My review on Wyoming (moving, dry, compared)

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by drawk04

... I spent 9 days in this wonderful state. Started off the festivities in a little community called Moorcroft,

...I think my favorite part about this trip was being on roads, which scenery like I've never seen before....with very little civilization to accompany me....talk about freedom at its prime. ... All in all....a perfect trip..didnt meet a single jerk either, everyone was very nice, even the locals in the bars that knew we were tourists....... but before I exit the Wyoming sector, I'd like to say to the residents and people who appreciate this place.....gorgeous, unbelievably gorgeous.

But WAIT, you might have missed a few places in WY. We trust you will not forget them while venturing through enroute to MT and UT.

Do add these to your bucket list (all 'on-your-way- and well worth the time)
Beartooth Highway
http://byways.org/explore/byways/2054 (Snowy Range...stop in Saratoga and enjoy a free dip in the Hobo Hot Springs Pool)
Wyoming Carbon County Encampment (http://www.wyomingcarboncounty.com/townpages/encampment/index.htm - broken link)


I must admit, I too love the roads (especially when they lead to a nice meadow on 14a above Burgess Jct, and I can pull off and take a snooze in the tall grass, next to a rippling brook).

Summer Evening lightning storms can be very entertaining, but the peaceful drive across a glistening frozen winter Prairie under moonlight cannot be matched. (I often drive w/o headlights to better enjoy the 'natural light') I discovered this when I had to drive 350 miles of WY without lights when generator went out on my old truck. (she had over 3 million WY/SD/NE/CO miles on her).

Many many more places to enjoy in WY, Come often

[Ltdumbear]

actually the Hobo-Hot pool is closed-down; was just there 2 mos ago...heard something about the owners applied for state-funding, and before the funding was approved, they went ahead and made improvements without going through the proper-channels, and funding was yanked-out from under them. You CAN strip-down to skivvies and soak right out by the riverside (out in the open) but....now that winter is here...

...what was that famous Seinfeld episode about 'Shrinkage' ? ? lol

[drawk04]

and sorry for the grammar imperfections, i was extremely tired when i wrote this. Stealth, you are probably right...Beartooth highway and Flaming Gorge were two places I regret not traveling to...I was extremely close to Flaming Gorge too, sucks...I stayed in Rock Springs one night and it wasnt too far from there. The road that was particularly vacant was 287, the highway Jeffery City and Sweet Water Station are on....From Muddy Gap to HWY 28, I saw one other vehicle traveling, and a county vehicle working on a powerbox on the side of the road.....It was beginning to get dark and by the time I passed SWS it was totally dark...I took it easy on the speed because of the wildlife and just enjoyed an extremely clear sky. Thermopolis was one more place I would have liked to visit, until next time. I still cant get over how awesome of a state it is.

[kevreg]

Beautiful pics. Reminds me why I moved here. Fifteen years ago my wife told me, "Fishing is not a good reason to move". I thought so.

[drawk04]

You know Kev, if I could find a job out there...I'd move in a heartbeat. Whats even nicer is its location. Montana to your north, Utah to the south, the Dakotas to your east. Enough to keep any photograhper or someone who just enjoys big open country occupied for a life time....I've lived in Wisconsin my entire life, and while I appreciate it greatly, and have captured some amazing photos with pretty much just farm land and a few small bodies of water, I'm ready for a change. I work as a cook now, but I'm giving up on the culinary world and going into interior design. I wonder how a designer would do out there. Honestly, the area I live, has a fair amount of money, a strong economy, and a very artsy scene. I'm not sure if I could do any better out there, but you know, like I said, if I could get a job lined up somewhere in the future...I'd jump on it immidately. My mother always told me one thing she wished she had done was move to another state, try something new....Im in the position and will be later on hopefully...that I can do that, and I want to do that. I'm hoping I can put everything together and make this happen someday.

[sholomar]

middleton, WI is beautiful in it's own right though. Certainly moreso than boring eastern SD. You have the Dells nearby, the driftless area right there, and lake Michigan not terribly far away. Madison is a cultured town with a good standard of living and plenty to do. Not far from the twin cities, not far from Chicago, Milwaukee, etc.

