We got a late start on day 7, due to both of us having business to take care of.  I’d been sent a rather strange line edit of my novella (due out in November, finished in April) and needed to throw a mild hissy fit.  In thirty years of writing, I’d never thrown a hissy fit (except in the privacy of my office!!!) so I guess this was a case of “better late than never”.

I was still fuming and fussing when we finally got on the road and headed north.  Banjo Man wisely listened and said supportive things.

We’d been on the road for an hour when Banjo Man decided he was hungry.  We’d just crossed into Wyoming, so he pulled over at a truck stop with a Wendy’s in it and proceeded to eat a hamburger and a bowl of chili.

And then we were on the road again, heading north towards I-80.

Our destination was Riverton, Colorado.  Banjo Man wanted to go through Mountain Man country and see the Popo Agie River.

According to the Sinks River info, “Popo Agie is a Crow Indian word that most people believe means “gurgling river.” When the first white trappers arrived in the area the Crow people were here, and that is what they called the river.

It is pronouced: “Puh – Po Shuh” (two words).

The Shoshone Indians also were in the Popo Agie River Valley and they called the river Wuhnzee Ohgway which translates to: Wuhn-zee (pronghorn buck) Oh-gway (flowing river).

The Shoshone called the Lander Valley Wuhnzee Gahdtuhd which translates as:Wuhn-zee (pronghorn buck) Gah-dtuh-d (sitting).

Today the Shoshone and Crow people still come to the canyon to collect sage and pick berries.”

Moving along on I-80 all afternoon.

So, here we are at Sinks Canyon.  Banjo Man is wearing his new hat and studying the sign.

“The canyon gets its name from the fantastic geologic formation “The Sinks,” where the river disappears into a limestone cavern, reappearing at the Rise hours later. Dye tests have only answered some of the questions about the underground hydrology of the canyon. The geology is equally complex and Sinks Canyon is a great place to view millions of years of geologic history.”

View from the Rise.

Trout gathering to be fed by tourists. They are huge!

It’s a good thing Story Man wasn’t with us.  It might have been too much for him!

Story Man loves to fish.

Back to the Sinks:

Here comes the river.

And there goes the river, disappearing into the rocks.

I was very happy to see this:

And the gift shop where I bought Banjo Man a present.  And bought a little something for my grandson.

Me without coffee.

Banjo Man looking for his next meal.

After all that excitement, it was time to get back on the road and drive through the gorgeous little western town of Lander, Wyoming.  And then on to Riverton, where we stayed at a brand new Hampton Inn filled with oil workers.  I spent some time alone in the pool, trying to exercise my shoulder, while Banjo Man worked.

FYI:  the hotel pools are usually empty after 8 PM.  I’ve thankfully been able to walk laps and do arm stretches without an audience!

And then to bed, because Day 8 will be in Cody, Wyoming!