In my never ending quest to find the real American west, I stopped in Cody, WY to tour the Bill Cody Museum. This was at the suggestion of my neighbors, Jim & Vilma, who said their son found it fascinating; and it is, if you have the time to do the whole thing, and with the right attitude. Unfortunately, I went in tired, hungry, and with aching knees. But it was still worth the journey. This place has the most amazing collection of firearms that you will EVER lay your eyes on – and not just from the old west. They go from the 1500’s to present day, and include ALL kinds of guns. I thought Gettysburg had a lot of firearms, but this is incredible – and I only saw the main floor. I didn’t even go downstairs. There are about 3000 firearms to be seen – if you have the time, along with a time line on Bill Cody himself, a wing about prairie tribal living, and two other wings I didn’t even get to. It’s really quite a place, and something to be seen if travels ever get you to this part of the country. But getting to this part of the country from where I was is a royal pain in the iron butt. From Jackson to Cody is about 175 miles, but half that is going through Yellowstone where the top speed limit is 45. Add to that the construction I faced going out the east side of the park, which gave me about a 45 minute delay, and what should take about 2 ½ hrs turned into 4 ½ . The next time I come here, that’s the entrance I want to take. The pictures would be fantastic, but as it was, it was gravel and one lane for about the last 8 miles, and the drop off the side of the road was almost scary it was so steep – and close.
The scenery was more along the lines of what I expected Wyoming to look like, but the pictures didn’t turn out all that well. As I walked the streets on the way to eat, it felt like any small town - just about 40 years ago. There were a lot of 5&10 kind of stores with open doors, and a movie theatre that had one movie to see and someone to take your money and give you a ticket right in front near the sidewalk. I have a room at an EconoLodge, which is not very nice considering it’s one of the more expensive rooms on this trip, but that’s what you get when you’re this close to Yellowstone. There’s also a rodeo in town, as there is every night here between June and August, but it’s another 2 hr rodeo with the local cowboys, and I just saw that back in Jackson – and for $5 less than here.
One thing I did notice on our week long excursion to the Tetons and Yellowstone – the RV industry is STRONG!! You can’t believe the number of big bus type RV’s driving along with a car or boat on the back. I’m not talking about a pickup with a camper – these are the mega buck, 4 gallons to the mile kind of rigs. They probably outnumbered the motorcycles!
That’s it! Hoping to make Deadwood tomorrow if the roads are OK.
The scenery was more along the lines of what I expected Wyoming to look like, but the pictures didn’t turn out all that well. As I walked the streets on the way to eat, it felt like any small town - just about 40 years ago. There were a lot of 5&10 kind of stores with open doors, and a movie theatre that had one movie to see and someone to take your money and give you a ticket right in front near the sidewalk. I have a room at an EconoLodge, which is not very nice considering it’s one of the more expensive rooms on this trip, but that’s what you get when you’re this close to Yellowstone. There’s also a rodeo in town, as there is every night here between June and August, but it’s another 2 hr rodeo with the local cowboys, and I just saw that back in Jackson – and for $5 less than here.
One thing I did notice on our week long excursion to the Tetons and Yellowstone – the RV industry is STRONG!! You can’t believe the number of big bus type RV’s driving along with a car or boat on the back. I’m not talking about a pickup with a camper – these are the mega buck, 4 gallons to the mile kind of rigs. They probably outnumbered the motorcycles!
That’s it! Hoping to make Deadwood tomorrow if the roads are OK.
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