After our amazing visits to national parks in the west, it was time to start driving east for the summer. Our plan was to be in New York State by June 30th, so we had a lot of driving to do in the next 3.5 weeks to make that plan a reality. To accomplish this task, we would need to drive longer than usual on the days we were traveling and stop frequently for only one or two days in a campground so we could keep moving east. Nevertheless, along the way, we planned to visit some amazing places and see friends and family.
We had two one night stops to make within the State of Wyoming. The first was in Lander, Wyoming. But before heading to Lander, we had to drive back to Jackson, Wyoming, to return the rental car. We also had to stop to fill up the gas tank, because the drive from Fishing Bridge to Jackson and then to Lander was a total of 5.5 hours without stops. So, once in Jackson, we qyuckly ate sandwiches in the RV and were on our way. Sadly, it rained almost the entire trip. Still, it was a beautiful drive through the Bridger-Teton National Forest and the Rocky Mountain ranges in Wyoming, and over the Continental Divide.
Finally, we arrived at our campground in Lander, Wyoming: Mountain Range RV Park. To our dismay, there was a dirt road leading to the entrance of the RV Park, with lots of potholes. It bears repeating that potholes are not friends to RVs! Our RV site was gravel with a picnic table (no grill or fire pit). Prior to arriving at the campground, we had noticed a Pizza Hut not too far from the campground, so while Pat was napping, Tim decided to walk to the Pizza Hut to get pizza for dinner (this Pizza Hut did not deliver). 
Later that evening, we had a mouse visitor that we saw scurrying across the floor in the cab area of the RV. Our friends Jade and John had warned us about mice easily getting into RVs, particularly when the RV is in storage, and we read a lot about it as well. Jade and John suggested getting Fresh Cab Rodent Repellent, which goes into the outside bins of the RV; mice apparently do not like the smell and stay away. We had gotten some Fresh Cab before we stored the RV while on our cruise in February and bought some new Fresh Cab before we left the RV while on our April trip to Hawaii; however, we had not been vigilant about ensuring that it remained in the RV bins. We do not know if we picked up our mouse friend in Yellowstone or if it came from the grass field adjacent to our RV at Mountain Range RV Park in Lander. Regardless, we wanted to be rid of it. So, we ensured that the Fresh Cab was in every outside bin, we put some Fresh Cab in the cab area of the RV (just one night, it has a strong herbal odor) where we had seen the mouse, and we planned to buy a mouse trap the first time we had the opportunity. Since we were only staying in Lander one night and there wasn’t much to do around our campground, we spent the evening writing and posting to the blog for you all!
The next morning, we started the drive to our next destination: Laramie, Wyoming, which was about a 3.5-mile drive without stops. We made a few stops though. First, we needed to fill up the propane tank since we had used most of the propane for the furnace during the cold nights in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. We stopped at a Tractor Supply to fill up on propane and bought a mouse trap while we were there. We ate lunch next door at McDonald’s. It rained for most of the second half of our drive; and a passing truck threw a rock from its back tire that hit and put a small ding in the windshield. 
When we arrived in Laramie, we tried to drive to the place where Matthew Shepard was murdered, which is now a neighborhood, but there was only one street in and out of the neighborhood and a street sign cautioned that there was no way for trucks to turn around. We were upset because we wanted to honor the memory of Matthew Shepard during Pride Month. We remember being shocked and outraged at his murder in October 1998, seemingly just for being gay. His parents started the Matthew Shepard Foundation after his death, the initial purpose of which was to teach parents with children who might be questioning their sexuality to love and accept them for who they are. Later, Matthew’s parents and the Foundation were responsible for pioneering the country’s first federal hate crimes legislation with the passing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention. We didn’t get to honor Matthew at the site where he was murdered, but we will always remember him and what his family did to honor his memory.
We drove to a nearby Walmart and got groceries and other items. We also picked up a repair kit for the windshield. We finally arrived at our campground: Laramie RV Resort. Once inside the campground, we encountered numerous potholes on the dirt road within the campground. Argh.
In the morning, it was raining. We had to put on our raincoats to disconnect from electricity, water, and sewer. Never a fun task.
It rained for almost the entire drive to our next destination; however, it cleared up in time for us to stop at the Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne, Wyoming, which is the second state capitol we’ve visited since we began our full-time RV travels. The capitol building was built between 1886 and 1890, and the website boasts that it is one of only twenty state capitols recognized as national historic buildings. The architecture of the building is Renaissance Revival, reminiscent of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The Dome of the capitol was originally copper, but it tarnished so badly in 1900 that they began using gold leaf on the exterior of the dome. In 2009, the dome was re-covered in gold for $1.3 million. The dome is visible from all roads entering the city. We did not visit the interior of the capitol building, but we walked around the exterior. The grounds of the capitol are simple, with just a few statues around the building, two of which are located at the entrance: one of Chief Washakie (Chief of the Shoshoni Tribe for more than 60 years) and one of Esther Hobart Morris (who played a role in granting women's rights in Wyoming). 
We had sandwiches for lunch in the RV after our visit to the state capitol building. Then we continued the drive to our next destination.
Review of Mountain Range RV Park
The RV Park has 22 pull-through RV sites with full hookups. There are no shower/restroom facilities at the RV park, but there is a laundry room and a small play area for the kids.
The Mountain Range RV Park website states that it is located near Shoshone National Forest. The RV Park is also a 30-minute drive to the historic ghost town of South Pass City, an authentically restored gold mining town near the Oregon Trail. Additionally, the website states that Lander is home to the oldest paid rodeo in the world.
We enjoyed the view at the Mountain Range RV Park, but the drawbacks are the lack of shower/restroom facilities and the dirt road with the potholes leading to the campground entrance. With no car, there isn’t much to do in the immediate area of the RV Park; however, we would stay here again if we needed a place to stop for the evening.
Review of Laramie RV Resort
Laramie RV Resort has approximately 150 RV sites with full hookups. Each site has a picnic table; “deluxe sites” have fire pits and grills. There are also 4 sites for tents and 8 cabins.
Amenities include restroom/shower facilities, laundry facilities, a fitness center, playground, and a small convenience store and gift shop. The RV Park also offers propane for sale. Additionally, there is a recreational building with a large-screen TV and table games (ping pong, air hockey and foosball). The brochure/map provided upon check-in lists a number of restaurants, activities, and repair shops located nearby.
Other than the potholes on the roads within the campground, we really liked the layout of the campground and the amenities it offered. We also liked that restaurants and shops were a short Uber ride away. We didn’t get to see much of the campground since we only stayed for one night, but we might consider returning to Laramie RV Resort if we found ourselves in the area again.
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