Wy not Disneyland?

Time will tell how much the flood-caused closing of Yellowstone will hurt the Wyoming tourism industry. Seems there was a brief boom for Thermopolis as tourists already on the way saw the signs “Yellowstone Park All Entrances Closed” or learned the bad news elsewise and turned to other locations.

But what about people who are still at home, in parts east, west and south of the nation’s first national park--and that’s most of the country--and planning to go elsewhere?

I sure hope they don’t go to Disneyland/World or some other artificial “theme” park.

I went to Disneyland as a kid, and about all I remember are the lines, and little else. I don’t but vaguely recall actually riding anything. Oh yeah, and parking lots filled with thousands of cars. I do remember those those animated puppet birds.

The theme of all those theme parks is artificiality, attempting to create something “real” out of that which is not. We’ve even got movies, another piece of unreality, based on theme park rides, and theme park rides based on movies. Phony, phony, phony.

Wy oh wy oh wy would anyone with half a brain in their head buy a family pass costing hundreds, stay in $400 a night hotels, plus the costly meals, to wait in long lines--”You are now approximately 45 minutes from the ride”--when you could come to Wyoming, get out of your vehicle--or not--and in five minutes see more natural beauty FOR FREE than you’ll get in a whole day at Disneyland? (You’ll NEVER see such beauty at Disneyland.)

(And this is not to mention the “politics” of Disney becoming very “family unfriendly,” what with Mickey and Minnie changing their pronouns and going “rodent fluid.”)

Wyoming is so much more than Yellowstone, and any place in this state is so much more than Disneyland, even Wamsutter.

Wyoming is even superior to states like Colorado, which can get kind of boring, with mountain range after mountain range packed shoulder to shoulder, and boulder to boulder. Wyoming has contrasts, with large open expanses interspersed with “free standing” mountain ranges, the Big Horns, Wind Rivers, Tetons, Laramies, etc.

Of course, the tourists can still be stupid. Coming down into Ten Sleep, we got stuck behind a jam of big RVs blocking the highway so they could take photos of a large flock of sheep being moved. Hey, fools! Pull off the road, get out of your behemoths, and let people who have seen such before, even worked sheep or other livestock, use the highway! What could have happened? Get trampled by a mob of mutton? Not as bad as those urbanites who get injured or killed trying to take selfies with bison or bears, or jump into a geyser to rescue a little ankle biter who fell in. Sad, but leave your mutts at home, people.

Vistas that contain more territory than multiples of tiny northeastern states. Wildflowers in profusion. Lizards, snakes, big game, small game, and none mechnical or CGI. Eagles and vultures riding thermals.

And to watch the nighthawk hunting for dinner above us on Round Top as the sun set required no 45 minute wait.

Phil Trieb

Gary, South Dakota

VULTURE HOPES

I did Round Top, twice in a day

Plus Monument Hill

And I thought I’d pay

With cramps or spasms

Aches or pain

In my muscles, joints

Or brain.

A vulture saw me huff and puff

And thought that I

Had had enough

And if he waited

He’d have a meal.

But I said,

“Hey Buzzard

Here’s the deal:

In between those climbs

I took me a dip

In a hot spring

And that was the trick

Eased those muscles

Soothed each limb

Even softened

My sun-baked skin.

There is no imminent demise

So best turn those

Vulture eyes

Elsewhere for your

Dinner feast.

Leave, you carrion-eating

Beast!”

So the vulture made

A slow depart

And then I thought,

Deep in my hiker’s heart

That I should then ascend T Hill

But decided I ought cool my heels

Not bite off more

Than I could chew

(Or that vulture, nearby)

I’d wait . . .

A day or two.

Wally Firesteel

Cowboy Poet

Photos

Lupine, between Buffalo and Ten Sleep.

Lupine, Bighorn Mountains

Sunset, from downtown Thermopolis

Wildflowers, on Monument Hill

Before sunset, from Round Top

Yellowstone Park sign on I-90