1,947 Miles to Boston
There were no must-see stops today, only happy little accidents.
The morning was cold, but the sky was blue, so we hit the road.
We drove through Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, down Wind River Canyon, on a chronological journey through 2.5 billion years of geologic history in just twenty minutes, before arriving at the Glenrock Paleontological Museum, where I got to hold a Tyrannosaurus rex toe in my hand.
This one was not free–a tiny disappointment on any long trip–but at five dollars it turned out to be the best bargain of the trip so far. I would happily have paid twice that, or more.
We entered and were immediately offered a guided tour. I mentioned that we were on a time crunch. The guide smiled and said, “I’ll give you the quick version.”
The museum is tiny, only one room of exhibits, but everywhere we looked, there was something to stare at: an almost complete Allosaurus skeleton, footprints left in the mud eons ago, giant marine reptiles, and the Triceratops skull that started the museum’s collection. Nearly everything had been discovered nearby and prepared by the volunteers themselves; it felt less like a museum and more like an active dig site.
From there, the weather went from cold to worse.
The drizzle started, and we stopped for a quick lunch at the Silver Dollar Bar and Grill in Lusk, home to a wayward sasquatch named Snappy. I didn’t know that Bigfoot lived so far from Oregon, so, naturally, we had to stop.
As we approached the Nebraska line, the drizzle became rain, and we bundled up. The miles could not pass quickly enough, but all was well. We made it to our stop in Valentine, Nebraska–the hot tub was calling.
Carousels and Curiosity 
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