The Wild West

August 24 - 27, 2012
Cody, WY
Ponderosa RV Park

After leaving I-90, heading to Cody WY there are two ways to go, through Bridger or through Red Lodge, we choose Bridger.  We went through Bridger, the shorter way but long and boring.  We should have taken Hwy 212 and gone through Red Lodge, longer, but I have heard that it would have been a nicer trip.  Arrived at Cody in time to go to the famous Cody Rodeo and dinner at the famous "The Cody Cattle Company" with a Chuck Wagon Dinner and a Western Music Show.

 We had an excellent Chuck Wagon Dinner of very tender Beef Brisket and chicken along with delicious beans, cole slaw and caesar  salad, topped off by gooey brownies and coffee.  Then we were entertained for  a little over an hour. The group was excellent and really put on quite a show.

Next was "Cody Wyoming Rodeo Capital of The World". 

 The rodeo was fun but I don't think we would go again only because we have been to many rodeos. 

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This big bull was available to to sit on so you could take a picture, but.....

 they wanted $10.00 so I said no thank you.

This was the best part, all the kids came into the arena, then  three very small calf's with a ribbon on their tail and were let go.  The kids had to run after them and they got a prize if they could get a ribbon.  The group was separated with kids 5 and under got a head start.  The whole thing was hilarious.

It was still smokey here because of the fires in Yellowstone and elsewhere in Montana.  But, look at how this red hill just stands out.  There were many "outcroppings" of red  hills from iron in the soil/rocks.

Wild sunflowers along most roadways

We took a narrated history tour of Cody in a trolley, they even let Buddy come with us.  

And they picked us up and delivered us back to the RV Park.

While there we visited the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.  One part of it was a gun museum.  

Probably the largest gun collection in North America.

This is the gun and belt that "Hoss Cartwright" used.

Then there was the gun fight!

The end result was all the bad guys are dead

The Irma Hotel was built by William Cody in 1902 and named after his daughter. 

This is a picture of the famous cherrywood bar in the Hotel, 

of course the picture does not give you the feel or look of this beautiful bar.

The outside of the Irma Hotel that was built in 1902.  The northwest addition was constructed in 1929 and the southwest addition was added in 1976 -  1977.  

On the left side is a large porch with tables where you can eat or enjoy your favorite adult beverage.

We saw another musical variety show, this was spectacular.  This is the Dan Miller's Cowboy Music Revue. We would definitely see this again given the opportunity.  Somehow I missed getting a picture of Dan's daughter Hannah, at 14 she is quite the musician, a very talented young lady.

Next, a trip up Shoshone Canyon out toward Yellowstone to the Historic Buffalo Bill Dam.  This dam was one of the first three major ones built by the bureau of reclamation with construction beginning October 19, 1905 and was completed January 16, 1910 for a cost of 929,658.  The original height at completion was 328 feet, then the highest dam in the world.  An 8-year modification project, increasing the dam height by 25 feet to a total of 353 feet, was completed in 1993.  This added about 250,000 acre feet of water storage capacity for a total of approximately 650,000.  The reservoir is for irrigation and drinking water for Cody and most of the Big Horn Basin and of course recreation.  Bill Cody originally talked about this dam and was very instrumental  in getting the dam constructed.

 Looking toward Yellowstone and all the smoke  that was still visible. 

Downtown Cody, Joe had to take a look at something.

Buffalo Bill Cody statue in the evening looking toward the sun

There are many things to see and do in Cody, when spending only 3 days you have to pick and choose the best you can.

Safe travels to all, have a blessed day

Nancy