Short Stories: Schwieterman Summer Adventure Series - 2023 (Part 4.1 – Wyoming)
Our adventures continued as we made our way to Wyoming. Our intention was to spend time in the Old West town of Deadwood; however, the Sturgis-goers had already descended on the town. The lots were lined with iron horses, and we couldn’t find any parking, so we opted to move on to our next stop: Devil’s Tower.
I have to admit that I was going to skip this natural wonder when making our plans, but my husband was adamant that it had to be included in the itinerary. I’m so glad he insisted because I truly loved our afternoon below the towering Tower. It truly is unique and full of wonderment. We hiked around the base constantly taking pictures because the views just kept getting better throughout the walk.
The phenomenal sights continued as we ditched interstate in favor of the scenic byway, US-16W toward Bighorn National Forest, for a night of boondocking at a small national park campground. The route is aptly named Cloud Peak Skyway and it was some of the most breathtaking sights I’ve ever seen. Had we visited Deadwood as planned, we would have driven through in the evening and missed seeing the remarkable landscape. Thank the Lord for deviations to the itinerary!
Being ahead of schedule also meant that we arrived at the campsite with some daylight left. We took advantage of the time by taking a walk down to Meadowlark Lake. We could hear the rushing waters of a stream in the distance, so we asked the camp host, who directed us down to a path near the tent sites where we found a stream fit for a fairytale. My heart soared as we ventured off the beaten path to explore the beauty of creation.
The next morning, I was up early in anticipation to return to the stream for further exploring in more appropriate attire (the mosquitos were bad.) We parked the stroller and proceeded to go off the beaten path, following the stream further and further into the forest, where it split into multiple tributaries. My husband had the backpack straps on the ventilator as he carried our daughter over the rocks that jutted out from the stream, which provided steppingstones to cross over. We made our way to what must have been the actual stream (since it was much wider), whose origin must have begun atop the Rocky Mountain slopes. We followed it all the way to the base where it flowed into Meadowlark Lake.
I couldn’t have been prouder of our trach family! It was such an amazing adventure for anyone, but to have succeeded in creating this tremendous memory as we carried our trach- and ventilator-dependent daughter through the national forest was monumental in my eyes.
It was with sorrow that we left Lake View Campground in Bighorn National Forest to continue our journey, but we knew more adventures were in store. Our itinerary for the day was a stop at the Dinosaur Museum and the Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, WY. Both stops were awesome. After all that hiking, my aching muscles needed a soak in the hot mineral waters of the Bath House.
I could have taken a nap after the therapeutic soak, but our scenic drive through Wind River Canyon woke me right up. The landscape was phenomenal, I continued to be astonished by all the sights of our trip.
We stopped for the evening in Dubois at Windhaven RV Resort, overlooking the Wind River. This campground has all the personal touches and incredible owners, we definitely recommend it to travelers (especially big rigs).
Next stop: Grand Tetons!
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