WYOMING: Like No Place on Earth (part 1 of 2)

I know it to be true, because I have the t-shirt (thank you Patty & Rodney)!  This past week, I took a three-day weekend to visit friends I have in the southern part of Wyoming.  Sandy & Doug Purcell have been friends since the late 1980's, through bowling in NoVA.  Patty & Rodney Schuler are friends made through my love of vintage era bowling alleys, and the small 10 laner they own in Rawlins.   The drive "south" would make for a long day trip, or even an overnight, hence my taking a few days to enjoy the trip and take in some of the sights along the way.

Sandy & Doug moved out here to Wyoming five years ago after he retired from the Air Force.  It's no surprise that living in Northern Virginia is a rat race . . . too many people . . . too many cars . . . and too expensive.  They bought a place in Evanston, pretty much sight unseen from an internet listing.  Talk about taking a risk and just making a decision to DO IT!  It was a great evening of reminiscing about bowling BITD . . . including a memorable trip to the 1990 ABC Tournament in Reno.

Patty & Rodney became friends . . . DEAR FRIENDS . . . when I finally got to make a visit to Memory Lanes the summer of COVID (June 2020).  My sister Pam and I made the long road trip (8+ hours round trip) up from Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.  While I've only seen and spent "in person" time with them twice since 2020, we are like friends known for decades.  Sadly, their bowling center has not reopened since COVID and is still for sale.  Retirement looks good, and I couldn't be happier for them.

Making the most of my 1,200 mile weekend, I did take in a lot of sights "off the beaten path."  Over the years, there have been several places I've wanted to explore but just couldn't seem to make them fit into my annual pilgrimage to Yellowstone National Park.  This year, with the weekend dedicated to visiting people and places in Wyoming, I was able to break up the nearly eight hour drive (each way) with some wonderful places to get some history, stretch my legs and take some photos.

My next blog post will share those experiences, with lots of photos too!  For now, I will leave you with these two photos of my Grandpa McAlister and my Mom's family.  She was born & raised in Sinclair, WY . . . and attended Rawlins High School (class of 1955).  I have always felt drawn to this region of the United States . . . I suppose it is in my DNA.

TO BE CONTINUED