Dubois WY

After 3 nights we left Hart Ranch and headed west across Wyoming (once again!!!) with our ultimate destination being Jackson WY and Grand Teton National Park. The obvious route would have been north back through Rapid City and west on I-90 into Wyoming, but we had already been that route twice this month, so we chose a more southerly cross-country route. We passed through Custer SD and traversed the southern portion of the Black Hills National Forest and the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands before entering east central Wyoming. We eventually got on I-25, before landing in Casper WY for the night. We parked at the Super Walmart, which was also within walking distance to Sam's Club, and filled our larder with groceries.

East central Wyoming is kinda flat and straight

The city of Casper was named after Fort Caspar and Lt. Caspar Collins. Note the different spellings. A typographical error was made when the name of the town was registered, and it was never corrected. Casper is nick-named the “Oil City” because it is a regional center for oil production. At least one oil refinery has been operating in Casper since 1895. In fact, we filled up both the coach and the car with some of the cheapest fuel we had seen in some time: $3.199 for unleaded and $3.719 for diesel.

The next morning we continued across central Wyoming, through the Wind River Indian Reservation and stopped for the night at the Longhorn Ranch RV Resort, on the banks of the Wind River in Dubois WY. There we met our friend Harry, who we have been traveling with since Rally #2.

During the Sturgis rally sometimes bikers have to stay a bit out of town

Dubois (rhymes with “ two voice”) is a favorite stop. We rolled into Dubois the first time about 15 years ago while backpacking in the Wind River Range and discovered the Cowboy Cafe. Since then we go back anytime we are in the area and eat the skillet breakfast at the Cowboy Cafe. It's legendary.

Dubois was originally named “Never Sweat” due to the low humidity and warm breezes, but the Postal Service rejected that name as inappropriate. They settled on Dubois, but rejected the french pronunciation for a more Americanized version. Butch Cassidy owned and managed a ranch on the outskirts of Dubois in 1890. He was a frequent customer at Welty's General Store which is still in operation.

Harry's first Cowboy Cafe skillet

World Famous Cowboy Cafe breakfast skillet