Leaving Colorado for Wyoming (Casper, Riverton: sales, real estate, rental)

[OomCurt]

Hi everyone,

Well, I have been browsing this forum for three days now and I like what I have been reading. I will be moving to Thermop this month and I will do my best to be a good neighbor.

A few particulars about me; I'm seventy years old, retired and live on a fixed income. While I can't do what I used to do...I still enjoy hunting and the outdoors. I live a very simple life. I am leaving Colorado due to the fact that it is becoming sort of an annex to the People's Republic of Kalifornia, especially Boulder County. As has been said in several threads on here...I am one of those that cannot stand someone from out of state moving in where I am living or going to live and then trying to tell me what they think is the way to do things. I don't think much of our politicians, be they federal, state, county, or city. Someone once said we "have the best politicians money can buy". I think the fellow was right. I also figure what one believes in as far as religion goes is their business, not mine or anyone elses...as long as theirs does not mean harm to others. I have already secured a place to live and all that. The only other thing is...this is going to be a bare bones move, so to speak. By the time I pay for a rental truck, the gas, and all that....be cheaper for me to buy what I need there...also..I am not intending to buy new....I'm not too proud to buy used.

About the only other thing about me, is I am into the "Mountain Man" thing...black powder...traditional flintlocks..that sort of thing.

TV? I haven't watched tv for almost a year now. I can't see the sense of spending sixty some bucks each month for ads, repeats, and junk.

All that said, I would welcome some feedback from you folks as far as any advice or questions you may have.

All the Best,
Curt

[Claim Jumper]

Hi Curt, My grandpa who lived in Douglas would go up there and soak in the hot springs once or twice a year, and believe it or not got the springs mineral water to drink from somewhere out there. He swore by it. I think he died at age 92-95
I remember the swimming pool there where they have several pools that have different temps so you can eventually get into the hottest one.
Have a great stay in Thermop


Ron

[jazzlover]

Having lived in both Wyoming and Colorado, I think that you will like Thermopolis. There definitely can be some prejudice against "greenies" (named for the Colorado license plate)--especially from the Front Range--among the locals. Once they find out that you aren't some carpetbagger wanting to turn their community into another Colorado, they are usually fine, though.

I was in Thermopolis fairly often, and it is a pleasant community--it does rely quite a bit on tourism, but hasn't prostituted its small town character to it the way so many Colorado towns have. I like that.

You will find the climate somewhat different from Boulder. Thermop can get quite hot at times during the summer--frequently above 90° F., with some days over 100° in most summers. Winters tend to be colder than Boulder, too. Thermop, like many locales in Wyoming, tends to be fairly dry in winter, with most moisture coming in spring. May and June are the wettest months, and the latter part of summer can be pretty dry.

The last thing to consider is that Thermop is relatively isolated--especially compared to Colorado. I assume you already know this, but the drive from Thermop to Casper, the nearest city of size, is a desolate one--and often hazardous in winter. The drive to Billings, Montana is somewhat less desolate, but longer. Things like specialized medical treatment usually require going to one of those two towns. The locals I knew in Thermop were pretty much split as where they went when they needed to go to the "big city." Some preferred Billings, some Casper. A couple of them said they went to Casper for business and medical, and to Billings to shop--the latter because Montana does not have a sales tax.

From what you post, the one thing about Wyoming that you should love--500,000 people instead of 4 million--that is a big plus right there.

[OomCurt]

Many thanks to those that replied.

Jazzlover, one thing is for sure...I am not by any means a "greenie". That, incidentaly is one of my reasons for leaving Colorado. All this talk about "environment"....sheesh...I can't stand those people. Speaking of the environment....I wonder how long it will take to sink in people's heads that the main cause of polution is over population? Seems to me that nature has and always will maintain a "balance". Well...with all the technological advances we as a people have made..health care, sociological advances, and above all...this "thing" where people have to be "protected"...dang. In short every creature has had its predators to keep its population balanced. We.....through our ego and greed have eliminated our natural predators. In short...we could wind up destroying ourselves...probably will.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by OomCurt

Many thanks to those that replied.

