Swetsville Zoo and ‘The Man From Laramie’ – Colorado to Wyoming

Fort Collins, Colorado

HI ALL.

WELL AFTER HAVING THE REAR SEAL REPLACED, I SET OFF EARLY THE FOLLOWING MORNING, FIRST DESTINATION WAS JUST A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD TO SWETSVILLE ZOO.

‘Bill Swets used to be a farmer. Now he’s a zookeeper – except that his zoo has no living creatures. The animals in the “Swetsville Zoo” were all built by Bill — from car parts, farm machinery, and scrap metal’.

Read more on the story of Bill and his quirky, fun zoo on Roadside America

ALL THE DINOSAURS, SNAKES ETC ARE WELDED FROM SCRAP PARTS. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE EARLY MORNING SUN, TREES AND SHADOWS, A LOT OF THE PICS I TOOK, WERE NO GOOD. EITHER THE SUN WAS ON ONE PART, AND THE REST WAS IN THE SHADE, BUT IT MADE FOR DIFFICULT PHOTOGRAPHY – BUT I TRIED MY BEST.

AFTER MY TRIP TO THE ZOO, I HEADED NORTH ON I-25 AS FAR AS 14 EAST. UNFORTUNATELY, I HIT A SECTION OF ROAD WORKS WITH DIVERSION SIGNS.

SOMEONE IN THE CONSTRUCTION CREW HAD MESSED UP BIG TIME! YES THERE WAS ONE DIVERSION SIGN WITH AN ARROW… BUT NO FOLLOW UP! HAD I BLINDLY CARRIED ON, I WOULD BE EN-ROUTE TO THE SOUTH POLE NOW.

AS IT WAS, I TURNED OFF AND FOUND AN OLD TOWN DINER, A SHACK SORT OF PLACE, WITH LOTS OF PICK UP TRUCKS OUTSIDE.

I HAD COFFEE & SAUSAGE & EGG, AND LISTENED TO THE LOCALS COMPLAINING THAT THE DIVERSION SIGNS WERE INCOMPLETE AND FOLK WERE GOING ALL OVER THE PLACE. HA SO IT WASN’T JUST ME !!

ONCE I GOT BACK ON 85 NORTH, CROSSING FROM COLORADO TO WYOMING, I CAME ACROSS A BUNCH OF ABOUT 15 WHITETAIL DEER, OUT IN A FIELD. WITHOUT THE NEW 45 – 175 ZOOM, I COULD NEVER HAVE GOT A PICCY OF THEM.

OTHER SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY:

I RODE UP 85 TO TORRINGTON, WHERE I PEELED OFF AND WENT TO HISTORIC FORT LARAMIE.

Click on the play button below for a little atmosphere. ‘The Man From Laramie’ by Jimmy Young

AFTER TAKING PICCYS OF THE FORT, PLAQUES AND OLD BRIDGE I RODE BACK TO LINGLE AND 85 NORTH.

I MADE MY FINAL STOP OF THE DAY IN LUSK. LUSK IS SURPRISING IN AS MUCH AS IT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

YET THERE ARE AT LEAST 4 DIFFERENT MOTELS, EACH WITH LOTS OF ROOMS & COURTYARD SPACE. ALL FOUR OF THE MOTELS HAVE THE TYPICAL MOM & POP TYPE LAYOUT, SO YOU CAN DRIVE TO YOUR DOOR AND OFFLOAD.

AFTER CHECKING IN, UNLOADING AND CHANGING, I WENT TO THE LOCAL RESTAURANT TO FIND THERE WERE A COUPLE OF DECENT BEERS ON THE MENU, AS WELL AS GOOD FOOD. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAD BUFFALO BURGERS, BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN A BUFFALO : RIB EYE STEAK , ON A MENU BEFORE.
I PHOTOGRAPHED IT AS I FELT A LITTLE SCEPTICAL. THEREAFTER I WAS EVEN MORE SCEPTICAL, BECAUSE IT TASTED LIKE ANY SUPERMARKET THIN BEEF STEAK. WHILE LIVING IN SCANDINAVIA, I HAVE EATEN REINDEER, ELK, MOOSE & OTHER KINDS OF GAME, SO , YES I AM PRETTY SURE IT WAS SIMPLE BEEF.

UNFORTUNATELY, UNLIKE THE NOVELS, I DO NOT HAVE A FORENSIC SCIENTIST FRIEND WHO COULD RUN AN ANALYSIS ON A BIT OF THE STEAK THAT I HAD SURREPTITIOUSLY WRAPPED IN A SERVIETTE & SNEAKED INTO MY POCKET. WOULD HAVE BEEN FUN THOUGH!

WELL WE ARE FAST APPROACHING THE 4TH OF JULY, SO AFTER REGISTERING AT MY MOTEL, AND HAVING A SHOWER AND GETTING INTO MY USUAL STREET GEAR, I SHOT ACROSS THE ROAD TO THE ….LIQUOR STORE…… AND TANKED UP WITH BEER, FOR THE 2 DAYS THAT I HAVE BOOKED.
SURPRISINGLY, THE SHOP IS GOING TO BE OPEN AGAIN IN THE MORNING SO I DID NOT HAVE TO BUST A GUT, FERRYING DIFFERENT TYPES OF BEER FROM THE SHOP TO MY ROOM OK, OBVIOUSLY THIS LI’L SHOP IS NOT TO BE COMPARED TO THE MECCA AT FT COLLINS, BUT I HAVE A SIX PACK OF BELGIAN ABBEY STYLE ALE AND A SIX PACK OF LEINENKUGELS BERRY WEISS A SORT OF MIX, TWIXT FRAMBOZEN, AND A WEAK WHEAT BEER, WITH A MIX OF BLACKBERRY, RASPBERRY AND ELDERBERRY. IT IS ACTUALLY VERY DRINKABLE ON A HOT DAY, LIKE TODAY.

TAKE CARE OUT THERE.