|
Casper
|
|
|
Dreary
CASPER
, halfway up Wyoming on I-25, may not seem an obvious place to visit, but at a good 150 miles from anywhere of similar size it makes a likely pit stop. Originally at the spot where the Oregon Trail crossed the North Platte River - you can visit a reconstruction of the 1860s
Fort Caspar
which gave it its (misspelled) name - Casper has been the center of Wyoming's oil region since 1890. Its population (and appearance) fluctuates between periods of high and low demand; right now, the economy is ticking along, though with the exception of a couple of retail blocks along E Second Street downtown, still hasn't completely shaken off the signs of harder times.
Casper's biggest bright spot is the
Nicolaysen Art Museum
, 400 E Collins Drive (Tues, Wed, Fri & Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-8pm, Sun noon-4pm; $3). Housed in a disused power station, it displays old and new art by Wyoming artists. For a portrayal of life at an Oregon Trail Outpost, visit the
Fort Caspar National Historic Place
, on the North Platte River west of downtown. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
|
United States,
|