Dinosaurs, Bison, Whiskey and More!
With this being our last day in Thermopolis, there were a few roadside attractions Lynn wanted to check off the list: Jimbo the Supersaurus and the rare Archaeopteryx (“first bird”) at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. Kirk, naturally, had his own priority — the Wyoming Whiskey Distillery just up the road.
Lynn was up at her usual 05:30 and Kirk at 09:00. After a slow morning, we headed out just before 11:00 to the Dinosaur Center — one of the most hands‑on, immersive dinosaur museums in the country. Less than ten minutes from the campground, we pulled up to a warehouse‑looking building that turned out to be a massive hangar full of massive dinosaurs.
Jimbo was the star of the show, stretching the length of the building. A Supersaurus and one of the longest dinosaurs ever found (106 feet), Jimbo is also one of the most complete specimens discovered. Unearthed in Thermopolis in 1996, it took years to excavate. Lynn isn’t a huge dinosaur fan, but anything rare grabs her attention — including the museum’s Archaeopteryx, the famous “first bird.” Only about a dozen specimens exist, most locked away in Germany, and this one is among the best preserved and one of the only examples accessible to the public in North America. We spent under an hour exploring and skipped the dig programs — not our thing, and at 81° and sunny, far too hot to be digging for bones. Entrance fee: $24 ($12 each).
Right next door was the Bison Pasture at Hot Springs State Park, so on a whim Kirk drove through to see if anyone was out grazing. Bingo — a small herd of bison and babies! A few hundred photos later (as if we needed more after last year’s thousands in Custer State Park!), we moved on. While meandering through the park, we spotted wild turkeys loitering in the parking lot near the Assisted Living building, so of course we stopped for a few photos.
After our wildlife detour, we headed to Kirby (about 13 miles away) for the Wyoming Whiskey Distillery. Tours aren’t available yet, but the tasting room and gift shop were open. We sampled a few bottles that aren’t sold nationwide, and after a lively chat with the tasting room host, walked out with a few bottles you can only get in Wyoming, BBQ sauce, syrup, hats, T‑shirts, and stickers! Yes, we spent a bit. Yikes!
By 2:00 we were hungry — and we’d been “sampling” — so we returned to the One Eyed Buffalo for one last Thermopolis meal. Locals say it’s the best place in town, and we wanted the Jagersnitzel again. Kirk didn’t think it was quite as good as the first time, but Lynn was perfectly happy.
After lunch, we filled up on gas and DEF for tomorrow’s travel. While Kirk was fueling at the Maverik, a guy named Rob walked up and said, “Hey, I camped next to you last year at Custer’s Gulch over the 4th of July!” He recognized the truck. What are the odds that someone you chatted with a year ago in a South Dakota would spot you at a random gas station in Thermopolis, Wyoming? Crazy randomness!
By 3:00 we were back at the RV, spending the rest of the afternoon relaxing and napping. It was a great last day in Thermopolis — dinosaurs, whiskey, wildlife, and one wildly improbable reunion, all wrapped into a single Wyoming send‑off.
Weather – High 88*, Low 63*. Winds 6-8 mph w/14 mph gusts. No rain. Slight humidity.
Traffic – None.
Food – One Eyed Buffalo.
Notable – Wyoming Dinosaur Center, Bison, Turkeys, Wyoming Whiskey. Random reunion.