Jazzlover, one thing is for sure...I am not by any means a "greenie". That, incidentaly is one of my reasons for leaving Colorado. All this talk about "environment"....sheesh...I can't stand those people. Speaking of the environment....I wonder how long it will take to sink in people's heads that the main cause of polution is over population? Seems to me that nature has and always will maintain a "balance". Well...with all the technological advances we as a people have made..health care, sociological advances, and above all...this "thing" where people have to be "protected"...dang. In short every creature has had its predators to keep its population balanced. We.....through our ego and greed have eliminated our natural predators. In short...we could wind up destroying ourselves...probably will.

I think "greenie" in Wyomingite's eyes is more a generic thing. My Wyoming friends tended to get very tired of Colorado visitors (demographically, most of them from the urbanized Front Range) who often treated Wyoming like their private park--and the locals like indentured servants. I would add that I see that attitude exhibited by no small number of Front Range urbanites when they visit rural Colorado, as well. You will frequently see the bumper sticker in Wyoming: "Live in Colorado, fish in Colorado. Live in Wyoming, fish in Wyoming." Or the bumper sticker with "Calvin" peeing on the word "Greenie." Most non-Wyomingites don't get that one, but everybody in Wyoming knows what it means.

I do think you are right about the overpopulation problem. Mother Nature does bat last, and she usually hits it over the fence. I think our "slap-down" is soon at hand, unfortunately.

[WyoNewk]

OomCurt,
Welcome to Wyoming! The last time my wife and I were in Thermopolis we were discussing how it would be a nice place to retire. It just seems very "hometown" -- small, quiet, laid back with a nice river running through it, nice park, etc. And while we didn't price real estate, I'm sure it's pretty reasonable too.

I think Jazzlover's mention of "greenies" referred to the green license plates that Colorado had for years. I don't know if they're still green or not, but they were long before the current popularized "greenie" term.

Originally Posted by jazzlover

... There definitely can be some prejudice against "greenies" (named for the Colorado license plate)....

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by WyoNewk

OomCurt,


I think Jazzlover's mention of "greenies" referred to the green license plates that Colorado had for years. I don't know if they're still green or not, but they were long before the current popularized "greenie" term.

Colorado does still have green license plates, but they have also followed off the fad trends, and now have over 100 different "special" license plates that can be just about any color. I love the old green plates, but I like Wyoming's much better--plus Wyoming still county codes their plates, which Colorado abandoned a number of years ago. Wyoming also has not done all kinds of different plates. "Cowboy Joe" on the bucking bronco makes Wyoming plates easy to spot.

[shadowwalker]

If you are buying watch out for places that have water that is not potable. There is a good amount of that around Thermop. And hauling drinking water is awful boringsome after awhile.
On the black powder. There is a good rendevous in Riverton every summer. Also there is a blackpowder hunting only area below Lander wy. There are still alot of people that get together to shoot blackpowder, there used to be a winter blackpowder weekend in the winter time years back at Riverton.
A great place to hunt east of thermop is public and good for mulies and antelope, copper mountain souteast of thermop has great elk hunting.
Buy a BLM land book to see the areas of Wyoming and who owns them. It is "pretty accurate". We also have book called hunter access for hunting and one for fishing in the state. It shows the land leased by Wyoming Game and \Fish for the public access. Hunting along the big horn river up to worland has duck,goose,pheasant,turkey, and is good to fish on. Boysen resivor has ling,walleye,trout,panfish, there off bank or from boat is good.
And for the town of thermop, my dad lived there for over 14 years and about the best thing I will say. It's a small town with small town attitudes and hates. Some will like after a while and most others won't go out of their way to be more than cordial in passing. And yes, I too lived there for over a year and a half. So I do know about the town.

[georgiainwyo]

I, like shadowwalker, know about Thermop. I lived there for 13 years. The only thing I liked was the hot springs. I don't miss anything else about it. I was born & raised in the Big Horn Basin, now live in the eastern part of the state, so know Wyoming quite well. Thermop was my least favorite place to live. As a retiree it might be all right. There is a good senior center there and lots of things to do when you're retired, like soak in the hot springs, hunt, fish, etc. as mentioned before. But as for the people, I didn't care for most of them. Like anywhere, there are some good people there, but Thermop wasn't my cup of tea. Best wishes to you living there, though!

[Darrow]

Hope you love deer!