Cody has several options for retreats depending upon the size of the group. Area dude and guest ranches are perfect for smaller groups. Ranches typically offer all-inclusive packages for groups so it is easy for the group planner. Most have wonderful lodges that provide unique backdrops for the nitty-gritty meeting times. Ranches also provide a range of activities and relaxation opportunities ensuring that everyone in the group has something to look forward to. Most provide horseback riding, fly-fishing, hiking and spa services. Evening activities such as campfires, cowboy singers and poets,  or wagon rides allow for a casual atmosphere to get to know each other. Fresh air and a change of scenery can do wonders for the creative process. You would be surprised at the ideas people come up with when taken out of the confines of their normal routine!

For groups with up to 75, The Cody is a great choice.  This boutique hotel is quaint yet luxurious. Beautifully appointed guest rooms are comfortable and have all the modern conveniences including iPod docking stations and high speed internet.  The meeting space is beautifully decorated and relaxing. Hopefully you will spend more time outside than inside! The Cody’s location is perfect for setting out on the adventure portion of your retreat.  Each evening refreshments are available for your group to enjoy in the comfortable lobby or on the patio outside. Snack, relax and visit before heading out to one of Cody’s great restaurants. Want to make your employees feel pampered and special, have your retreat at The Cody. 

For large groups, I suggest the Holiday Inn. They know how to handle large groups and they do it well!  They have great meeting space and banquet facilities for groups up to 350. State of the art equipment is available to meet all of your groups technology needs. As the only full service convention property in Cody, the Holiday Inn has a nice restaurant and lounge. Evening banquet dinners are available with western themes to enhance your “western” retreat. The hotel is conveniently located to the downtown area which is great for taking an evening stroll to a restaurant or to check out shops. 

Team building is such an important part of retreats and the Cody/Yellowstone area has so many options. For the adventurous group, I would suggest horseback riding, learning to fly fish, hiking, and river rafting. Take advantage of Sunlight Sports Outdoor Concierge for coordinating activities. For those looking for more relaxed options, I would suggest golf, exploring the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, a sightseeing trip into Yellowstone, a historical visit to the Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center or a trip to view the wild horses of the McCullough Peaks. Combining some adventure and sightseeing might be ideal for your group. It is not hard to schedule plenty to do for your group.

So “think outside the box” and plan your company’s next retreat 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!

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!

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

1.  Elk – the Sunlight Basin northwest of Cody is a popular place for herds of elk to gather.  Drive north of Cody on Highway 120, go about 16 miles, then turn west onto the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway.  The Sunlight Basin road will take you past some beautiful ranches and into the valley where the elk feed.  It’s a gorgeous drive, and the opportunity to view these animals in their natural habitat is worth going the distance!

2.  Bison – without a doubt, Yellowstone National Park is THE place to get your fill of these wild and wooly critters.  They literally own the roads in Yellowstone – anyone who’s been there recently will be able to tell you that the bison traffic jams rival any big city traffic snarls… but there’s a heck of a lot less road rage here!

3.  Big Horn Sheep – the highway that follows the South Fork of the Shoshone River leads to a beautiful mountain valley that is home to herds of big horn sheep.  In the fall, the sheep are feeding in the low country before the hard winter kicks in, and in the spring, the sheep babies can be found frolicking on the ranchland in the valley.

4.  Mountain Goats – Clark’s Fork Canyon just northwest of Cody on Highway 120 is one of the few places in this region where you can spot these elusive rock dwellers.  I haven’t figured out how they can actually climb from one precipitous rock face to another – they’re incredible!

5.  Moose – east of Cody across the Big Horn Basin are the awesome Big Horn Mountains, home to black bear, deer, and the massive moose!  Highway 14A, from Lovell across to Sheridan, is a great place to spot these enormous creatures.  They’ve also been frequently seen in the Wood River Valley southwest of Meeteetse.

6.  Wild Horses – two wild mustang herds call Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country home: the McCullough Peaks area just east of Cody in the Big Horn Basin; and the Pryor Mountains northeast of the Big Horn Basin.  The Pryor Mountain Mustang Center is an educational center dedicated to preserving the legacy of these beautiful wild animals.

