The drive from Billings, Montana to Casper, Wyoming alternated between depressing and fascinating.  When Nick and Sarah decided to skip Yellowstone for now and catch it at a later time on their virtually-unplanned American tour, they didn’t realize what they’d be missing.  The ride down I-80 gave them a good idea of what being “Out West” was about.  During this time, Sarah, who was driving, asked Nick to get online and find the best hotel they could get in Casper, Wyoming.  Being raised in the city gave her a fear of staying in some dusty motel a la “Psycho”.  She didn’t like tumbleweeds or insects the size of rats (cockroaches don’t count when you’re a New Yorker). 

Nick got on the phone with one of the few AAA-rated three diamond hotels in Casper, Wyoming.  After giving his credit card information, he paused.
“I have a few questions, sir”, Nick started.  “There are no large insects in the suite, correct?”  He paused again, grinning as he listened to what was undoubtedly the pedigree of the hotel.

“And can my girlfriend and I expect to see tumbleweeds at all?” he asked.  Sarah poked him and he dropped the phone.  She grabbed it, swerving a bit on the highway, and began to apologize to the reservation guy while Nick shouted “The owner isn’t named Bates, is he?”

Sarah rushed off the phone and pulled the Jeep over.  She poked Nick, not smiling.  She poked him again and he laughed harder.  Then she started tickling him, calling him every name she could think of.  Then she made a few up.  She came up with “jackhole”.  She liked it.

As they pulled up to the Courtyard by Marriott on Hospitality Lane in Casper, Wyoming, 82609, she realized where the name came from.  Casper, Wyoming was, after all, the home of the world’s greatest statue of a Jackalope.  Since it was downtown, they would see it later.  First, they wanted to settle in to the best hotel room they’d seen on the trip. 

After jumping up and down on the bed, she decided to take a swim in their pool.  She declared it “hotel night” and they would not leave the hotel until morning.  Then they would go out and enjoy Casper.  For now, she just wanted to be pampered a bit and spend time vegging with Nick.  After her swim, they ordered a pizza from Domino’s and snuggled together, watching movies in hotel bathrobes.  They fell asleep with visions of Jackalopes dancing in their heads.

Naturally, the first thing Nick and Sarah did in the morning was drive the 30-or-so minutes to 121 Brownfield Road, Douglas, Wyoming, 82633, where the town of Douglas proudly displayed the 8-foot Jackalope statue in the heart of downtown.   According to the literature they picked up (along with souvenir t-shirts) in Douglas, the Jackalope is a cross between a jackrabbit and an antelope.  Legend says that, although they are extremely shy, they can be lured into the open if someone leaves out a flask of whiskey.

“It’s like you, baby”, Sarah told Nick.

After getting their Jackalope hunting license, they headed back to Casper.

They were both ravenously hungry, and figured beef was the way to go in the West.  They picked a steak house downtown.  Before they got out of the Jeep, Nick reached into the ashtray.  He handed Sarah her ring, and he put on his wedding ring.  Casper, Wyoming did not disappoint, beef-wise.  They each had an enormous steak and waddled out, full of beef and a few of the microbrews from the area.

“Why the rings?” Sarah asked him as they walked to Diamond Dick’s Custom-Made Jewelry.

“I just felt like looking married for some reason”, he responded.

Sarah nudged his shoulder.  “Just look like a deer caught in headlights, and tell the waiter you haven’t seen me naked in months”.

When Sarah had researched places to buy engagement rings there, she came across the usual suspects of mall jewelers.  She and Nick agreed to check out what they suspected were the finest engagement rings inCasper, Wyoming—Diamond Dick’s.  They honestly didn’t know if he even had engagement rings there, but the name was irresistible.  Sarah went into full mosey as she approached 232 East 2nd Street, Casper, Wyoming 82601.  She wanted to perfect her western “mosey” just as she had perfected her Iowan vowels. 

“This would be so much more authentic if I was wearing chaps”, she told Nick.

“That’s hot”, he responded.  “We’ll get you some at the rodeo”.

They found that Diamond Dick’s specialized in elk ivory and jade.  It was a VERY western experience.  The people were nice and the jewelry had such a regional flavor that Sarah wanted to buy up everything, but settled on a necklace she felt made her look ‘native’.

After walking around Casper and enjoying the small-townish city, they went back to the hotel room to rest and make arrangements for their next stop. 

Sitting at the computer, Nick looked at the screen, squinted, and looked back at Sarah.

“Baby?” Nick said.

“Hmmm….” She responded.

“Their minor league baseball team is the Casper Ghosts”.

Sarah stretched to look at Nick, whose face gave away his every thought. “Let’s focus on the Jackalope”.

<< Newer Article Nick & Sarah Older Article >>