Suggestions for a prosperous community

We have only lived in Thermopolis a few years but love it here and deeply care about the community. We certainly don’t want Thermopolis to change dramatically but want it and its businesses to thrive.

Nearly every week the newspaper has a story about tourism struggling or a business closing. Through our travels around the country, a few recommendations come to mind that we would like to pass on.

We hear about our beautiful location and tourist attractions but rarely hear about how beautiful our little town is. Basically, all we have to worry about is Highway 120, 20, and Broadway. Highway 120 looks pretty good. Highway 20 needs attention from Lane 5, what I consider the south edge of town, to north of the State Park entrance. Its starts out beautiful but once you reach Lane 3 lets do some cleanup between the businesses and the highway and some landscaping instead of just chain link fences and weeds. The rest of the street just needs businesses and individuals to take some personal pride and kill weeds, mow, paint, and remove clutter. Maybe some help from the city if it is needed. Some kind of incentive!!

Then let’s hang some signs pointing east on Broadway indicating some oversize vehicle parking. Maybe the east block of Broadway. These spots could be used for normal parking when the VFW or River Of Life needs the parking. I see very little conflict. You cannot spend any time downtown and not see these vehicles cruising for a spot and then leaving without stopping. Even fisherman towing boats have to skip downtown. I can’t imagine how much revenue is lost just because of this one issue.

East Thermopolis has East Arapahoe, East Fremont, Hot Springs Blvd, & C Avenue that are frequented by tourists. These need the same attention by the landowners. C Avenue has some room for some landscaping and beautification by the town. It also needs some signs to the museum at the corner of East Arapahoe & C Ave. People come out of the park at the south entrance or the buffalo pasture onto Arapahoe and are lost. We live on East Arapahoe and are asked for directions dozens of times a summer. I brag about living across the street from the state park but when my guests arrive they cannot believe how bad it looks. It consists of Canadian thistle, dandelions, and various other weeds. At least one sprinkler head hasn’t worked since 2014. Why isn’t this section of the park maintained like the rest?

Lets hang some welcome signs and come up with a town slogan welcoming each and every traveler.

My next suggestion is to combine some of our events into the same weekend giving people more to do and keeping them in town for the entire weekend. The larger a crowd, the more talk, the faster it grows each year. Sidney, Nebraska combined Octoberfest and a car show and wow did it grow. Add the cars to a good parade and they found a winning combo.

Of all the small town festivals we have attended, Thermopolis is the first one that didn’t have a place to congregate. Put up a canopy that will cover 10 or 12 tables to protect the people from the sun or rain and give them a place to eat, drink, visit, listen to the music, and make new friends and they will hang out longer. Soon, some of the family members are wondering through the vendors and shops spending money while the others are enjoying more food and drink.

More people means more fun means more talk about “don’t miss this event next year!”

Lastly, is the lodging issue. In our travels, we have found that most people traveling with families or people middle age or older do not even consider privately owned motels. This includes the drive by traveler or the internet shopper. It’s a shame but it doesn’t matter where you travel to see this for yourself. To keep people from traveling on to Casper, Cody, or even Buffalo we need a new hotel chain to come to town. This should increase visitation without taking away from existing motels. The old airport hanger area looks perfect to me. Reopen a restaurant and bar up there and tourists can get rested up and ready for a fun couple of days in Thermop. I always wondered about the area near the chamber office between highway 20 and the railroad. It looks like another possible lodging site. Can’t we use some state, county, or city land to lure a chain to town?

We just want our community to prosper!!!!!