Wyoming Life

What The Heck … Is That Giant Face On The Hill Overlooking Green River?

Mansface Hill on the west edge of Green River rises above the town with its unique rock formations that, from a certain angle, look like a man’s face in profile.

August 28, 2023

Thermopolis has one of the widest streets in America for its downtown at 150 feet. There's not only room for two lanes of traffic on each side, but four lanes for parking as well two of them in the roomy median.

Main Street Through Thermopolis Is Gigantic For One Reason: Mules

The main drag through Thermopolis is 150 feet wide, dwarfing most any other small town. Why it’s so wide is simple: So Henry Johnson could turn his 16-mule team around.

Renée JeanAugust 27, 2023

Auctioneer Warren Thompson has fast-talked his way through 50 years of Fremont County Fair auctions, helping raise $20 million over the years.

Auctioneer Warren Thompson Celebrates 50 Years On The Mic At Fremont County Fair

Wyoming auctioneer Warren Thompson is celebrating his 50th year as auctioneer at the Fremont County Fair. Although he can squeeze in 400 words per minute while he's on the job, he cautions against fast-talking his wife, Sherry.

Jake NicholsAugust 27, 2023

What was once a cattle shipping point on the Transcontinental Railroad, the town isolated town of Carter, Wyoming, doesn't list a population estimate on its sign today.

Wyoming Places: Carter, Now A Ghost Town, Is Named For State's First Millionaire

Now it's all but a ghost town, but in Wyoming before statehood, William A. Carter established his namesake town in Uinta County. A cattle baron, merchant and politician, he became Wyoming's first millionaire.

August 27, 2023

No. 23 is one of only two 1949 GMC Union Pacific passenger buses known to exist. It still has its original paint, logos and accessories, like the horns on the roof.

One Of Only 2 Known Rare Union Pacific Buses Coming To Cheyenne

Michael Pannell of Cheyenne loves all things Union Pacific and collects historic railcars. Now he’s purchased a rare UP passenger bus, one of only two known to still exist, and bringing it to Cheyenne.

Greg JohnsonAugust 27, 2023

Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame: Mary Flitner – My Ranch, Too

Mary Budd Flitner was the second of three daughters and her father expected them to “do a day’s work” on the ranch. They learned how to “read” and “finesse” cattle by understanding behavior and anticipating what cattle might do next.

Candy MoultonAugust 27, 2023

This 2007 Corvette Indy 500 owned by Steve Melius was getting some attention during the Cars, Cigars and Guitars event.

Muscle Machines To Land Yachts, Summer Is Go-Time For Wyoming’s Gearheads

From muscle machines to land yachts, the summer classic car season in Wyoming wouldn’t be complete without the annual Cars, Cigars and Guitars show in Cheyenne.

Renée JeanAugust 27, 2023

Tour guides Joe Dean and Wayne Morrow outside the Evanston Roundhouse.

Ghosts Of Wyoming's Railroad Heyday Haunt Evanston's Historic Roundhouse

The Evanston Roundhouse's heyday was in the early 1940s when its 350-person crew maintained steam locomotives and train cars of all shapes, sizes and purposes.

August 26, 2023

During Rally Week, or when labor is scarce, the Ponderosa Cafe closes and the restaurant runs out of the bar.

Eating Wyoming: Hulett's Ponderosa Cafe May Look Like A Dive But Doesn't Taste Like A Dive

Michael Dean Coronato, "the crabby chef" from New Jersey, owns the Ponderosa Cafe in Hulett. He’s catered for very large crowds over his 30-plus year career including backstage catering for Bruce Springsteen and other famous rock stars.

Renée JeanAugust 26, 2023

How Elvis (Indirectly) Helped Create A Divided Highway In Middle Of Nowhere, Wyoming

Before it was a back road between Rock River and Bosler, U.S. Highway 30 was one of Wyoming’s busiest stretches of road. A crash that killed one of Elvis Presley’s movie co-stars helped upgrade 19 miles of it with wide-open four-lane pavement.

Mark HeinzAugust 26, 2023

Barrie Lynn Bryant a documentary photographer points to a sandstone slab that is falling off. Bryant said the slab was not loose the last time he and Mike Bies checked on the petroglyphs. Drought has been hastening the disintegration process.

Race On To Save Wind River Petroglyphs From Sliding Off Canyon Face

Retired cultural resources expert Mike Bies is working fast to document petroglyphs and pictographs on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The ancient rock art is sliding off the face of canyon walls.

Renée JeanAugust 26, 2023

Rainbow in Sublette County on August 24, 2023

Who Needs Summer? It’s Already Turning To Fall Around Wyoming

A long winter, extended spring and unusually wet and cool summer make it feel like it’s too soon for fall to set in around Wyoming, but that’s happening, says Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day.

