Buffalo Bill's Blog

So what are the “Must Dos” in Cody/Yellowstone Country?

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody is a necessity when visiting the Cody area. The Center is often referred to as the “Smithsonian of the West.”  My family never tires of the Center. You can learn about Buffalo Bill, the Plains Indians, western art and Yellowstone. The Center also boasts the largest collection of firearms in the world-a favorite of the males in my family! Don’t forget to check out the gift shop for great souvenirs. You can bundle your museum trip with the Cody Trolley Tour at a discounted rate. The Trolley will pick you up at the front door of the museum and take you on an hour long tour.  This 22-mile tour in a classic trolley explores places, people and lore of the area.

Step back in time as you stroll through the original town site of Cody located at Old Trail Town. Historic buildings of the area have been carefully moved to the site in addition to authentic artifacts. My favorite building is the saloon. It is a quaint building with great character. This saloon could probably hold about 20 people. We forget that Hollywood has depicted saloons as sprawling buildings when in fact they were small. That is why western boom towns had so many saloons!

Buffalo Bill had many dreams for Cody and the Buffalo Bill Dam was one that was achieved. When it was completed in 1910, it was the tallest concrete dam in the world.  The dam visitor center is a great spot to enjoy tranquil waters of the reservoir and take the audio tour to learn about the dams construction and the area wildlife. The dam is also a great spot for a picnic lunch.

One of Cody’s best kept secrets is Tecumseh’s Trading Post out by the Rodeo grounds. Tecumseh’s is an old west museum and old west miniature village. My kids can’t get enough of the 7000 sq. ft. miniature village that depicts the historical events in Wyoming and Montana from the 1600’s to the 1800’s. The miniature train that can be controlled by visitors is a favorite for kids of all ages. The western artifacts rival most museums. This family owned and operated collection is truly special. They graciously share their collection with the public at no charge!

Meeteetse also has a wonderful treasure in the Meeteetse Chocolatier! Sample gourmet confections made by owner Tim Kellogg who is also a bronc rider and working cowboy. These chocolate delights are made by using only the finest ingredients and are meant to be enjoyed in the “here and now.” Don’t miss this unique shop with amazing treats located on the quaint boardwalk in Meeteetse!

Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center between Cody and Powell is an amazing learning opportunity for everyone in the family.  Ten thousand Japanese-Americans were interned at this facility during World War II. Learn about why and how the internees spent their time at the camp. The Center offers a self-guided tour in addition to the Learning Center.  You can pick up the Cody Trolley for a tour to the Center and through area farm land.

Cody has the longest running nightly rodeo in the country which has earned it the distinction of being the “Rodeo Capital of the World.” Rodeo season begins June 1st through August 31st. Enjoy this outdoor rodeo with plenty of excitement and mountain views.  Whether this is your first rodeo or you are a connoisseur, it is sure to be a great time!  

Dan Miller’s Cowboy Music Revue is a wonderful Branson/style music show that is a family favorite.  Enjoy classic cowboy favorites, poetry and much more. If you want to truly experience the West, you must take in the Dan Miller’s show!

These are just the highlights in Cody/Yellowstone Country. There are so many great things to do from the relaxing to the adventurous. Don’t forget to minimize the stress of planning by allowing everyone in the family a voice in the vacation!

Until next time, happy traveling in Cody Country!

Planning your summer vacation to Yellowstone and stumped on how to choose an itinerary that will please everybody in your family?  It may seem like a no win situation since your family cannot even agree on a TV show to watch together.   So many decisions to make – do you choose an all-inclusive destination, stay in Yellowstone, a hotel or B&B, do you fly or road trip it? I am lucky because my kids are great travelers and love the adventure of a road trip! Your kids may revolt at the thought of a road trip with the family! How do you make it work so everyone is happy?

It does not have to be overwhelming.  It can actually be fun! Start by requesting the Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country 2012 Vacation Guide or go to www.yellowstonecountry.org . Both are full of great information on activities, lodging and events happening in the area. The website even offers sample itineraries. I love sitting down at the kitchen table with all the vacation planners, travel guides and web materials spread out.  Each member of our family gets a different color highlighter and goes through all the materials and highlights the attractions/activities with things that look fun to them. My ten year old tends to have twice as many picks as everyone else because everything looks exciting when you are ten!  Remember, this is round one.  In round two, everyone has to pick their top 3 choices. It is always great when multiple family members pick some of the same choices. Those become the “must-dos.”  In round three, everyone gets to defend their choices with a question and comment period from the family.  Some options are easily eliminated at this point as it is probably not appropriate for the three year old to learn to kayak on this trip!

