Some days, the best way to Go Slo is to hit the open road, take a hard turn down a dirt path, and let curiosity steer the way.
That’s exactly what we did to kick off our Wyo Gotta-Do List, the ultimate checklist for exploring Wyoming’s weird, wild, and wonderful corners. One fossil cabin, mining ghost town, and burger the size of a cowboy hat at a time.
We believe adventures shouldn’t just live on your bucket list. They should live in your stories. Here’s how our day unfolded, what we learned along the way, and why we’re already itching for the next Wyoming wander.
First up: Edison’s Fossil Cabin, or as we now like to call it, “The House That Dinosaurs Built (and Forgot).” This roadside wonder was constructed in the 1930s out of 5,796 dinosaur bones dug from the nearby Como Bluff, a fossil-rich ridge that basically barfed up Jurassic history. It was supposed to be moved to a museum in 2017, but spoiler alert: it’s still chillin’ on Highway 30 like the stubborn cowboy it is.
Honestly? It was a little disappointing. No fresh signage or interactive dino experience. But standing next to a building made of literal bones? Still worth the pit stop. Read more about the Fossil Cabin’s history and failed move plans here.
Fueled by equal parts curiosity and coffee, we took a hard left down a random dirt road hoping to get a closer look at Como Bluffs, one of the world’s richest Jurassic fossil beds. Turns out, the best parts of Como Bluffs sit squarely on private property. So we pulled a U-turn and admired the ancient ridge from afar, because sometimes adventure means knowing when not to trespass.
Next stop: Medicine Bow, population: not enough to fill the Virginian Hotel dining room at lunch. And yet, this place slaps. We wandered the Medicine Bow Museum, a pint-sized powerhouse of pioneer and railroad history, before heading into the legendary Virginian Hotel, named after Owen Wister’s iconic 1902 novel The Virginian.
Did we eat a burger bigger than our face? Yes. Did we buy the book to see what the hype was about? Also yes. Are we going to become Western fiction buffs? We’ll keep you posted.
Just when we thought we’d head home, we got pulled a little farther down Highway 30 to Hanna, Wyoming’s once-booming coal mining town. Hanna was built in the late 1800s by the Union Pacific Coal Company and became a true melting pot.
European immigrants (English, Welsh, and Italians), as well as Japanese workers, came seeking opportunity. Tragically, Hanna is also the site of two of Wyoming’s deadliest mining disasters. The 1903 explosion killed 169 miners, and another in 1908 claimed 59 more lives. Today, the Hanna Basin Museum keeps those stories alive, and our young tour guide delivered a master class in mining history that was equal parts tragic and fascinating.
We wrapped up with a quiet wander through the Hanna Cemetery, taking in headstones that tell the story of the town’s diverse past. Japanese inscriptions spoke to a community that once thrived, and we took a moment to reflect at the somber graves of those lost in the mine disasters.
Why This Trip Rocks (Literally and Figuratively)
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Educational goldmine: Between the fossil cabin and mining history, your brain will be stuffed with more facts than your face will be at the Virginian.
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Scenic AF: High plains views, Jurassic ridges, and big-sky vibes that make you feel like you’re in a Western. Because, well, you are.
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Small-town surprises: Museums, food, and stories you’ll never find on your average road trip guide.
The Itinerary: Fossils to Burgers to Tombstones
🦖 Stop 1: Fossil Cabin, Edison (Plan for 20 minutes)
📸 Stop 2: Dirt road near Como Bluffs (10 minutes, don’t trespass)
🏛️ Stop 3: Medicine Bow Museum (30–60 minutes)
🍔 Lunch: The Virginian Hotel, Medicine Bow
📚 Shopping: Buy The Virginian at the museum's gift shop
⛏️ Stop 4: Hanna Basin Museum (30–60 minutes)
🪦 Final stop: Hanna Cemetery (15–30 minutes, be respectful)
There’s something wildly fun about dedicating a day to places you’d normally blast by at 75 mph. We’re already planning our next Wyo Gotta-Do adventure, because these forgotten corners of Wyoming deserve a little love and a lot of your curiosity.
So get out there, slow down, and wander a bit. After all, adventure doesn’t always look like a National Park. It can be a fossil cabin that refused to move, a mining ghost town, or a burger that makes you question your life choices.