State of Wyoming Rest Stop: Shirley Rim Rest Area.

I should really have started this blog with this entry, as more than any other Wyoming rest stop, it's the one I've stopped at the most.

The Shirley Rim Rest Area.

An archetypical example of the Wyoming solar rest stop, this station is located near Mile Marker 45 on Highway 487, just after, or before, the spot where the highway junction with the old Highway 77 is located.  It's located on the Casper side of Shirley Rim, on the road to Medicine Bow.

Resident of the rest area.

Because of its location, it's a heavily used rest station, as it's on the route to, or from, Laramie.  Having said that, its location is, in my view, a bit badly placed, as It's quite near Casper, if traveling in towards Laramie, or Saratoga, and quite far from those locations if traveling in the other direction.  Frankly, locating it near or in the town of Medicine Bow would have made more sense.  Indeed, in the summer months, if I need to stop, I'll actually tend to stop at the baseball fields in Medicine Bow, which have facilities, or in Rock River, which isn't far down the road.

It's a small, but typical, rest area of this type.  The Wyoming Wildlife sign has suffered from the elements heavily over the years, and the weather in this area is frequently bad.  Isolated when first built, and largely still pretty isolated, a small village now exists across the highway from it, housing Wyoming Department of Transportation crews who keep the highways open, or try to.

In that sense, this is one of the more rustic, in terms of atmosphere, Wyoming rest areas.  It has picnic benches and the like, but I never see them actually used.  It's old enough that I can recall it having a pay phone, and there was an area rancher who had never had a phone put in at his headquarters as late as the 1990s, who used the phone at the station if he needed to.

State of Wyoming Rest Stop, Sheridan Wyoming.

One of the nicest of the WTDOT rest stops, it has a great geologic and archeological display inside, and attendants who have tourist information.  It's clean, and hte back side of it has a commanding view of the City of Sheridan.

 

State of Wyoming Rest Stops, Interstate 80, between Wamsutter and Rock Springs, Wyoming.

This actually depicts two WYDOT rest stops, the two probably being the two busiest in the state.  They're on a long stretch of Interstate 80.  Offhand, I think these are the first rest stops, going west, since the one at Ft. Fred Steele.

That's a long ways.

This is two, not one, rest stops, as the highway is divided.  The two rest stops are likely 1/4 mile distant from each other, on opposite sides of the highway.

They aren't in a scenic location, which no doubt is besides the point. Dedicated to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, they're on part of the path of the old Lincoln Highway and near the Union Pacific Railroad's location.  In some ways, they're the closest thing a modern traveler will experience to the old stage stop.  No food, of course, but a place to briefly stop in the middle, more or less, of Wyoming's Red Desert.

Indeed, on the day I took these photos, a traveler from out of state was taking his horses out of his horse trailer for a break.

Reopening of the Rest Stops

 

Governor Gordon Authorizes Funding to Temporarily Reopen 9 Rest Areas for the Summer Travel Season

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –  Governor Mark Gordon has directed the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) and Wyoming Office of Tourism (WOT) to partner to temporarily reopen and operate nine previously closed rest areas for at least the duration of the 2021 tourist season.

“With the summer season just around the corner, I’m glad we will be able to reopen these facilities to travelers,” Governor Gordon said. “We are glad to have this chance to find a temporary solution.”

WYDOT and WOT along with the Governor's office will work together to secure a temporary federal funding source to allow the nine rest areas throughout the state to reopen. 

"WYDOT is extremely grateful to Governor Gordon and Director Shober for identifying new federal funds to temporarily reopen our rest areas for the tourist season," said WYDOT Director K. Luke Reiner. 

Officials closed the rest areas in June 2020 as a cost-savings measure due to budgetary shortfalls. 

 The nine rest areas include:

• Lusk on US 18
• Guernsey on US 26
• Greybull on US 16
• Moorcroft on I-90
• Star Valley on US 89
• Sundance on I-25
• Upton on US 16
• Orin Jct on I-25
• Chugwater on I-25

“Each of these nine rest areas are a valuable tourism tool, said Diane Shober, executive director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism. “Certainly, a clean facility is important to the visitor experience, but it is also a powerful marketing platform to distribute travel guides and other trip-planning resources. As travelers are stretching their legs, they are also gathering information on local events, attractions, restaurants, campgrounds and lodging, which all can lead to extended stays and increase visitor spending.”

The rest areas should reopen ahead of Memorial Day weekend.

-END-

Lex Anteinternet: The Cruel Indignities

Lex Anteinternet: The Cruel Indignities:

The Cruel Indignities

Put up just this morning:

Lex Anteinternet: Steady Rain: We've had an entire series of these items recently: Lex Anteinternet: Heavier Rain : After just posting this, this morning: Lex Ante...

And now this:

WYDOT to close 10 rest areas as a cost-saving measure

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon has announced that Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) will close 10 rest areas located throughout the state as a way to reduce the agency’s operational costs.

The closures are effective June 15 and were prompted by a need for WYDOT to reduce costs due to budgetary shortfalls. They were approved by the Wyoming Transportation Commission during its recent special meeting. 

“This is a painful reality but a necessary step given our state’s fiscal situation,” Governor Gordon said. “This will have real impacts, not only for travelers, but for the custodial staff contracted to provide services to these facilities. These workers are our friends and neighbors in Wyoming communities around the state.” 

The rest areas that will close include Lusk on US 18; Guernsey on US 26; Greybull on US 14-16-20; Moorcroft on Interstate 90; Star Valley on US 89; Ft. Steele on Interstate 80; Sundance on Interstate 90; Upton on US 16; and Orin Junction and Chugwater, both located on Interstate 25. 

“We took a hard look at all of our rest areas and came up with a list of those that we feel we can close with a minimal amount of impact to our travelers,” said WYDOT Director K. Luke Reiner. “It was a hard decision but one that we came to based on the needs of the public and to ensure we maintain a balanced budget.” 

WYDOT officials sent letters to local community leaders and the contractors who work at the rest areas notifying them of the closures. 

The rest area closures will result in a savings to WYDOT of approximately $197,453 from June 15 through Sept. 30, which is the end of the fiscal year. After that, the department will save about $789,812 per year. 

“Although these rest areas will close, motorists will still have access to facilities in neighboring communities,” Reiner said. “Each of the rest areas that are closing are within a reasonable distance of a town that has facilities for the public.”