I had very little idea of what to expect when I arranged to move from my townhouse in Illinois to care for my elderly parents in Chugwater, Wyoming. The two-day drive involved some rain and high winds, construction along the entire route, some crazy truck drivers, and people swerving while texting at the wheel. By the time I arrived in Wyoming I was quite exhausted and frazzled. Immediately upon entering the state, wide-open roads and big beautiful skies welcomed me. Rays of light beamed down from magnificent cloud formations--almost as if God was saying to me, "Welcome to Wyoming!"
The landscape was sparse in comparison to my stomping grounds of N.E. Illinois/S.E. Wisconsin. I'd always loved the wide variety of deciduous trees and lush foliage around that beautiful lakes region. I thought I'd mourn all that (and I know I'll miss it), but I could see that the Wyoming landscape had a peaceful serenity about it that I instantly appreciated. I could feel my shoulders drop, and my tension begin to fade away.
Nearing My New Home At Last!
As I approached Chugwater, I was extremely relieved to see various signs which reassured me that I was getting very close. I was excited to see a sign for their famous Chugwater Chili that I'd heard so much about...
...and their Stampede Steakhouse: "It's time to eat. Claim your steak, partner." I could hardly believe I was almost there!
My First Wyoming Cowboy Sighting!
Suddenly, high upon a bluff, I saw a lone rider on a horse! I was thrilled to see my very first Wyoming cowboy!!
As I drove past the bluff, the horse and rider suddenly became... FLAT! I then realized that it was actually a metal sculpture silhouette. Nonetheless, it was a fun sight! Around the next bend, I came upon the little town of Chugwater--nestled in a valley, surrounded by rugged bluffs...
Sorry about the blurry picture... I quickly snapped these pictures with my little camera while driving, with my eyes on the road instead of the viewfinder!
As I entered the town, I saw many interesting decaying structures. Parts of Chugwater looked like a ghost town... but it had a fascinating beauty and charm all its own. I later learned that it had indeed become a ghost town for awhile after the thriving grain industry of the town had disappeared... but the town is slowly becoming revitalized.
Lucky Timing... Big Winter Storms At My Heels!
Nearing my new home, I wondered what my new life would be like... but above all, I was extremely grateful and relieved to finally arrive safely in Chugwater. Little did I know how lucky my timing was for my two-day journey! I'd been warned to get here before October, but I had not understood the urgency. Preparing for my move had taken a LOT longer than I'd expected. As luck would have it, I had arrived only hours ahead of an early October snow storm! The next morning, I awoke to the following sight outside my bedroom window...
Later that day--and over the next couple of days--we got dumped on with a huge snow storm which ultimately delivered 17" of snow. I do have a very good guardian angel!!!
A few days after that snow storm, the temp rose to 73 degrees and melted all the snow! That week it hailed, and we had a thunder storm. The winds howled, and blew open our inside door which leads to our garage (the high winds are very common here). Not long after that, we got a whopping 27" of snow...
These pictures were taken at my brother's house (about 10 miles from us). That's their sweet Great Pyrenees dog, Wally, peaking through the door. My brother said that some of the drifts around his house and barn were taller than him--and he's around 6'4"!!
A couple of days later, 73 degree temperatures melted all that snow! And so it goes here. It's been alternating like that since I got here.
I was truly fortunate to arrive when I did, because the extremely high winds--combined with the expansive landscape with very few trees--can result in serious blowing snow which can be very brutal on the high plains. That produces huge drifts and zero visibility while driving. Major roads around are commonly closed during those conditions, and railroad-type gates are lowered at the on-ramps.
You can certainly never get bored with Wyoming weather! The weather around here is always very interesting, and can be an adventure of survival... but at least you can see it coming. One day last summer, my brother looked out across the plains and saw two tornadoes approaching!! On June 5, 2009, a Chugwater tornado became the most researched tornado in U.S. history! A lot of amazing video footage was captured, some of which you can see in this live news broadcast. That tornado was also featured on the Discovery Storm Chasers program (if an ad pops up over this YouTube video, simply click the "X" in the upper right corner of the ad to close the ad and continue watching the video of the tornado). By watching those videos, you can get an idea of the expansive vista of our wide open plains around here.
