is a major industry and generates over 55 percent of America's electric
power. Coal is the power behind your electricity, when you turn on a light or
turn on your computer, it is possible that you are using coal, maybe even
Powder River Coal.
We made a fuel and rest stop in Gillette. As we exited from
Interstate 90, there was a statue of a cowboy on a horse. I looked and looked
and could not find any information about the sculpture or the artist.
We turned the corner and traveled under I-90, the Campbell
County Convention & Visitors Bureau was on our left and another statue, a
standing cowboy. Again, no information about the statue or the artist. Most of us got fuel at the Flying J on Route 59. Then we
rallied at the Walmart / Kmart stores. Yes, they are next door to each other
and share a parking lot! After we got our groceries, we got back on the road.
I have to say, there is not as much to see on the
Interstate, but the scenery is unique out here.
I tried to capture a picture of this semi cab with a smart
car platform and a 5th wheel from Quebec, but as you can see it is a
blur!
Just before we hit Buffalo Wyoming, we arrived at Deer Park
Campground and were greeted by our dawn patrol! We got set up on our site and
relaxed for a bit, before we headed downtown to explore.
I wanted to see the “Wall of Murals” and Crazy Woman Square. The City of Buffalo, Wyoming commissioned 2 murals for the
revitalization of Crazy Woman Square project in downtown Buffalo. Artists Aaron
Wuerker, Jenny Wuerker, and Marchel Kelley won the bid to paint "More Than
a One Horse Town" in Summer of 2012, and "A Creek Runs Through
It" in Summer 2013. The Mural is 80 feet long by about 12 feet high, and
shows historic images of Buffalo in its opening panels and progresses to present
day Cowboys and horses.
The murals overlook Crazy Woman Square in
downtown Buffalo.
Buffalo Wyoming’s “More Than a One Horse Town” mural was
completed in 2012 by local artists Aaron, Jenny, and Marchel. Jump into the West and ride into Buffalo, the Western spirit,
lifestyle, and history is alive and well here. This mural celebrates the West
as modern cowboys run horses into town in the full color section.
On the panels
to the left, historic black and white photographs of Buffalo from the 1890’s
bring to life our town’s rich heritage of the Old West. History seems to come
alive as characters step out of the past and metaphorically turn to color where
they break outside the picture frame.
Across the street is the "A Creek Runs Through It" mural.
Crazy Woman Square, strange name for this little park and
bandstand in downtown Buffalo. How did it get a name like that anyway? Many
years ago, our county prosecutor had his law office here at the corner of
downtown. There was a crazy woman that went through Colorado and Wyoming and
burned down many buildings. It’s alleged she burned down many more than what
she was actually caught for. But before she was caught, she burned down his law
office too.
The result was an empty lot and the City of Buffalo eventually
turned this corner of our downtown into a great community gathering spot. Now
all this is true, but when we get some visiting family members, we like to tell
them this is to commemorate the crazy woman who burned down the building. The
real truth is the stream right across the street is called “Crazy Woman Creek”.
It comes out of the Bighorn Mountains. There are conflicting legends and
stories about how the creek was actually named, but the square has its name
because it’s right next to the creek. But still, they like to joke.
Down along Main Street, you’ll find the Occidental Hotel,
where you can still see the bullet holes left over from the hotel’s Wild West
past. The Historic Occidental Hotel has hosted many notorious guests over the
years including Butch Cassidy and the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, Calamity Jane,
Buffalo Bill, Tom Horn, Teddy Roosevelt, President Herbert Hoover and Ernest
Hemingway. The Virginian Restaurant at the Occidental Hotel is named after the
famous novel "The Virginian" by Owen Wister who also spent a fair
amount of time there. Colorful cowboys, lawmen and drifters were regular
customers. Today, the hotel has been accurately and beautifully restored to its
original grandeur. Since 1997 there has been a 10-year restoration process. All
rooms and suites are furnished with antiques and decorated in elegant period
style. Many original features remain such as the embossed tin ceilings and
several antique chairs along with the 23 bullet holes in the saloon. The
25-foot back bar in the saloon was brought in by wagon over a hundred years
ago. True West Magazine recognized this gem by naming The Occidental Hotel “The
Best Hotel in the West”. National Geographic Traveler included the Occidental
Hotel in the top 129 Hotels to visit in North America 2009.
You’ve heard of the TV show Longmire, right? It’s based here
in Buffalo, so they have Longmire Days festival in early August every year! Thanks
to local author, Craig Johnson, this little town has become a big hit on the TV
show “Longmire”! His books, based on life in Buffalo, Johnson County and Wyoming,
became a popular TV show, the highest rated on A&E ever, and then on
Netflix. After a 6-season run, the show ended with the current season, but
Longmire Days continues! We are a few days early to share in the festivities!
We had a birthday dinner for Paul tonight and then more
relaxing! Big day tomorrow, we head to Little Big Horn!
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