Have you wandered in Wyoming lately?

Wyoming is full of unique and special attractions or monuments. Many of those stops will not be seen by a majority of the people visiting Wyoming.

But that doesn’t mean those of us in Wyoming can’t take a weekend getaway or even a side road to see some of these while we are out and about. At AARP Wyoming, we believe our communities and their special attractions are one of the aspects that makes Wyoming great.

That is why we are starting a new feature in our AARP Wyoming News to share some of those “Wyoming Wonders.” We will be highlighting some of the unique stops that are in and around our communities.

Between Laramie and Cheyenne is a monument that many see the sign for as they drive by, but few may stop. Ames Monument, completed in 1882 at a cost of $65,000, is a 60-foot high granite pyramid that was built by the Union Pacific Railroad Company. At the time of construction, it stood on the highest elevation (8,247 feet) of the original transcontinental route.

The monument serves as a memorial to the Ames brothers of Massachusetts. Oakes (1804 - 1873) and Oliver (1807-1877), whose wealth, influence, talent, and work were key factors in the construction of the first coast to coast railroad in North America.

Ames Monument was designed by the distinguished American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838 - 1886). Located further west than any of his works, this memorial typifies the Richardsonian style by its energetic, elemental characteristics.

His love for native construction materials is demonstrated by the monument’s great, rough-hewn granite blocks, quarried from “Reed’s Rock” one-half mile west. A Richardson biographer has called the monument “Perhaps the finest memorial in America...one of Richardson’s least known and most perfect works.”

The bas-relief medallions of the Ames brothers were done by the prominent American sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

Aerial firefighting is a well-known mission of the Wyoming Air National Guard. But not many people know that in the town of Greybull, aerial firefighting is a pretty well know occupation as well.

In fact, at the local airport is Wyoming’s own museum of flight and aerial firefighting including a collection of airframes that can be toured by foot.

The Museum was founded in 1987, incorporated in 1992, and has acquired through lease from the South Big Horn County Airport, the land north of the WYDOT rest area for the long-term site of their museum.

The museum has examples of World War II’s mighty bombers and transport aircraft such as a PB4Y-2 plane as was used in the campaigns in the South Pacific or a Fairchild C-119 “Flying Boxcar” Tanker that was used during campaigns in the Koren War.

According to the museum’s website, the purposes of establishing the Museum of Flight & Aerial Firefighting were numerous, but the major reason was to preserve a portion of history which other aviation museums do not.

The museum is dedicated to education related to the types of aircraft and retardant systems that have evolved over the years into the awesome aerial firefighting capabilities used today. Many types of aircraft and many different designs for fire retardant drop systems have been utilized to combat forest fires since the late 1920s. The museum is working toward a comprehensive display and representation of those airframes and firefighting designs.

For more information on the museum including directions, hours of operations and entrance fee, visit www.museumofflight.us.

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