But has eateries, like the Emporium in Hawk Springs,
and I had my first taste of… know what?
Not the one with the film festival. That’s in Utah. But the 2 are linked by the movie star associated with the name. Sundance, one of the 15 best little towns in WY, is named for the
sun dances that North American Indians on the plains have traditionally held each year in this area. These were banned in the late 19th century as part of the US and Canada’s colonization and forced assimilation policies. The bans were lifted by Canada in
the 1950s and more than 20 years later by the US with the passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978. See more here.
The outlaw Harry Alonzo Longabaugh became known as the “Sundance Kid” bc he served
his only jail time in the town. This true fact
is commemorated in the town’s Sundance Square, where a life-size statue of Longabaugh/Sundance lounges in the corner of an open cell.
The Square is lit up at night, with dedicated lights on the Kid himself.
As to why Redford chose Sundance for the name of his festival, no clue. Probably in honor of himself. Just a guess. I wonder if he even knows there’s a Sundance, WY.
The town itself is kinda cool.. small and western without an awful lot going on now. April isn’t high season, but there’s plenty to do in the surrounding area. "Unmatched beauty & recreation"
and “unparalleled scenery, adventure and history.” Just ask the Sundance Chamber of Commerce. Actually there
are some very cool things... Devils Tower is about 25 miles away. Fantastic and truly amazing; pictures will come next.
This is also Black Hills country; Mt. Rushmore is less than 2 hrs away, in South Dakota; Badlands National Park another 2 hours past that. Plenty of history, much of it not very ennobling. There’s Deadwood and Sturgis (remember the superspreader motorbike
event during the pandemic?). Then there’s Custer, SD. The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is in Montana, 3-1/2 hours in the opposite direction.
Back to Sundance, it’s a neat little town with bars, restaurants, and pretty inexpensive motels. There’s an artist in residence who has a studio where he displays and sells his work and has art classes. There’s also a pretty interesting museum, but it
was closed. And an espresso bar. Also closed. Everything’s pretty convenient and walkable.
And lots of gun enthusiasts, although I didn’t see anyone packin’, and I saw at least one sign prohibiting bringing guns onto the premises. It might have been the bathrooms at Devils Tower.
It’s hard to describe this magnificently unnatural natural edifice. Fascinating, even awe-inspiring from every angle and in any light. There’s a supernatural pull to it. Native peoples tie colored cloths to the branches of surrounding
trees, hoping that the wind will take them and answer their prayers. Reminded me of how Jews put little scrolls with their wishes and prayers in the cracks and crevices of the Western Wall. All people have their beliefs.
One of these days I’ll make a slide show or movie with this soundtrack.
One of these days.
Meantime….
Some highlights from of my tour through the wilds of Wyoming, post Devils Tower… from Aladdin in the east to Cody and Shoshone Canyon in the west. Pt 2, tbd, down to Green River in the southwest part of the state.
First part of last stage of the Wilds of Wyoming tour.
I’d never heard of Thermopolis, but just from the name… can you guess what it’s known for?
The “smoke” Joe noted and memorialized in this sign was steam from hot springs, which now is one of Thermopolis’ main claims to fame. https://thermopolis.com/attractions/hot-springs-state-park-bath-house/
Smoking waters … THERMOpolis… get it?
Here’s a hot springs pool in which I soaked. It was indeed hot. No therapeutic benefits that I could tell, but not a bad way to spend 15mins.
Lots of other things too… history
… budding spring (and flowery public art) after a long, cold, snowy winter
… and, of course… bison. Or buffalo as they’re know in these here parts.
Kirby is home of my now fave distilled spirit… Wyoming Whiskey. Sadly, Butch’s Place was no longer open for business, and all they had at WW was cookies.
Just south of Thermo is the Wind River Canyon, which is just north of the Wind River Reservation. You might recall the film from a few years ago. A resident of the reservation (further south) said that some parts of the film were actually (!!) filmed there. Here’s the moon over Wind River, just north of the canyon.
The canyon is spectacular, especially as you see the Wind River (yes, that’s its name) flowing through it.
Continuing south you see lots of signs and markers pointing to the heroism and bravery of the “emigrants” on the “Push West,” aka the “Westward Expansion.” No mention of the “Manifest Destiny” that was helping fuel that expansion… along with dreams of great fortune, prosperity, independence, freedom, and more elbow room than elbows. Except when there were actually people living and providing for themselves there
To the settlers and their descendants, they were “Plains (as in just?) Indians.” You probably know what these folks thought of those emigrants. Probably a lot like what US “natives" of today think of the "alien invasion” coming across the border.
The land is beautiful but rugged and hardly inviting, and you have to wonder… how did so many survive?
Things must have seemed far better in front of them than behind, yet
many of course did not make it all the way.
Next up, part 2b of the last stage of the Wilds of Wyoming tour.. Lander, Sinks Canyon, Sacajawea cemetery, Mountain Man Museum in Pinedale, and Green River, which was the last stop before heading down to Utah.