I’m so excited to share another post from the Great American Road Trip I took with my friend, Ashley, last summer! My last post was about our time in Rocky Mountain National Park. Check that out if you haven’t seen it! Today I’m sharing our spontaneous excursion to Wyoming and the sights we saw along the way!! A normal drive from point A to point B turned into a highlight of the trip!

When we began planning our trip, we made sure to add a few “floater” days.  If we ran into car trouble, wanted to stay longer somewhere, or wanted to add to our agenda, we could. Our original plan was to head to Utah after our time in Colorado. Well, we ended up with a couple extra days that we hadn’t used up, and our friends we met in Colorado Springs convinced us that we NEEDED to go to Yellowstone National Park. So, we called up Ashley’s cousins in Cody, WY and asked if we could stay with them for a couple nights on our way to Yellowstone! I’m SO glad we did because the things we saw in Wyoming were out of this world!

Driving in Wyoming

I am in awe of the sheer beauty of the Wyoming landscape. Stunning rock formations, looming mountains, deep canyons, natural hot springs… it really is incredible. I love the fact that you can see for miles and miles wherever you look. That’s not normal in the south!!

We drove through some pretty stellar natural tunnels!

Wind River Canyon

On our way to Cody, WY, we passed through the beautiful Wind River Canyon. I ended up getting a postcard of this very rock formation!

Isn’t it beautiful?? 

Hot Springs State Park

We didn’t really have a plan for what we would see on our way to Cody. As we were driving, we kept seeing signs for the “World’s Largest Mineral Hot Springs.” And, as you know, if something says “World’s Largest,” we have to stop. We ended up stopping at Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, WY. Look at these outrageous colors and gorgeous landscapes!

We made our way over to the swinging bridge.

Check out the buildup from the sulphur springs over the ledge. We arrived just as the sun was setting, and it was amazing!  

The reflection of the sunlight on the water through the fog – amazing. 

Check out the vibrant colors of the hot springs water.

After a quick look around the park, we hopped back in our car and headed for Cody. On the way we witnessed the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen in my life. I was driving and didn’t have my phone with me to take a photo, so all I have left is the memory of it. I’ll leave you with the Facebook post I made of that glorious moment!

Incredible Beauty

Tonight I saw the most breath-taking sunset I’ve ever seen over a red and yellow striped canyon in Wyoming. We continued to drive and watch it change colors over the wild, rolling plains and endless horizon. A storm had come through just before, so the clouds were magnificent. My camera was unreachable, so I’ll only have the memories. But memories are fleeting. Transient. Here and then gone. I’ll never remember exactly what that sunset looked like or exactly the way the canyon’s jagged face loomed over the plains or exactly how the clouds looked after the storm passed and the light broke through. I’ve never been reminded of the inadequacies of our memories more than this trip, and it makes me sad.

But, I will remember that the sunset I saw tonight was glorious. And that my Great God made it. That I’ve never known what Psalm 19:1 meant more than in that moment. And that the Great God who made the sun, the sky, the clouds, and the canyons also made me. And He loves me. A selfish, worthless, and oh so proud person that fails Him again and again. But still, He loves me. Our trip is just beginning, and I’ve already seen so many incredible sights that I’ve never even dreamed of seeing. I’ve been overjoyed, terrified, and awestruck, even in the same day. And tonight I saw a little piece of heaven. When we get to heaven and are able to remember the sunsets we’ll still have the same response: Worship.

Worship…

“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
Psalm 19:1

“Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
Isaiah 6:5