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| Togwotee Pass |
After dropping down from the
Togwotee Pass on the continental divide in the Absaroka Mountains, I drove into
Dubois, Wyoming and fell in love with the place. It is the quintessential
picture of a western town. Take away the paved asphalt roads; you are visually
transported back in time, or in a scene from a Western movie! With names such
as Whiskey Peak, Painted Hills, Wind River and the Badlands, It looked like a
place where you would expect to see John Wayne crowned with a ten-gallon hat,
sauntering down the wooden sidewalks.
I visited the region in order to do
some research for my fiction book, I am currently writing. Because it is a
period piece, set in the Great Basin of Wyoming, I want the era to remain true,
even if my characters are purely fictional. I made it a research vacation. I
also made time to tour the picturesque region staying in several areas of
Wyoming. Dubois became my favorite and I stayed an extra day longer than I
originally planned. My only regret is that I did not have more time to spend
there. I definitely want to return some day and explore further.
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| Wyoming's big sky |
The Dubois Museum proved useful, the
director gave me many tips on where I could further find the material I was
looking for as well as having items on hand that I could see, such as equipment
and clothing of the era.
I had the pleasure of staying at the
Longhorn Ranch Lodge and Resort three miles east of the town of Dubois. The
cabin I stayed in had all the rustic charm, yet remained warm, cozy, clean, and
quiet. It came equipped with a kitchen where I could cook meals when I wanted
to stay in and write. The screened in back porch, became my writer’s paradise.
This is where I sat at the table with my laptop and looked out at the Wind
River that meandered through the area. Kono liked the porch too, especially
when I allowed him to jump up on the benches where he could view outside. As I
wrote, I looked up from time to time to view the river and the Badlands beyond.
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| I loved this cabin by the river. |
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| I wrote for many hours in the screened-in back porch. |
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| Kono, sporting his new summer haircut, enjoyed the view. |
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| The cabin came furnished with a most comfortable bed! |
I found simple pleasure in walking
Kono along the river that wound through the cottonwood-tree-studded resort. My
late spring visit meant the place remained almost void of campers and motor
homes, and the river ran high in its banks.
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| The resort's cottonwood trees with the Badlands behind. |