Though I will agree the black hills, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, all beautiful areas. I'd prefer to live in either, actually I'd prefer to live anywhere compared to where I'm at besides up in North Dakota, but I have a good job here.

Too cold here, flat, boring, no good stores in this particular town. At least it's along the interstate. Maybe transfer to another 3M plant at some point. Cottage Grove, MN would be the best location of the ones I've looked at. Good job vs better geographic living conditions.. toughie.

People move up to western North Dakota to take oil field work, which is slave labor by comparison.. I don't want to rock the boat.

[Froggie Legs]

Originally Posted by stockwiz

Too cold here, flat, boring, no good stores in this particular town. At least it's along the interstate. Maybe transfer to another 3M plant at some point. Cottage Grove, MN would be the best location of the ones I've looked at. Good job vs better geographic living conditions.. toughie.

too funny, I lived in Cottage Grove while I attended high school.. it was a nice place to live. (sorry for going off topic)

[drawk04]

Middleton aint bad at all...expensive, but with money, theres more opportunity...And youre absolutely correct, Madison is a lively town, and a change in pace isnt far away. I LOVE the driftless area, I spend a lot of time out by Gays Mills and Viroqua taking photos and just freeing my mind. I've lived here my entire life, but I havent gained all I wanted. Its very competitive in a lot of fields here too, it may be just what I need to get my feet off the ground, but it could work against me as well...And stock, there is a 3M plant in Prarie Du Chien as well, probably not as big as the one in Minnesota, but I know its pretty big for the area, defiantly one of the top employers...and your centered in the driftless area !! Just sayin !!

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by drawk04

You know Kev, if I could find a job out there...I'd move in a heartbeat. Whats even nicer is its location. Montana to your north, Utah to the south, the Dakotas to your east. Enough to keep any photograhper or someone who just enjoys big open country occupied for a life time....I've lived in Wisconsin my entire life, and while I appreciate it greatly, and have captured some amazing photos with pretty much just farm land and a few small bodies of water, I'm ready for a change. I work as a cook now, but I'm giving up on the culinary world and going into interior design. I wonder how a designer would do out there. Honestly, the area I live, has a fair amount of money, a strong economy, and a very artsy scene. I'm not sure if I could do any better out there, but you know, like I said, if I could get a job lined up somewhere in the future...I'd jump on it immidately. My mother always told me one thing she wished she had done was move to another state, try something new....Im in the position and will be later on hopefully...that I can do that, and I want to do that. I'm hoping I can put everything together and make this happen someday.

"artsy scene"? in Wyoming?

The places with strong economic "boom times" here in Wyoming ... such as the extractive industry towns like Gillette and Casper ... don't come to mind when I think of high levels of culture/arts or a strong demand for interior designers. Despite a fair amount of (relative) affluence/disposable income these days, these are still pretty much blue-collar working class towns.

Jackson could be an exception to that with the influx of out-of-the-area money. But the folk I know who have built some rather spectacular structures there relied upon their existing relationships with designers "back home" from their other projects. I knew one lighting designer who was accustomed to working with multi-million dollar residential lighting projects and he was based out of Colorado; another one was from LA, yet another from NYC. Everybody on the projects came from someplace else except for the local contractors for basic construction ... excavation, foundations, plumbing, electrical, etc. Even the interior finish trim crews were brought in from out of the area, as well, the fabric, art, kitchen and bathroom designers ... and the products were brought in from out of the area.

While you sound eager to be footloose and fancy free with a great adventure ahead ... I'd advise you to come out to Wyoming to visit and see for yourself if your talents and expectations have a viable niche out here to keep you in the style you'd like to be accustomed to.

Sounds like you've got a lot of good opportunities where you are at now which may not be matched in Wyoming. If the success of your move is solely based upon what you've presented so far as parameters, you may be disappointed in Wyoming in comparison; moving just for the sake of moving may not be the best basis.

[Wyomama2]

Originally Posted by kevreg

Beautiful pics. Reminds me why I moved here. Fifteen years ago my wife told me, "Fishing is not a good reason to move". I thought so.

Is she still your wife or did you leave her for fishing??? LOL