Hot Springs State Park

This will complete my series of posts detailing our many experiences yesterday. Driving through this park in Thermopolis, Wyoming you can climb above the town to gaze upon this view. They claim that there are buffalo roaming up there but we didn't see a trace of them last evening. It was a beautiful drive up to the top and then along the Big Horn River through a free range area.

The park is Hot Springs State Park. There are two commercial and one publicly owned hot springs pools in the park. Rich says the water is hot; I minded the signs and kept myself out of the hot mineral water...goody goody me! The source of the springs is on the other side of this rocky hill but this is where it comes through the ground into the park.

It flows under a street and small parking lot to here, where the sulphur smell is very strong, then

it Meanders its way across ground to a pool that flows over the bank and into the Big Horn River below.

  

We walked across this swinging bridge...yes, Sis O'Mine, you are not the only daredevil Pogue daughter! It wasn't very swingy at all after Rich got off of it! Think he intentionally tried to frighten me?

  

The terrifying exhilarating walk was worth it for this view of the minerals that have built up over many years and that continue to grow as the waters drip down over this edge on their way to the river.

 Look closely, enlarge it if you want, to see the dripping hot mineral waters.

 And here is a wider view of the mineral stalagmites and the Big Horn River.

  

From there we had dinner in town at Pumpernick's. In the middle of the main downtown street, across from the restaurant, was this (insert your own amazing adjective here...ha ha) bronze statue. It depicts a cowboy pouring soil from one hand to the other while his horse waits nearby. The title of this sculpture is "From this Soil Come the Riches of the World." Isn't that beautiful?

Lovin' Life,

  Bev