7.  Wolves – the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park is prime viewing for all sorts of animals, but it’s one of the best bets for spotting wolves.  The wolf population is thriving in Yellowstone after the animal’s re-introduction in the 1990s. The Lamar Valley is in the northeast corner of Yellowstone Park, between Mammoth Hot Springs and Cooke City, Montana.

8.  Mule Deer – believe it or not, if you’re looking to get up close and personal with a mule deer, go no farther than downtown Cody!  Dozens of deer roam around the community – and it’s either a curse or a blessing, depending on who you talk to… they love to munch in residents’ gardens!

9.  Bears – as you travel closer to Yellowstone National Park on Highway 14-16-20, the odds of seeing a grizzly or black bear grow greater!  Bear are regularly seen on the stretch of highway from about ten miles outside Yellow stone until the entrance to the Park, so keep your camera at the ready, but don’t get too close!  Remember, bears are dangerous creatures that move faster than you think they can…

10.  Antelope – … although pronghorns are actually the fastest land animals in North America.  But here in Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country, they’re pretty content to move a little slower and graze in the lush grass of the Wapiti Valley about 20 miles west of Cody on the Yellowstone Highway.

11.  Waterfowl – Beck Lake and Alkali Lake on the east side of Cody aren’t just beautiful City parks; they’re also prime waterfowl habitat.  There’s a viewing area that was constructed a few years back by a local service organization that provides a fantastic place to sit and watch the ducks, geese, loons and other birds that use these lakes as a resting point along their migration routes.

There you are – Corrie N. Cody’s Top 11 list of the best wildlife watching places in Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country!  Next time you plan a trip this direction, take this list along to build your itinerary… and don’t forget your camera!

Until next time, I’ll be watching the wildlife in Buffalo Bill’s Country!

Corrie N. Cody

Many people that I talk to in the summer ask what the town does in the winter – do the sidewalks roll up?  Do the shops close down?  How do we get around, with all the snow?Well, let me answer the last question first – a lot of folks don’t realize that here in Cody, Powell and Meeteetse, we actually don’t get a lot of snow that sticks around – the mountains to the west catch most of the moisture, and we’re left with very little that the wind doesn’t kick up and blow away!  But that snow in the mountains makes for amazing recreation opportunities…

Like skiing!  Sleeping Giant Ski Area re-opened a few years ago as a community ski hill, run by a local foundation whose goal is to get as many families and kids up there as possible!  Check out their magic carpet for the lesser-skilled skiers on the hill (like me), or take the chair lift to the top of the mountain for great downhill runs.  According to reports, the winter this year should bring us about as much snow as we had last year, so that means there will be fantastic skiing all winter long!

And let’s not neglect to mention cross-country skiing, as well – there are two fantastic trail systems in Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country that are maintained throughout the winter.  One is near Sleeping Giant, maintained and highly utilized by the Park County Nordic Ski Association, and the other is in the Wood River area outside of Meeteetse.  And keep an eye out for wildlife while you’re skiing – you never know what kinds of critters might be enjoying the winter weather along with you!

The Yellowstone Quake thrills local audiences at the Riley Arena in Cody with exciting Junior-A Class hockey.  The spectators have lots of chances to get involved with the action, as well – puck chucks for a chance to win half the pot; community groups doing giveaways during the games; special events; and the enjoyment of the game!  Find their schedule at http://yellowstonequake.pointstreaksites.com/view/yellowstonequake.

The Riley Arena also offers folks the chance to do a little ice skating, as does Homesteader Park in Powell.  During the winter, Homesteader Park fills their little ice rink with water and the locals have a ball.  And at the Riley Arena, the local kids’ skate clubs will have performances to show off the talented youth on the ice!

If you’re up for an adventure, Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country is THE best place in the lower 48 to go ice climbing!  The South Fork of the Shoshone River has some incredible waterfalls that freeze during the winter and provide easy access to exciting ice climbing during the winter.  In February, the annual Waterfall Ice Festival draws climbers from all over to climb, learn, and socialize with others who share their passion.

