ROCK SPRINGS(Wyoming) - RUPERT (Idaho)

Rock Springs is known as the Home of 56 Nationalities because of the influx of immigrants from all over the world who came to work in the coal mines.    It is located in an energy-rich region with many oil and natural gas wells.

One of the worst incidents of anti-immigrant violence in US history was known as the Rock Springs Massacre which occurred September 2, 1885.   White miners slaughtered Chinese counterparts due to anti-Chinese sentiment.    Rock Springs was featured on 60 minutes in 1977 due to corruption within the Police Department & City Government.

OLD DOWNTOWN ROCK SPRINGS

The arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad arrived at about the same time the first coal mine opened in Rock Springs (1868).     The transcontinental rail line opened the floodgates of economic development for Rock Springs and the mines were the salvation for the Union Pacific (as stated by the President of the railway line).

There was once so much coal flowing through the town that winter snow turned black.    

 In the 1950s the Union Pacific switched from burning coal to burning diesel fuel.   All of the mines closed.   Fortunately, trona mines began to open in the area to the west, where one of the largest known natural deposits in the world was discovered.   Trona, or sodium carbonate, created from inland sea water millions of years past is used to make glass, detergent and many other products.

Today, the city has expanded far beyond its old downtown centre and has a population of  just over 23,000.

WILD HORSES

Was viewing and researching the area when I came across a website showing where you can view wild horses. A short distance from the fairgrounds.

We're thinking, maybe its a viewpoint and if the herd(s) are in the area, you may be able to see some wild horses, depending.

We follow the signage to the site, which states "Wild Horse Viewing Area"

This is disappointing.   About 200 horses that have been captured and will not be free again.   They are sectioned off into stallions, mares with foals and pregnant mares.    According to one young woman standing beside us, they get captured because they are detrimental to the environment.   One review states they get captured to protect native species(?).  Protect domesticated horses that are behind fences?

There are other viewing sites like Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop which involved about 21.5 hours of travel along gravel road.   And Sweetwater County wild horses which involves driving and seeing the horses roaming through the high desert.

This is the Rock Springs Holding Facility.   The Bureau of Land Management manages and protects wild horses and burros on 26.9 million acres of public lands across 10 Western states.    In some locations, birth control is used to slow the growth of herds.  Without management and natural predators, herds can double in 4-5 years.

Leave Rock Springs after one afternoon and overnight.   Heading into Idaho.

For a brief amount of time, we dip into Utah and stop at a rest stop NE of Ogden, Utah and the Great Salt Lake.

Little, people friendly prairie dogs  .. ... this is definitely this family's hang out spot!

We love's to pose for photographs!

Near Snowville, Utah 

(Northern Utah)

VILLAGE OF THE TREES (Declo, Idaho)

Arrive at the RV Park.   As we drive up to the office, I recognize this RV Park.   We have stayed here before, with our motorhome en route back from Arizona.   

It's a quiet, nicely treed and well spaced RV Park along the Snake River with a boat launch.

Photo taken when last here - Oct 2015

They have full-time, 

"Long Term" residents! 

TOWN OF RUPERT

Minidoka County

(RV Park five minutes to the nearest town - Rupert)

Rupert (population approx. 5,800) has been known for being a location of major cheese production and Calva Products, the Idahoan Potato processing plant as well as a Les Schwab tire production facility.  It is also one of the top sheep-producing counties in Idaho.

2021 Bare Beans began its operation of a 12,000 square-foot food processing plant in Rupert.   Locally grown beans, the process of soaking beans overnight, kettle cooking them and packaging them fresh is what they do.    

Sugar beets are harvested in a field near Rupert.   Minidoka County  is the top sugar beet producing county in Idaho.    Sugar beet lime is a byproduct of the raw sugar purification process.    It is formed by heating mined limestone and through a distillation process it removes impurities in the juice.   The byproduct lime is discarded, leaving a thin juice from which sugar is extracted.    Rupert has large mounds of byproduct limestone.     Some of the product is utilized to adjust the pH in soil but am not sure what else is being done with the excess product as it does contain more pH levels than some areas require and chemicals. 

Historic downtown - large downtown park surrounded by the square.

Colourful mural depicting local life.

A great pit-stop was this Mexican bakery!

Historic Wilson Theatre:  used today for plays, shows and meetings.   Originally designed and built in 1920.

Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge

Located on the Snake River (10 miles from our campground).   It includes 80 miles of shoreline around Lake Walcott from the Minidoka Dam.  The water levels are controlled by the US Bureau of Reclamation.   Parks and Rec manage Lake Walcott Park (a 30 acre park that offers campgrounds, picnic areas, disc golf and a boat ramp.

It is a bird sanctuary - complete with Cormorants and Pelicans.   Unfortunately they are hanging out across the river, mostly away from people!

Power boats make their way up the Snake River to the bottom of the falls for fishing

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN

One of the largest North American birds.    The bony protrusion is called a 'carbuncle" and grows on both male and female pelicans.  It is mostly grown to attract a breeding partner.    This 'horn' is shed after the birds have mated and laid their eggs.

This post ends here . . . . more wildlife to show in the next posting.