Cody Wyoming and Beyond

Cody, Wyoming retains its Wild Woolly West ethos amid more modern conveniences such as Albertsons and Wal-Mart Supercentre. Named for its founder William (Buffalo Bill) Cody it has five museums including the Cody Centre and two gun museums. 

The Old Trail Town proved to be a collection of rotting concrete chinked cabins holding moth-eaten collections including a stuffed two-headed calf and an immaculate horse drawn glass fronted funeral hearse. 

Hundreds of arrowheads were on display. 

The Bill Cody buried on site proved to be the famous Cody’s son. 

A large pile of bones served to demonstrate why bison were all but wiped out.

The nearby Stampede Grounds has nightly rodeo/stampedes from June through September. Barrel racing and calf roping anyone? Ponderosa Campground demanded cash. Their cabins named for famous outlaws.

An irrigation channel adjoins the highway out of town along with a railway track. I crossed the Big Horn National Forest stopping at a look-off to view the basin below.

 

I did not see the Big Horn Sheep the Forest protects but did encounter a bison crossing the road. A ditzy tourist bureau worker sent me on a wild moose chase to find Deer Park when my GPS failed on me. The mountains and ravines were impressive but in the end Deer Park was less than a mile from the Tourist Bureau. Don’t ask a local. Deer Park was well maintained but the owners have a rather mercenary attitude. Campers are an inconvenience on the way to making a profit. 

 

Devils Tower Monument is 25 miles off I-90 and it doesn’t come into view until one is 4 miles distant. I was not moved to drive West years ago from Rapid City but since I was driving by....

It is worth seeing though the day was hot as hell. Tiny visitors centre covers the basics after I managed to find parking near the base of the Tower. Walking up to the Rockpile at its base in the heat might tend to make on see visions. 

 

The KOA beside the park gatehouse has a million dollar location all kampsites affording a view of the tower. 

Extensive campground store with restaurant at one end opening up on a patio via a retractable glass wall. The tower can be seen above a screen that features showings of Close Encounters of the Third Kind when the staff can get the electronics to work. Independent Trading Post across the way and Post Office onsite. 

Red cliffs and creek back the park. 

 

Stopped at Granite Buick Chevrolet to get a necessary oil change and Rick Dupree welcomed me and had me serviced and out within the hour. The oil change and two new wipers plus 30-point check were a fraction of what I’d have paid at home plus I enjoyed free Wi-Fi and the Granite Cafe—gourmet coffee, fruit, pop corn, cookies and other goodies. Comfortable chairs with retractable tables for my tablet.

Rapid City KOA defied my GPS but I found it using some horse sense. The goat farm still backs the site and I parked around the bend backing onto it in about the same location as last time without the hail storm that greeted me upon my last visit. I despise Ten Go Internet.

Learned the temp hit 104 the previous day while I was dodging raindrops and wind gusts at Devils Tower.

Went for a swim in the pool and found it blood warm. Doing laundry when it’s raining is not the best move but I got it done and had damp things decorating my motorhome. Met Irvin, an outgoing smiling friendly young man headed with 4 companions in a pop-up tent trailer to Alaska. Regret not exchanging e-mails with him. A visit to the ice cream social yielded an interesting talk with Brock, the server. Met a couple from Vancouver. Rain limited the attendance. Had breakfast at the cafe before I departed next morning again, sheltered from the rain. They open at 7 and serve prefried bacon.

Stopped off at Wall to tour the monument to excess that is Wall Drug. Had a talk with the gal who manages the book store devoted to all things western including a display of Louis L’Amour romances and Little House on the Prairie Laura Ingalls Wilder including the just arrive biography I’ve borrowed from the Library though a hard cover book at 14.99 is a bargain. I didn’t buy anything but I did find a folded dollar bill lying on the floor.

Crossed into Badlands National Park and drove through the rain and dense fog to Interior to cross the White River onto Pine Ridge Reserve and the KOA there. Two owners since I was last here. Managed to finish one book I’ve been reading and will move onto the 626-page Ingalls Wilder bio. Got out for a walk to visit the cliff swallow colony nesting under the bridge.