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Below: The two RV Gypsies drove through
Windy River Canyon to the Hot Springs |
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Below: Entering the first tunnel. For
some reason, Karen Duquette usually photographs tunnels. |
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Below: The second tunnel plus a train tunnel |
Below: In the second tunnel,
and seeing the third tunnel |
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Below: Entering the third tunnel and
the curvy road after exiting the tunnel |
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Below: Thermopolis, Wyoming and Hot Springs State Park, the
world's largest mineral hot spring. |
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Below: Karen Duquette was eager to soak
in part of the World's Largest Mineral Hot Springs, while Lee
Duquette spent time exploring the State Park. The bath house was free,
but Karen chose to pay the $10 fee to enjoy the larger, much nicer area
at Star Plunge as shown below. |
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Below: After Karen Duquette changed clothes
in the locker room, she entered the indoor springs area and there were
quite a few people there, so she decided to try the outdoor mineral
springs area first (shown above and below). It looked like any other
large swimming pool with a deep end and a diving board, but this was
healing mineral water. There was a small slide for the kids, and a bigger
slide for adults, but Karen did not feel like walking around to figure
out where the beginning and end of the larger slide was located, so
she just jumped into the pool. Karen did not think the water was as
hot as she likes hot springs to be, so after a bit, she returned to
the indoor area. |
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Below: Most people had left the indoor area by now, so Karen Duquette
was overjoyed to have space to herself. She first tried the little
square area shown below because that is where most people were when
Karen first entered earlier. But again, Karen thought the water was
not hot enough. Then she noticed the "Lobster Pot" area.
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Below:
The hottest mineral spring - The Lobster Pot - Karen Duquette's
favorite spot - 114 degrees instead of the standard 104 degrees in the
other area. |
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Below: The entrance to the
Vapor Cave (a fancy steam room). No one under 21 allowed in the Vapor
Cave. Karen Duquette had this all to herself. |
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Below: Inside
the Vapor Cave - so steamy, that a clear photo could not be taken. |
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Below: One
of the water slides - the entrance was from outside the building, and
it ends up inside the building. |
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The State Bath House : In
1896 a treaty was signed with the Shoshone and the Arapaho which gave
the public use of the largest mineral hot springs in the world. The
hot springs was known as having "healing water." There was
no fee for using the Bath House; however, there was a nominal charge
for rental of towels and swimsuits. The hot mineral water was maintained
at 104 degrees Fahrenheit to provide the safest healing water possible.
A time limit of 20 minutes is set for the soaking time for safety reasons.
The State Bath House was free to use, just like entrance into the State
Park was free. But since it had a 20 minute limit, Karen Duquette chose
to only use the area shown above because there was no time limit there. |
Please continue on for more of