And if you’re more the stay-indoors type, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center is full of incredible interactive displays and fantastic exhibits that focus on different themes – natural history, firearms, western art and the Plains Indians (the Buffalo Bill wing of the Historical Center is closed until May so it can be completely re-done in time for next summer’s big season).  And if you’re here over the holiday season, the BBHC hosts a community open house, featuring local entertainers and an opportunity to spend the day exploring the museums for free!  

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

Corrie N. Cody

Obviously, Cody IS Rodeo, and there would be NO rodeo without horses!  They feature in every aspect of the evening’s entertainment – barrel racing, team roping, saddle bronc riding, you name it, horses are the main attraction.  Even in bull riding, the cowboys are watched over and rescued by the faithful outriders on their trusty steeds.  And the Cody Nite Rodeo runs from June 1 through the end of August, so there’s no reason at all to miss the action when you come to visit next summer!

If you’re looking to immerse yourself in the western experience, most of the guest and dude ranches between Cody and Yellowstone Park feature guided horseback rides as an integral part of their guests’ adventure.  From rides lasting a couple of hours to trips that take you deep into the mountains, guest ranch hosts will tailor your stay to fit your level of comfort and experience with horses.

Closer to town, Cedar Mountain Trail Rides operate in two locations – at the KOA Campground east of Cody and at the base of Cedar Mountain, just past the rodeo grounds.  June through September, your entire family can spend a morning or an afternoon seeing Cody Country from a whole new perspective!  With a stable full of horses, most of them gentle enough for children to ride, your visit to Cody/ Yellowstone Country can include a fabulous western experience your family will talk about for years to come!

But here in Buffalo Bill’s corner of the world, the horses aren’t all broke to ride – there are two herds of wild mustangs that live nearby and can be viewed from the comfort of your vehicle.  The Pryor Mountain mustangs are descended from Spanish horses that were brought here by explorers of the New World; and the McCullough Peaks herd roam freely on protected land in the Big Horn Basin between Cody and Greybull.  The Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center near Lovell is the premiere information repository on these amazing animals; and for an unforgettable guided tour of the McCullough Peaks Herd Management area, check out the Red Canyon Wild Mustang tours, based in downtown Cody.

If you love horses, Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country is THE place to spend your next vacation!  Come take a ride on the WILD side…

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

Corrie N. Cody

If you missed my last blog on Robin, she’s been a ranger at the East Gate for the last three years, and enjoys every day that she gets to welcome folks to the country’s first National Park.  She lives in a mountain cabin halfway between Cody and Yellowstone, so she gets to see wildlife almost every day!  And the visitors love to see all the animals before they even get in the Park – just this week Robin heard two different reports of grizzly bears crossing the highway just 5 miles east of the gate, and others spotted a wolf just up from the pass that same day.  And something even more unusual – Robin said that visitors reported seeing a mountain lion in the Hayden Valley, along with a wolf and eagles, all in the same area! 

Robin says that visitors are REALLY enjoying the beautiful weather we’re having right now – in fact, some have jokingly asked if they have to pay more to enter the park because the weather is such a bonus!  She says that after the cold snap we had last week, the leaves started changing colors, and now the warm temps and sunny skies are just enhancing the natural beauty of the region. 

On a sad note, Robin reports that over the last weekend, there were two bison hit and killed on the highway in Yellowstone.  It’s a reminder to visitors, though, that watching for wildlife in Yellowstone actually needs to start once you get to Cody itself!  We’ve got dozens of deer that live right here in town, and they don’t necessarily follow traffic signals… the same goes for the bison, elk, moose, and bear that populate the North Fork valley on the highway to Yellowstone.  And we’re in peak wildlife-watching season – the fall months and late spring are the BEST times to catch a glimpse of the amazing creatures that we co-habitate with here in Yellowstone Country!

Robin says that there have been quite a few inquiries about the two fatal grizzly attacks that have occurred this summer – the first fatal attacks in 26 years in Yellowstone.  The rangers’ message to visitors who are planning to hike?  ALWAYS CARRY BEAR SPRAY.  Ranger Robin and her husband have hiked in these mountains for the last thirteen years and always carry bear spray.  She says they’ve thankfully never had to use it, but on many occasions they have seen fresh bear tracks on their hikes.  If hikers have questions about the proper use of bear spray, they can check out a “Bear Aware” video at the public library in Cody.  The video was produced by the Buffalo Bill Historical Center’s Draper Museum of Natural History just a couple of years ago, so the information is very current.  