Andrew RossiAugust 25, 2023

"Sounds of the Night," a bronze sculpture by Powell-based sculptor Vic Payne, at the entrance of the Bunker Sands Gallery at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. This piece is one of 104 pieces of art included in the 42nd Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale.

Cody Art Show Has National Appeal As Auction Expected To Fetch More Than $1.2 Million

The annual Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale kicks off one of the most prestigious Western art events in the nation. This year its auction is expected to fetch more than $1.2 million.

Andrew RossiAugust 21, 2023

This is a recent photo of the band during its summer tour of the West, which included the Las Vegas Highland Games.

Lander Bagpipe Band In Demand All Over The West

The Lander Pipe Band may have been started by adults, but today most of its members are youths who play the bagpipes expertly — and they're in demand to perform across the West.

Renée JeanAugust 20, 2023

Kris Stauffer with a skull of Pachycephalosaurus. Replicas of this rare dinosaur fossil are in museums and homes, copied from the original fossils found by Kris' father, Leonard Zerbst, on the ranch.

Five Generations Of Digging Up Dinosaurs At Wyoming’s Zerbst Ranch

Each generation of the Zerbst family has found significant specimens on the 7,000 acre ranch -- including a mummified Edmontosaurus, one of the most complete and best-preserved Triceratops skeletons ever found, and a magnificent Pachycephalosaurus skull (pictured).

Andrew RossiAugust 20, 2023

A young 4-H member shows off a ribbon he won at the Teton County Fair.

Would You Pay $1,000 For A Rabbit? Yup, If It’s A 4-H Wyoming Grand Champ

Fair season in Wyoming has wrapped up another summer, with many counties knocking on $1 million 4-H livestock sales.

Jake NicholsAugust 19, 2023

Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame: Marion Scott, Campbell County Cowboy

In 1949, the Scott Ranch had no equipment to move the record-breaking snow, so horses provided the power for all the work. At 17-years-old, Marion loaded 400-500 pounds of cake on two pack horses and rode seven miles through the deep snow to feed their cows. He did this every day for weeks.

Candy MoultonAugust 19, 2023

Doug and Dayna Jobe, right, were among the visitors to get up close to the Ames Monument on Saturday.

What The Heck Is … That 60-Foot Pyramid In the Middle Of Nowhere Off I-80?

Just minutes off Interstate 80 about 20 miles east of Laramie is the Ames Monument, a 60-foot pyramid in the middle of Wyoming pastureland.

Greg JohnsonAugust 19, 2023

Researchers at the Powars II red ochre mine archaeological site may have discovered an even older red ochre mine.

Groundbreaking: Even Older Red Ochre Mine May Have Been Found At Powars II In Wyoming

Researchers from around the world at Wyoming’s Powars II Paleoindian archaeological dig have found what could be a much older red ochre mine on the site. The original site contains one of the oldest paleoindian mines ever discovered.

Renée JeanAugust 19, 2023

Keith Susan Wagner shared this dramatic storm hovering over Cheyenne to the Wyoming Through the Lens Facebook page Aug. 4.

With 17+ Inches Of Rain So Far, Cheyenne Is Wetter Than Seattle This Year

The 17.38 inches of rain Cheyenne has received so far in 2023 is the second wettest on record and there's still 4 1/2 months to go. Cheyenne has even received more rain this year than Seattle.

Andrew RossiAugust 17, 2023

Much of the vast stretches of Wyoming grasslands remain relatively green and lush in mid-August.

How Is Wyoming Still This Green In Mid-August?

A winter with record snow, and wetter-than-normal spring and summer has Wyoming weather and agriculture experts marveling at how green it still is, saying it’s “unheard of.”

Andrew RossiAugust 17, 2023

Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame: Pat Dew

In 1913, when he was 21, William Patrick "Pat" Dew drove a wagon from Nebraska to Pinedale where he soon found a cowboy job in Big Piney country, spending most of his time on the round-up and on the range. Dew will be inducted into the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame in September.

Candy MoultonAugust 15, 2023

Kenny Lankford of Albany, left, won the National NRA Match Rifle Championship at Camp Atterbury, Indiana in July. He’s pictured with Armanda Elsenboss, winner of the 2023 National NRA Service Rifle Championship and Overall Championship.

Wyoming Man Wins Prestigious National Rifle Association Rifle Championship

Now in his 70s, Kenny Lankford, of Albany, Wyoming proved he hasn't lost a step. In July, he hopped into his 1948 Willys Jeep station wagon and drove to Indiana where he won this year’s NRA Match Rifle Championship.

Mark HeinzAugust 14, 2023

Wyoming Places: White Sulphur Spring An Overlooked Gem At Hot Springs State Park

Anyone who wants a pocket-sized Yellowstone experience can find it at Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis. One of the “local secrets” of Hot Springs State Park is the White Sulphur Spring.

Andrew RossiAugust 13, 2023

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