Your family should finally have a list of activities and lodging options that work for everybody.  I love this process because every family member feels like they had a part in planning the trip and aren’t just along for the ride. We also set ground rules like no complaining about an activity that wasn’t your pick. Who knows, your 16 year old may really enjoy the horseback ride his 12 year old sister chose! 

On our trips, we allow our children to choose where we eat lunch each day. One rule is it has to be local fare, no chain fast food. We rotate through the kids so everyone has their day. Mom and Dad have exclusive rights to the dinner meal!  We have a lot of fun with this. Sometimes we are in a town that has a great ice cream shop so we allow the kids to choose ICE CREAM for lunch!  We instantly become the coolest parents ever! Because this precedent has been set, our kids get real creative and make some interesting choices.  This tradition makes for great leverage at the evening meal when the kids aren’t thrilled with our pick.  I just say, “Remember, you had a funnel cake for lunch.”  They just can’t argue with that! Cody/Yellowstone Country has great options for dining for the whole family. Be sure to request or pick up a dining guide from the Chamber of Commerce (www.codychamber.org) or ask your front desk staff at your hotel. And yes, Cody does have a great place to get ice cream for lunch!

 Check back next week for the “Must Dos” in Cody/Yellowstone Country!

 Until next time, happy traveling in Cody Country!

Dan Miller's Cowboy Music Revue

Let me help you plan your trip!  Start your Wyoming vacation by flying into Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody on jet service from either Salt Lake City or Denver.  I recommend spending two nights in Cody right from the start. Stroll the downtown shops and mosey over to the Irma Hotel for the Gunfighters street theatre performance. Dine at the restaurant in Buffalo Bill’s historic Irma Hotel. After dinner, check out Dan Miller’s Cowboy Music Revue. Spend another day at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, dining at a local restaurant and an evening at the Cody Nite Rodeo.

Now let’s head out to experience Yellowstone. The drive from Cody to the East Entrance of Yellowstone is incredibly scenic! There are several lodges and ranches that offer horseback riding, fishing and lodging in the East Yellowstone Valley. Spend the next three days exploring Yellowstone. Marvel in the wildlife, geothermal activity and breathtaking scenery. Whether staying in an RV or in one of the Park’s hotels, you will be experiencing the majesty of spending the night in one of the most spectacular places on Earth! Three days in the Park allows you to explore the Park’s features. If you want to get into the backcountry, plan on spending another day. I recommend exiting the Park through the Northeast Entrance in Cooke City, MT and travel down Hwy 296 to the Beartooth All-American Highway (Hwy 212) into Red Lodge, MT. The Beartooth Highway is the highest elevation highway in Montana and Wyoming. Expect to see pristine mountain landscapes, several lakes, forests and alpine tundra. You may even get to see a herd of mountain goats!  The pass always makes me want to sing “the hills are alive with the Sound of Music!”

On your way back to Cody, don’t miss to Heart Mountain. It is the prominent mountain you will see to the north of near town. It is a geological wonder! Scientists come from all over the world to study it. It’s unique because the rocks at the summit are 300 million years older than the base and are of a different type and era. It is believed that a massive landslide occurred from the Cooke City area due to volcanic activity. Whatever the cause, it has created a majestic landscape that is visible throughout the Cody area!

Spend your last night in Cody enjoying a nice dinner and picking up those last souvenirs to mark your amazing trip to Cody/Yellowstone country! One of my family’s favorite dinner options is Zapata’s and a visit to the adjoining Cowtown Candy store – sometimes we go there first!

Let your trip to Cody Country/Yellowstone be the start of a travel tradition. I think I will start planning my 2012 Yellowstone getaways right now! 

Until next time, lovin’ life in Buffalo Bills’ Country!

Winter has come to Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country!  We’ve had a couple of good snowstorms this year, and as I write, the snow is falling outside my window.  I’ve got a fire in the fireplace and a hot cup of tea… what a cozy day!

But if the idea of snow shifts your attention to what you can do outside, then there are countless hours you can spend enjoying the fresh air and sunshine here!  Skiing, snowshoeing, skating, wildlife watching – you name it, it’s here.  From Yellowstone National Park to the Beartooth Mountains to the community events happening this winter, there’s no end to the ways you can enjoy winter.

Consider this – Cody is home to the Yellowstone Quake Junior A Hockey team, and they’ve got home games clear through February!  January 13-15 and 19-21, and February 3 and 10-12, come on down to the Riley Arena for some fast paced hockey action.

One of the best places in the world to go ice climbing is right here in Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country!  Every February for the past 13 years, we’ve hosted ice climbers from all over the country who gather for the Waterfall Ice Festival.  The falls on the South Fork of the Shoshone River are incredible, and if you’d rather watch than climb, there are several spots along the road where you can view the climbers’ progress.  Contact Don Foote at 307-899-9937 for more information.

