Wyoming Trip

Great grandpa Washburn wanted to return to Wyoming where he lived and played "Big Band" music all over the state when he was younger. He is now almost 93 and he wanted to celebrate, one last time, Pioneer days in Cowley, Wyoming. We decided to take him (along with grandpa Washburn). We started our trip on July 23rd. Our first stop, Salt Lake City. It was a long day. At least 12 hours on the road. We stayed at the Hilton in downtown Salt Lake. We had an exciting night. Luke lost his first tooth. It just fell out into the sink. He was so excited! The Tooth Fairy had to wait, however. She didn't know where we were to leave a "gold" coin. She eventually visited when we got home.

Then it was off to Wyoming, through Idaho, a corner of Montana, and Yellowstone. It was beautiful in Yellowstone. We did not see as many animals as we had expected, but it was still nice. We did take a few minutes to stop here and there. This was Lauren and Luke's first geyser.

We finally made our way to Wyoming. First we went through Cody and ended up in Powell where we were staying. Grandpa and Great Grandpa had lots of stories to share along the way. It was fun to listen to their excitement about being back. The next day, we went back into Cody and visited the famous LDS Mural chapel. It was an awesome sight. If you ever get the chance to go, it is worth it. The gymnasium gives a brief history of the pioneers settling in the Big Horn Mountain area. We also checked out the statue of Wild Bill Cody.



We eventually made our way to Cowley and Lovell to see where grandpa was born and lived. Great grandpa introduced us to Bill Powell, a friend of his that played in the band. During World War 2, he was also a pilot that took photos of areas before and after it was hit by artillery. He is also Linda Daily's dad. She was a member of my (Tina) ward in Mesa (46th Ward) while I was growing up. It sure is a small world.

Saturday morning we attended the Pioneer Day Parade in Cowley. It was a lot of fun. Great Grandpa knew some people who still lived there or who were visiting. They also had a program at the church building there. They have an awesome choir. Afterwards there was a BBQ in the park. Again, great grandpa found some friends to visit with. It was a fun time. Afterwards, we went back into Powell and I (Tina) took a nap while Bill and the kids went to a kiddie pool. We had been driving so much the kids needed to stretch their legs.

Saturday evening we went back into Cody to see a Wild West shoot'em up show. This was definitely a highlight. Why, you ask? See the picture below and you will find out.



Lauren enjoyed the show, however, Luke thought it was too loud and he kept having to go to the bathroom. Luckily grandpa was willing to take him.



Sunday we went to church in Powell. We stayed only for Sacrament Meeting, went back to the hotel to change and pack and headed back down to Salt Lake. It was a LOT of driving, but we were able to see quite a bit and hear many stories. We were glad we went.