Sunrise and Medicine Bow, WY

Back in Guernsey - after we visited Hartville we continued one mile on up the road to visit Sunrise. I had read that it was now a ghost town. It was originally settled as a company town by the big open pit iron ore mining company.

Getting closer to Sunrise.

Well crap! It is blocked off. Found out later the whole town and surrounding area had been bought by an individual who closed it off to the public.

When Colorado Fuel and Iron ended operations at Sunrise 26 years ago, an important era in Wyoming's the mining history closed.

During its peak, the town of Sunrise had more than 500 people. It boasted 50 houses, six duplexes, a hotel, a store, two schools, a train depot, gas station and a church.

Well I wanted to see some of it so I carefully, but ungracefully,  snuck under the fence with my trusty camera. However I didn't go very far. Maybe there were cameras...One old building off in the distance. 

Another one in stages of falling down. By now Bill was tooting the horn for me to come back.

Almost missed this guy. 

How old is that?

Back in the car and heading home without going to jail for trespassing. I was disappointed. 

Yesterday morning we left Guernsey to go to Medicine Bow and to end up in Rawlins. 184 miles with a stop for fuel and a stop in Medicine Bow. 

Some strange landscape in Wyoming. 

But most of yesterday's trip looked like this. FLAT see forever kind of scenery. 

What is the white stuff that surrounds little ponds of water? I think salt Bill thinks gypsum. Guess I could ask Google. I looked it up we were both wrong. When the sun evaporates the pond, what’s left over are potassium crystals.

 Haven't seen a hay stack like this in years. Several of them in this area. 

Soon we were in Medicine Bow. We had called the Virginian Hotel because they said they had an RV Park. We thought we might stay there over night. By the time the owner called me back we'd made reservations in Rawlins. I am sure glad that we did. Medicine Bow is about three blocks big. The only things there are the hotel and the small CLOSED museum across the street. 
TheVirginian Hotel and the RV Park. 

 We were off of the main I-80 Interstate on part of the old Lincoln Highway. That was interesting to me. 

 Museum consists of the cabin of the author, Owen Wister who wrote The Virginian in 1902. It is about the life of a cowboy on a cattle ranch located in and around Medicine Bow, WY. It is considered the first true fictional western ever written. A movie and then along running TV series were based on the novel. Bill really likes the old TV series and was surprised to discover Medicine Bow was a real town. So we wanted to go there. A quote either from the author or the novel. 

Now that is an interesting Tid Bit to throw into a conversation. 

 The railroad depot - the museum is in it, but only open on Thursday through Sunday.

 So back across the street to the Hotel. 

It has a cafe and we thought we could have lunch there. Well we opened the door and stepped in and turned right around and left. I didn't even take any pictures inside. Every cigarette ever smoked there, every beer ever spilled there and every thing ever cooked in grease was there in the air. 
The outside of the hotel. It is still open for business. 

And that was our stop in Medicine Bow, WY. Also very disappointing. Expected more.
We continued on to Rawlins another 54 miles and are staying at the  Western Hills Campground. Good level site, full hookups and pull through. Also pretty good WiFi. $33 a night with Good Sam. 
Today we went looking for the murals downtown and took a tour of the Wyoming Frontier Prison. 
Weather is in high 80's with wind.