I-80 Visual Arrival ZoneTraveling west on I-80 and down from the Lincoln head rest area, travelers experience the type of geographic arrival zone that Clay emphasizes;"Most travelers recall those few and memorable and unmarked Arrival Zones at elevated spots where, suddenly the next town or city arises from the horizon" [Ref. 3]. This arrival zone to Laramie traveling west on I-80 occurs when the interstate makes its final turn out of the Medicine Bow Mountains and the Laramie Plains appear. The drama of this arrival zone is achieved through mostly geographic elements. After miles of open pastures and the sudden emergence of the Medicine Bows, the signs of human settlement create a powerful impact. The city seems to fill the entire plains region, covering the bottom of the bowl created between the Snowies and the Medicine Bow mountains.
The combination of changes in natural geography and signs of human settlement continues with the emergence of billboards. Moments before Laramie becomes visible the first billboards appear, acting as an arrival zone in their own way. Just as the open pasture and the mountains add to the drama of viewing the settled Laramie plains, the appearance of the first billboards in over 30 miles welcomes the traveler to the services and luxuries of human settlement. With the visual appearance of the town, the promises of the billboards become validated by the conformation that the town is near. |
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I-80 Visual Arrival Zone |
Wyoming Territorial Park: |
Wyoming Territorial Park: |