Take A Ride

Over Memorial Day weekend, my Mom and I went on a short road trip. We drove through the land my mother grew up on. Places like Bairoil and Lamont that no longer exist, but that show the remnants of lives that inhabited the land before the interstate came through and drew all the traffic away.

Most of my Mom's family is buried in Rawlins and she makes it up there every year to lay flowers on their graves.

The nice part is that Mom knows all the secrets along the way...so we stopped and reminisced!

I try to think about what it would be like to live in the little towns along the highway in the middle of Wyoming.

It's so quiet...perfectly quiet.

The imprints of grand ideas and plans for sticking around pop up unexpectedly.

Mom said this place has the best ice cream...

And she couldn't help but stop for a treat.

Independence Rock is a landmark along the way from Casper to Rawlins.
It was a stopping point for travellers making their way across the country to California.
Many emigrants carved their names to commemorate their journey.


On road trips, my Mom would always stop here and let me climb around and get out some pent up energy.

If you click on the pic, you'll be able to see some of the graffiti left behind.


Part of the rock is fenced off now - it's probably better...

I'm so fond of this land.

There's a bunny!

I'd build a house right here and raise winter wheat and have alpacas...

Unbelievable.

My Mom used to have this RAD shirt that said, "Where in the hell is Muddy Gap, Wyoming?". I wish I had that shirt.

At the cemetery in Rawlins, we set right to work.
But for some reason, I was really emotional.
All the people I'll never know...all the people who touched my mother's life and made her who she is...

This was her grandfather, Herbert Hart.
He owned a gas station in Lamont, WY. He worked for the Wyoming Highway Department. My mom says he was gentle with a gravelly laugh, was always fair, loved all his children and grandchildren, and was the epitome of a grandparent.
He once punched a guy for burying some dogs alive.



Bonnie Irene Hart was my Mom's grandmother.
Born in Climax, KS.
Mom says she was a 4 square baptist, loved Wyoming and claimed that she never needed to go to church because she saw the Lord everyday in the Ferris Mountains.

Agnes McCready was Mom's great grandmother.
She was very short and her step father, Jonas Hart, used her as a jockey on his horses in Kansas.
She loved animals, was a born horse woman, very practical and was a child of the Great Depression - she used everything & nothing went to waste.


Becky was my mom's best friend in high school. She was very gullible - Mom said she would believe anything that anyone said. She was a hard worker and took care of her family when no one else would. She had a twin brother named Barry.

Becky is my namesake - an honor I hope I live up to everyday!

Next up was my grandfather's grave and all his brothers...
My Mom's father and all of his brothers owned bars in Rawlins, WY.
Red Fenwick, a writer at the Denver Post, gave Rawlins the name Holden's Hole in an article he wrote after my Mom's father died.


George Holden died before my Mom was born.
Most memorably, George threatened to kill himself but ended up shooting himself in the foot.
Obviously, our family has a pretty great sense of humor.

Paul Holden.
He was a waiter and bartender at the Holden Cafe in Riverton, WY.
He was my Mom's godfather.
Paul was a drunk, but drank pony beers to keep people from thinking he was a drunk. He drank a lot of pony beers.

Dick Holden was the youngest.
He never used a bank and kept all his money in his house. When he finally deposited $100,000 in the Rawlins Bank...the IRS nailed his ass.
Uncle Dick owned a bar called, "The Flame" - there was a rumor that someone wrote a song about "The Flame". Mom and I are still investigating.

Ed Holden was the most successful brother - he was a pilot in the war.
Very handsome and popular with the ladies.


Charles Holden was my Mom's father.
Chuck was "full of the business" as my mom says.
He was full of jokes, hogwash, and baloney. He was corny as hell, loved Alberto VO5 and spent hours in front of the mirror perfecting his hairdo. Everytime he passed a mirror, he'd say, "Here comes heaven again!".
He was handsome, women loved him, he was a scoundrel, he'd just as soon punch you as argue with you.
Mom said, "Every funny man has a dark side", and without going too much into it, my grandfather had a dark side.

I love this picture of the flag waving in front of his grave.

Todd was my cousin...we called him Eddie.
He was a lost boy with a big heart who ran out of options.

After the tearful trip through the cemetary, I forced Mom to drive me by the old Wyoming State Penitentiary.


THIS PLACE IS THE COOLEST!

My Mom used to come here as a high school student and sing Christmas carols to the inmates. She said, after the performance, that they served the best hot cocoa and cinammon rolls ever.

The weather the whole day was overcast - sort of set the mood.



Secret door.

When it really started raining, Mom suggested we go to Rose's Lariat.
The best Mexican in Rawlins, Wyoming!

Mom went to high school with Rose.

Their food is delicious and you can taste the love.


Wyoming is really weird. But really, what place isn't?

There's lots of dignity, but lots of saddness too.
I think both give a person or a place character.

If you ever want to visit Wyoming, you can join me.
It's better to go with someone that loves it.