Thermopolis, Wyoming reminds me that we all need a steam valve. Basically, that’s what Thermopolis is—North America’s steam valve. Its the world’s largest mineral spring, to boot.

The pools at Fountain of Youth Campground

I stayed at the Fountain of Youth campground, which  has its own “Sacajawea hot spring,” named after  the woman who led Lewis & Clark to the Pacific. The mineral water from the spring cascades through three pools, getting progressively cooler, which allows campers to pick the temperature they prefer to soak in.

I enjoyed two days in the area soaking, exploring rock formations and hiking among the grazing deer at twilight. Enchanting. You can see spectacular pictures of the area here on my Flickr album.

Poolside serenade

During my last evening in the campground, under indigo skies, as Sacajawea’s fountainhead tinked behind the audience of vacationers, our fellow campers Randy and Wormz serenaded us with singer-songwriter fare from the poolside bandstand.

The poolside bandstand at Fountain of Youth campground

I especially loved Randy’s rendition of “Suzanne” by Leonard Cohen. Wormz sang and played some of her original pieces, too. It reminded me of a house concert I once attended with cellist Daniel Sperry.

I hope you’ll listen to my interview with these talented musicians. They’re having quite an adventure traveling the country in a conversion van. In the interview they mentioned some great festivals and outsider art installations that I’ve added to my list of places to visit. I bet you’ll do the same. Listen up!