Casper, WY

I visited Fort Caspar, which served at various times as an army barracks, fort and early telegraph station. It was also a resupply point on the Oregon trail, the Mormon migration to Salt Lake City and during the Californian Gold Rush. The museum had several reconstructed buildings.

At Casper, the travellers had to cross a 300 foot wide river (Americans really don't like to measure in the metric system!). The early migrants used rafts made of canoes and at least one family lost their wagon and all belongings to the river. The Mormon emigrants built a ferry crossing, a photo of the 'ferry' with a handcart on is below.

To get to Casper I drove through Thunder Bason National Grassland. Lots of grass for miles as far as the eye can see! I also passed north americas largest surface coal mine. There were also lots of small one shaft mines in the area.

The campsites at Casper all looked like horrible RV parks so I found Steve's treehouse tent on Air BnB. Steve's farm was just outside Casper but felt in the middle of the countryside. In the photo of the treehouse tent you can spot my new best friend playing in the river. I had a lovely evening by the creek but a severe thunderstorm came in late evening which rather flattened the poor tent. Rather than spend a night holding the tent up and dislodging water I took Steve's offer of the spare room and slept indoors!