Here’s how I found adventure in Wyoming.
When you think about the coolest place in the US, one packed with adventure and tons of things to do, chances are great that Wyoming isn’t at the top of your list. Don’t lie.
Because finding adventure in Wyoming wasn’t at the top of my list either, but I was determined to find it. I was determined to find adventure in the least-likely place.
I wasn’t planning on going to or having an adventure in Wyoming
But isn’t that when the best adventures happen? When you’re not expecting it?
Or at least when your agenda is wide-open and you have a “whatever happens” attitude.
And that’s exactly what happened when I found adventure in Wyoming.
Rock Springs, Wyoming, to be exact.
Let me set the stage for you.
There are just some places that are built and designed for adventure. And then there are others that…well, aren’t.
Rock Springs is the latter.
This is not a knock on Rock Springs, or Wyoming.
But it’s a great example of how you can find adventure anywhere.
Rock Springs Quick Facts
- City in Sweetwater County, Wyoming
- Approximately 3 hours east of Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2020 Census population was 23,526 – making it the 5th most populous city in the state
- Elevation: 6,388′
- Coal mining created a population boom in the late 1800s
- Butch Cassidy worked at a butcher shop prior to becoming the infamous outlaw he’s known for
- Known as the city of 56 nationalities, due to the influx of people coming to work in the coal mines
- Outlaw gangs often passed through or used Rock Springs as their destination
- City boundaries cover 19.75 square miles (51.16 sq km)
I think the City of Rock Springs website sums up everything you need to know about the place.
Come visit us…you may enjoy yourself so much that you will want to stay!
Again, not a knock on Rock Springs, but the facts don’t exactly scream “adventure capital” the way others might.
So…how exactly did I FIND adventure in Wyoming?
It seems like a simple concept, but I found adventure in Wyoming because I was LOOKING for adventure in Wyoming.
Does that make sense?
Have you ever heard of the phenomenon known as target fixation?
Target fixation is an attentional phenomenon observed in humans in which an individual becomes so focused on an observed object (be it a target or hazard) that they inadvertently increase their risk of colliding with the object.
Source
Although this is traditionally attributed to fighter pilots, race car drivers and motorcyclists, I tend to adapt this concept into my adventure mindset.
If I’m out there looking for adventure, I’ll find it (or run into it…but not in a bad way).
I’ve found that one of the best ways to find adventure is to simply look for it. If I have the mindset that I’m going to have/find an adventure, no matter where I am, I’ll be sure to find one.
What was the adventure I found in Wyoming?
I studied history at University, and I am always drawn to historical points of interest in places.
Rock Springs has some pretty cool history surrounding the railroad and train culture. I was checking out the old train depot and the monuments surrounding it, when some old buildings across the street caught my eye.
In a moment of “basic” thinking, I figured I’d get a cool snap of the old buildings for my portfolio, when I noticed a plaque on one of the buildings. And then not far from it, a stand-alone sign, indicating that it was part of a DIY walking tour.
And what’s the point?
Never discount a place before you check it out. Even the sleepiest of towns are ready to provide adventures. Sometimes we just need to search it out.
Not to sound like an old lady, but I think people of this day and age have been conditioned to expect instant gratification. We see it in entertainment, social media, the culinary scene, and even in travel.
We want and expect to be handed pretty much everything without putting in the work. I’m not saying that we all have to schlep across the country on foot instead of modern transportation, but sometimes we visit places that aren’t just going to hand us an adventure. Sometimes we need to put in a *little* effort.
AND. THAT’S. OKAY.
Often when we don’t have to work for things in life, we don’t appreciate them as much as we should.
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