And of course, there’s Cody’s own ski area, Sleeping Giant.  The folks who run this community-owned ski hill have worked hard to create fun events for the entire family.  For example, March 9 Sleeping Giant is putting on a “Buffalo Jump”, and a Calcutta the next day.  The prices are amazingly reasonable, and the crowds are minimal.  Join the fun!

Meeteetse has its own winter festival – the 4^th Annual Ice Fishing Derby is February 18 and 19, and folks from around the region compete to see who can pull the biggest and best fish out of Sunshine Reservoir.  There’s a chili cookoff, hot drinks, and warm-hearted people to balance out the winter cold.  To get more information, contact Meeteetse’s Visitor Center at (307) 868-2454.

And if you’re more inclined to stay inside during these warm winter months, we’ve got more than enough to keep you busy.  In addition to our Buffalo Bill Historical Center, which can entertain anyone for days, and the newly opened Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center, there are community concerts, the Missoula Children’s Theatre will be in town in January, and Northwest College’s Jazz Festival takes place at the end of February.  For a detailed calendar of events, visit our website.

If you’re visiting from out of town and are looking for a great getaway ideas, the www.yellowstonecountry.org site has a “Travel Deals” page that lists all sorts of really cool packages – places to stay while you play here in the winter.  Check it out!

I guess it’s time for me to warm up my tea – mine has gone cold as I’ve been writing this.  I hope to see many of you taking part in the many fantastic events going on here in Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country this winter!

Until next time, I’ll be lovin’ life in Buffalo Bill’s Country!

Corrie N. Cody

I love this time of the year! The snow (which came down by the bucket loads this weekend), a cozy fireplace and a cup of hot cocoa, with Christmas music playing in the background – that’s my favorite kind of day! And here in Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country, the beginning of this winter season means that the community comes together for musical performances, parades, parties and other gatherings. I’ve put together a list of just some of the events that are taking place over the next couple of weeks:

The Cody Community Theatre group has been working incredibly hard to bring one of the most beloved musicals to life for this holiday season – “The Sound of Music” will open to audiences at the Wynona Thompson Auditorium the day after Thanksgiving, for a three-day run. Over 40 community members are involved in the production, either on stage or behind the scenes, and it’s going to be one of the best shows ever put on by the Community Theatre group, thanks to the involvement of theatrical professionals who have elevated this production above what you’d expect for a town the size of Cody – it will be amazing!  If you’re planning to come, you can get your tickets through Wednesday, November 23rd here.

The Cody Christmas Celebration is an event that the entire community looks forward to every year, and this year’s festivities happen the Saturday after Thanksgiving. There will be hay rides, caroling, entertainment, ice sculpting, a lighted parade and, of course, an appearance by Santa! The event encompasses the entire town, from the top of the hill to Sheridan Avenue.

Old Trail Town is hosting a Christmas event this year, as well – “An Old Trail Town Christmas” open house happens Saturday, November 26, from 2:00-8:00 PM. Stop in to see Victorian and old fashioned decorations, and enjoy homemade cookies and confections. Oh, and we can’t forget the hot toddies that they’ll be serving up in the saloon, too!

December 3^rd will be busy – it’s the Buffalo Bill Historical Center’s Holiday Open House, which means entertainment by local musicians and school groups, cookies and punch, and free access to all of the BBHC’s amazing museums (except the wing dedicated to Buffalo Bill himself, that section of the center is closed for renovation until May). It’s also Powell’s Country Christmas, when the downtown shops open their doors for a holiday celebration. There’s also a lighted Christmas parade!

Yellowstone Quake Hockey will be hopping the first week of December – the team plays the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th at the Riley Arena. It’s a great family event, full of action and a great way to get into that winter spirit. But dress warm – it’s cold in that ice rink!

Something that’s become a great annual event is the Christmas Light tours put on by the Cody Trolley. The trolley, along with some local merchants, sponsor a contest to see which businesses and residences can come up with the best lighting designs for the holidays – then the trolley takes a tour of those great locations!

And, of course, what would the holidays be like without a performance of The Nutcracker? Here in Cody, the Rocky Mountain Dance Theatre puts on their version of this classic tale each year (this year’s performance is December 17&18). The number of local children that are involved means that the house is always packed – and there are guest artists that are featured every year that brings a professionalism to the production, along with sets and scene designers from the University of Wyoming. It’s a fantastic family outing, not to be missed.

There is so much happening in Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country the next few weeks – if you’re in the area, plan to enjoy the spirit of the holiday season!

Until next time, I’ll be lovin’ the holidays here in Buffalo Bill’s Country!

Corrie N. Cody