We headed out of Yellowstone via Fishing Bridge, skirting the north end of the lake, while keeping an eye on the smoke from the fire on the east side. We climbed up to Sylvan Pass, on the way viewing the superb little lake at the top of the climb. I’m glad we did it from West to East, as the grade from the top down to the East entrance of the park is long and steep. It’s nice to be going downhill for a change. Our destination was Cody, founded by and home to William Cody, aka Buffalo Bill. We opted for a nice RV park that was within walking distance of the Cody Museum, and it turned out to be a good choice. Under the pick-your-spot program, we opted for a nice site with no one to the left or right, and under some trees for shade. Turns out this wasn’t such a bright idea.
It seems that the nice trees are home to the bad birds. The next morning . . . but I digress.
We walked up the street to the Cody Historical Center, a sprawling museum that is split into 4 or 5 submuseums on Cody’s life, local Indian tribes, guns, pioneers, etc. Each of them would be fine museums on their own. Together, they’re almost too much unless you have plenty of time. Fortunately, we did, and also fortunately the museum entrance is good for two days, which we made use of.
Buffalo Bill has always been a sort of cartoon character for me, which is simply ignorance talking. Once we started getting into his life part of the museum, my opinion of him changed completely. This was a remarkable guy, ahead of his time in many ways. We know him best for his Wild West Show that he organized, promoted, and starred in for decades.
I hadn’t known that he not only put this on here in the States, but he took it to Europe where he toured it, off and on, for almost a decade. It was a great hit over there, and he was feted by heads of state in England and Europe. The production was massive, with over 500 performers and support staff. The Kaiser once sent his senior generals to study Cody’s organization to see how he managed to feed, house, and move such a large company, so as to apply it to the military. Queen Victoria was so enamored of the show, and Cody, that she made a gift to him of a giant bar, that is still in use today in the Erma restaurant and hotel in Cody.
The pioneer and Indian areas are extensive and interesting, if a little bizarre at times, like the diorama with the tipi, and the taxidermy collection. And what’s with the beaded baseball cap?
Quibbles at oddities aside, we had a great time here. The gun museum, however, was just too much. A true aficionado of weapons could spend a week here, but for the layperson it’s just too much. It goes on forever, thousands of guns on display. Our eyeballs glazed over and we exited after about a quarter of the way in.
Cody was not only a great showman, but he was ahead of the curve politically as well. He was an early advocate of women’s rights, long before the suffragettes got going. In his treatment of the Indians, he was leagues ahead of his contemporaries. Those that were in his show said that they were always treated with respect and enjoyed every equality with the Caucasian cast members. He campaigned for various Indian causes in Congress and was welcomed as a brother by the various tribes. This was in stark contrast to the government’s generally abysmal treatment of native Americans.
Cody started a hotel in his town, called the Irma after one of his daughters. The hotel’s not much these days, but is still operating. More famous now is the adjacent Irma restaurant, also dating back to Cody’s days, wherein is housed the bar given to him by Queen Victoria. They make pretty good lunches, too!
I have to say, that clam chowder was one of the best I’ve ever had, with big pieces of clam throughout. In Wyoming???
From Cody, we continued East
to eventually wind our way up through the Sawtooth mountains, a very pretty drive full of switchback roads and (another) high pass. This would have been another good scooting road, but was fairly slow going in the rig. The sage was blooming everywhere, just as it had been in many other areas.
Oh, yeah. About that shade tree in Cody. Well, the bird family that occupied it had their nest(s?) directly above the rear of the rig. The next morning I came out to find it just covered in copious amounts of guano. I couldn’t believe all that could have rained down in just one night. I had to get a bucket and sponge and climb up on the roof to wash the junk off, all the while wondering if I was going to be the next target. Nope. But we moved forward so as to avoid a repeat the next night.
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