Friendly Little Town
The people of Chugwater are extremely friendly. I was surprised at how many people knew my name and who I was before I ever set foot here. Everybody waves at me when I drive by or walk past them. When I first walked into the phone company, library, post office, bank, and community center, they were all smiles, and greeted me by name! Yep... very small, tight-knit community, where everybody truly knows everybody.
It's fun exploring the little town of Chugwater. Most of the businesses consist of one main room... including the library, bank, post office, and telephone company. The library was once a Catholic church...
Wyoming's Oldest Operating Soda Fountain
We have Wyoming's oldest operating soda fountain right here in Chugwater...
...complete with a big elk head on the wall, and other animal head trophies (not pictured)--including what looks like a jack rabbit with antlers (taxidermist's joke, pic to come later)...
We savored some of their famous Chugwater chili not long after I arrived, and we've also enjoyed their old-fashioned shakes. Yum!
They even sell the chili spices (made right here in Chugwater)...
Every year the town of Chugwater hosts the famous "Annual Chugwater Chili Cook-off." People come long distances for that.
Stampede Steakhouse
The other night I had a delicious buffalo burger at the Stampede Steakhouse down the street from where I live. Yes, they had a buffalo head on the wall! I peeked around the corner to see the bar area, and the owner immediately knew who I was, as did the guys sitting at the bar!!! They had all read a little introductory blurb about me in the community paper. I'm looking forward to enjoying good times at the Stampede Steak House because it's a happening place (they have live music and dancing every Friday and Saturday night).
There is another restaurant here called Buffalo Grill. I haven't had the pleasure of checking that out yet.
Good Old-Fashioned Fun!
So far, I've been invited to join a wonderful singing group, a pie-baking charity auction with a free potato dinner, coffee and donuts with the mayor, a ladies' Soup 'n stitch (a regular gathering), and the annual ladies' tea where they all wear fancy hats and of course they hold up their pinkies whilst drinking tea and eating tea dainties. There are numerous wonderful community activities throughout the year... lots of old-fashioned fun. This life in Chugwater is like stepping back in time to a more innocent era, and I'm loving it!
Historical Relics
We often take advantage of the delicious lunch which is served daily at the Community Center. In the following pictures you can see some very interesting historical relics behind the center...
Here's another view, including the towering grain silos which are now empty.
Other Chugwater Attractions
Across the street from the Community Center is a sweet little park with a sign that reads, "NO HORSES ALLOWED" ...and there is not a horse to be seen amongst the colorful childrens' bouncy animals there!
There is a Chugwater Museum which is closed for the winter. My brother did remodeling work on it. I'll look forward to seeing it when it opens again next Spring!
Long Distances and Big Skies
The main thing I have to get used to is traveling long distances for basic things, but the big beautiful skies keep me enchanted during those long drives. The wide open expanses of the high plains are sparsely dotted with ranches surrounded by little clusters of trees... sometimes complete with horses, grazing cattle, or sheep. On the way to my brother's house, I've seen herds of antelope on the range near the road!
Wheatland, WY is where we shop for groceries, since Chugwater has no grocery store (the Soda Fountain does sell milk and eggs, though). Wheatland is also where I take Mom for all her medical appointments. I snapped the following picture from my car as I was driving there (about one hour round trip). The mountain in the distance is Laramie Peak.
In the opposite direction is the road to Cheyenne where I take Dad for all his medical appointments at the VA (about a two-hour round trip). Here's picture I snapped on the way to Cheyanne:
I never thought I'd be so interested in taking pictures of roads, but here's one more road... entering Chugwater from the other direction (313). You can see the towers, and the bluffs surrounding the little town... my new home town.
Good Times Ahead!
I'll miss my and my good friends and relatives that I left behind in Illinois (and my sweet cat that my friend Carol graciously adopted)... but I'm looking forward to many interesting and good times ahead in my new home town of Chugwater, Wyoming!
