We may be in Wyoming; however, we are not in the middle of nowhere (although you can see it from here) as a brown sign appears with the directions to Fossil Butte National Monument. So we decided to take a break and stretch our legs. Located just 15 miles west of Kemmerer, WY, the visitor center is a beautiful round building with the most fantastic approach sidewalk I have ever seen.
“Earth History Handrail” copyright BrickBarnBlog2022
The monument is referred to as "America's Aquarium in Stone,"[1] referencing the beds of preserved fossils surrounding the visitor centers in the adjacent stone ridges and mountains. The fossils represent a record recorded in stone of the Eocene Green River Formation. The history of the ancient lake is "extraordinary," and the quality of the fossil preservation is evident even to my inexperienced eyes.
“Sample of one of many exhibits inside the Visitors Center” copyright BrickBarnBlog2022
The approach sidewalk that I mentioned above connecting the parking lot to the visitor center contains a timeline on the handrail of the history of the earth. Walking along and reading the various placards of specific moments in time is fascinating. I was unaware, for example, that there have been several extinction events ranging from the 50 - 80 percent level. Of course, we are all familiar with the dinosaur extinction level event; however, that was pretty recent in earth's history. Walking along the path toward the visitor center, we finally locate the "Homo sapiens" marker alongside Lake Bonneville, which covered most of the land mass where Linda and I currently live in Southern Utah. The final attribute represents "recorded history." This blog will now leave a digital footprint in that sequence of events.
“Homo sapiens arrive on the scene” copyright BrickBarnBlog2022
If you find yourself traveling the backroads of Wyoming someday, I highly recommend stopping and purview of the visitor's center. I am sure the surrounding drives and loops are fascinating; however, Linda is anxious to get back on the road and on our way to meet our new grandchild.
Reference:
[1] https://www.nps.gov/fobu/index.htm
Visited: July 9, 2022
Written: July 18, 2022