Business took me to Saratoga, WY
10/1/2109. I decided to take Hwy 130 out of Laramie via the Snowy Range. Saves
20+ miles but ads a lot of (worthwhile) time. The sights are worth it.
Saratoga has some transient residents.
Due to the several hot springs in the
area, the town was named after the better known Eastern spa.
My maternal grandfather was a rancher in
the Walden, CO area when he was brought low by arthritis. He was taken to
Saratoga on a stretcher to the springs. He walked out. Shortly, he became the manager of the bath
house. Later, his father-in-law bought his ranch and helped him buy a ranch
outside of Saratoga. Granddad continued to bathe daily in the springs for
several years which allowed him to lead a productive life.
My mother, a Wyoming sheepherder, married
a Colorado cowboy which allows my sister and I to say we are the result of a
mixed marriage. WWII was on, my father was shipping overseas, so my mother
returned to Saratoga where I was born.
Lots of wealthy people come to Saratoga
for the springs, hunting, golf, and trophy fishing on the North Platte River.
Not unusual to see private jets at the airport.
For the history buffs, a couple of pictures.
The brass placard for the Overland Trail has long since been stolen.
The North Platte a few miles downstream
from town. Also the local “necking” hangout. Wonder how many pregnancies’
started there?
Going West from Laramie you begin to
approach the Medicine Bow Mountains.
Some ferocious winds in those places.
And tragedy.
I need a wide angle lens or a video
camera.
Looking ESE toward Colorado.
The fall colors are just starting.
The backside of the range is
unremarkable.
My faithful road warrior.
Should your travels take you across Wyoming’s
Interstate 80, budget some time (in the summer) to take in the Snowy Range. It
won’t add any miles,
just memories.
