The Carbon County Traveler

Mike Armstrong

As a kid, I traveled all over the United States. My father was determined that we saw as much of America as we could.

He bought a Kingswood estate station wagon by Chevrolet when I was around 13. Before that, we had a huge Plymouth station wagon. What they had in common was that we could often stretch out and sleep when traveling. 

Something to Chew On

Virginia Parker

There are newcomers to Wyoming who believe Spring really does come in April; that’s kind of adorable. A seasoned Wyomingite knows April is simply winter wearing a lighter jacket and acting unpredictably. 

I met Vickie and Vernon “Scotty” Scott almost a decade ago when I started reporting on the Virginian Hotel for a newspaper.

The first time I walked into the grand, historic hotel, I loved the place then as I love it now.

It is an amazing historical place and although it is not gentrified like so many places I have seen all over the West, its charm cannot be denied.

The Carbon County Traveler

Mike Armstrong

The first time I saw the Fossil Cabin, I had pulled over to actually see the signage on the outlaws who had roamed the nearby land. There was also some information on the dinosaurs that had once been in the area.

I looked over at the stone house that was known as the “Fossil Museum,” and it looked a bit worn down.

Something to Chew On

Virginia Parker

Some towns are born quickly, growing up around railroads, gold strikes or even an intersection. Saratoga quietly bubbled into existence because the earth just couldn’t contain itself. 

The first time I met Liv Lo (Golding), I was running a bar in Taichung. She was striking.

First, she was tall, which in Taiwan is not that common, and without a doubt, quite beautiful.

She was dating Dave, a Canadian friend who was a fairly handsome guy and was in his early 20s.

Dave and Liv moved to Toronto a few months later.

I was opening my restaurant/bar when Liv came back. At that time, I was sort of dating Liv’s half sister, Katrina.

Something to Chew On

By Virginia Parker

There are places in Wyoming where the wind never stops talking, fences lean like an old man telling a story, and barns stand out like a visiting dignitary. 

One of the first Australians I became great friends with was from Melbourne. I met him while in Hawaii. I was running a youth hostel in Waikiki, and Luke was visiting his uncle.

I don’t remember why he came to the hostel, because Luke’s family was connected and well off. Another uncle was the Lord Mayor of Adelaide, a large city and the capital of South Australia.

Something to Chew On

Virginia Parker

In Wyoming, planning for drought isn’t a “maybe someday” thought; it’s a constant, carefully monitored possibility. 

Anyone running cattle, horses, or putting up hay has a mental playbook in their head, ready to take action the minute winter snowpack looks thin, or spring rains amount to nothing but a drizzle. 

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

Throughout the week, I am still typically driving all over the county, except the Little Snake River Valley. I’ve logged plenty of miles again in 2026, from Rawlins to Elk Mountain and back, and most of that time behind the wheel has been on U.S. 30 and the smaller roads I prefer. And once again, I’ve had the same epiphany.

Last week, I went to the Rawlins Senior Center and I discovered Copper France, President/CEO of the Bank of Commerce, was giving a presentation on scams that he wanted to warn seniors about.

He, Nicole Murray (also of Bank of Commerce) and Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken have also gone to Baggs and Saratoga Senior Centers to warn attendees about scams that are out there and how they work.

Something to Chew On

Virginia Parker

The animal sprinting across your fence line at 60 mph is not actually an antelope. 

It’s a pronghorn. And yet…everyone (including locals) call it an antelope. So what’s the deal!

Putting my science hat on, here’s the real difference! 

The Carbon County Traveler

Mike Armstrong

The other day, I watched one of my favorite movies of all time. It is truly an amazing film and although it won the Golden Globe for best foreign film in 1993 and was nominated for best foreign film at the Academy Awards, I hardly know anyone in Wyoming who has seen it.

It is called ‘Farewell My Concubine’.

Something to Chew On

Virginia Parker

If you’ve spent any time in Wyoming, you’ve probably heard someone say, “We saw a buffalo!”

And then gently or maybe not so gently corrected by someone who’s been waiting their entire life for this exact moment. “Bison”, said with the confidence of someone who owns a snowplow shovel and knows how to use it. 

The first time I went to Nanjing was one of my first times I traveled to China. I ended up going there because of a good friend who was now in Shanghai, whom I had known in Taiwan. Clay was Australian and was a guy who could speak Chinese well and had a strong ambition to get something going on the mainland.

He moved to Shanghai when most residents were still using bicycles to get around.