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U.S. State Curiosities
Wyoming Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff
Laugh your way through the pages of Wyoming Curiosities, your round-trip ticket to the wildest, wackiest, most outrageous people, places, and things the
Cowboy State has to offer!
Cowboy State has to offer!
- GenresNonfiction
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 20, 2009
Growing up in Wyoming, I’ve always appreciated the strange threads in cowboy state heritage (c’mon, stuffed jackalopes as a childhood memory, does it get much better?). Jackson author Dina Mishev pulls together all the best Wyoming oddities, funky locales and whacky figures, mixed with a splash of state history, to complete her book Wyoming Curiosities. The volume, part of the Insiders’ Guide state curiosity series, is the perfect companion for a Wyoming road trip or arm chair tour.
Uncovering the odd and intriguing across the state must have been fun, given the breadth of material Mishev has gathered about everything from a house built from formaldehyde bottles to a car “painted” in stamps (yes, a collector offered $20,000 for the vehicle to get one stamp). Learn how J.C. Penney Co. got its start in Kemmerer, where to find the best milkshake in the state, as well as locales where diamonds in the rough might await lucky finders.
And, although she obviously had great material to start with, Mishev has crafted short, witty snippets that keep your wheels rolling, while she imparts interesting Wyoming history and lore. Several legends that I grew up hearing about, (Steamboat the bucking bronco, Wyoming’s first woman judge Esther Hobart Morris, and tales of the Sundance Kid), make an appearance. And, from the Northwest section, many J-Hole readers will recognize local names such as Peter Chandler, Greta Gretzinger, Oscar Ortega, Mark Fishman and more. The front cover even features Jackson’s very own elk antler arches (hey, who said they were weird!?!)
All in all, this is a fun way to digest some Wyoming history and legend, making it also a great book for families to share.
Uncovering the odd and intriguing across the state must have been fun, given the breadth of material Mishev has gathered about everything from a house built from formaldehyde bottles to a car “painted” in stamps (yes, a collector offered $20,000 for the vehicle to get one stamp). Learn how J.C. Penney Co. got its start in Kemmerer, where to find the best milkshake in the state, as well as locales where diamonds in the rough might await lucky finders.
And, although she obviously had great material to start with, Mishev has crafted short, witty snippets that keep your wheels rolling, while she imparts interesting Wyoming history and lore. Several legends that I grew up hearing about, (Steamboat the bucking bronco, Wyoming’s first woman judge Esther Hobart Morris, and tales of the Sundance Kid), make an appearance. And, from the Northwest section, many J-Hole readers will recognize local names such as Peter Chandler, Greta Gretzinger, Oscar Ortega, Mark Fishman and more. The front cover even features Jackson’s very own elk antler arches (hey, who said they were weird!?!)
All in all, this is a fun way to digest some Wyoming history and legend, making it also a great book for families to share.
May 11, 2012
Some very cool and interesting things are in this book. It makes me proud of my home state. I'm sure there are many other things I would add to this book though.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews