Written by Dave

Day 29 – June 26 – 55 Miles, 1,545 feet climbing (Meeteetse to Thermopolis)

Last night we looked at the wind forecast for today – headwinds building through the morning – and decided to get an early start today. We had brekkie at the hotel and were rolling by 6:10AM. I know, that’s really early but remember, we’ve seen the Wyoming winds and know how brutal they can be, especially when against you.

The scenery was not exciting but there were a few rock reefs here and there to distract us. The traffic was very light, not surprising at the early hour. I should also make a note about the shoulder, it ranged from bumpy to smooth, while nearly always being 3 to 4 feet wide.  I don’t know how the state of Wyoming affords such wide shoulders on such a remote highway but we are not going to complain, not even about the few small stretches that were a little bumpy. It was almost like being on a bike path the entire day.

The wind never really came up and with only a single rest area for a possible stop, we made great time. By 9AM we’d ridden 40 miles. We reached our destination, Thermopolis, at 9:45. Yes, you read that correct, at 9:45 in the morning, we’d finished our ride for the day. What to do now but try out the new town bakery, Broadway Bakery. And what an oasis it turned out to be. I can’t imagine how they sell the quantity or variety of fresh pastries that were on display. We had trouble picking a single treat with Nancy and I both going back for seconds. Unfortunately, their coffee was not of the same standard as their baked goods.

It was way too early the check into the hotel so we decided to ride out the Hot Springs State Park for a look at their thermal baths. Wow, what a find. You could soak in the public pool for 20 minutes or for $10 (senior rate), you could soak all day in the private facility. We choose the later and spent more than 1.5 hours moving between the various pools of different temperatures. Everyone agreed that the 104 degrees spa pools were our favorite – the sulphur smell was pretty strong but we got used to it. What a nice way to spend our normal late morning riding time.

Eventually we tore ourselves from the pools and made our way to our hotel and managed a slightly early check-in. The Elk Antler Hotel is funky, not a style we’d choose for our own home but fun for a night. Most of the other guests are utility workers or motorcycle riders but I’m sure that they will be quiet.

For afternoon coffee Nancy and I decided to give the other coffee shop (Storyteller) on Main Street a try. They not only knew what a cortado was but made a very tasty one to boot. No prizes where will be heading for brekkie tomorrow. Later we joined Chris and Curtis at the One Eyed Buffalo (OEB) pub for dinner. We had good beers, burgers and salads, plus Chris got to sample their local whisky.

Tomorrow, Thursday, we have a super short 30 mile-ish day to Shoshoni, to put us in place to get to Casper on Friday with a 100 mile day. While the two days add up to 130 miles, there is no way possible to break them into two 65 mile days. There is absolutely nothing on the road between Shoshoni and Casper. Good news for Friday is that westerly winds to 25 MPH are forecast and we will be heading east so should have a nice tailwind. Meanwhile, we heard that Shoshoni has a new truck stop where we can hang out tomorrow once we reach town. I know, how exciting, a truck stop. Honestly, there is not much out here. Today’s spa day was a rare treat which we are most grateful.