I asked Robin about the visitors who are frequenting the park right now, and she said that there are a TON of foreign travelers here right now!  A large percentage are German, which she says is pretty easy, because most of the German visitors speak English.  Many of the Italian tourists have trouble with the language barriers, though, as do quite a few of the French.  Robin says that at the East Gate, there are rangers on duty who can speak enough German and Norwegian to help out visitors from those countries; and Robin herself can converse in sign language, which has come in very handy over the past three years that she’s worked there.   She says that deaf visitors are always so pleased to find out that she can sign, which is so important when it comes to communicating about lodging and other necessary information. Since lodging and campsites fill up almost every day during peak season, it’s important to be able to get that message across as soon as folks get in the gate.

Robin’s got such a great job!  Her season is winding down there – the Park will close up the first weekend in November to wheeled vehicles, and will remain closed to wheeled vehicles until next May, when the season comes ‘round again… and Ranger Robin hopes to be there to greet enthusiastic visitors to this amazing, unique place that is Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country!

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

Corrie N. Cody

1. an agreement between two or more persons to meet at a certain time and place.

2. the meeting itself.

3. a place designated for a meeting or assembling.

4. a favorite or popular gathering place.

All these definitions apply to the annual Rendezvous Royale, a fabulous week-long party here in Cody that celebrates all that is unique and great about western art! 

If you haven’t been to the Rendezvous before, be prepared for events and happenings all day, every day, for five days!  According to Kathy Thompson, the director of the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale, people come from all over the United States to take part in the authentic western experience that is Cody.

Although Rendezvous Royale takes place the last full week in September, the activity actually begins in August, with the display of the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale’s Miniature Art Show.  These smaller works of art have all been created by the artists who have been invited to participate in the larger Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale that happens during Rendezvous Royale at the end of September.  The show hangs at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center until it’s time for the big show to be unveiled!

Come the end of September, things really kick into gear.  That’s when all four components of the Rendezvous come together for the enjoyment of residents and visitors:

- Cody High Style celebrates artisans – furniture, clothing and jewelry makers, leather work, and other fantastic “functional” art that is in a class of its own, apart from the Buffalo Bill Art Show.  There are classes on everything from building a Molesworth-style magazine rack to interior design; round-town events that include book signings and artist demonstrations; panel discussions on western design; and a high-energy fashion show at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center Wednesday night, complete with music, lights, models and a runway!

- The Boot Scootin’ Boogie is a relative newcomer to the Rendezvous Royale.  Put on by local merchants, this free downtown event has a party atmosphere, with sidewalk sales, food, drink, and a runway fashion show which closes down the main highway through town for four hours! There’s a great fundraiser that’s going on this year in conjunction with the Boot-Scoot – there are 3’ high ceramic cowboy boots that have been decorated by local artists, and these boots will be raffled off during Rendezvous Royale to raise money for

- The event that draws the most participation during the week is the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale – this live and silent auction takes place Friday night, and generates huge dollars for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and the Cody Chamber of Commerce (which takes a portion of the money and returns it to the community in the form of grants that support arts-related activities and events).  Folks look forward to this auction all year – it’s a great social event celebrating 30 years in 2011!  And the Friday event isn’t the end – there’s a Quick Draw on Saturday morning that is becoming more and more popular.  In the Robbie PowWow Gardens at the BBHC, artists sculpt, paint and draw for one hour, then that piece that they just created goes on the auction block then and there!  It’s exciting and fun to be a part of that action.

Kathy Thompson relies heavily on the large pool of volunteers who make this event happen – she says that these volunteers do everything from the non-glamorous (stuffing envelopes, cross-checking lists, signing up other volunteers) to the high-profile (carrying and displaying $1 million worth of art on stage in front of 650 patrons).  Volunteers also assist artists during the Quick Draw, and work behind the scenes to ship the pieces, manage contracts, and register people for events.

- The black tie event of Rendezvous Royale is Saturday night’s Patron’s Ball.  (Locals affectionately call it “The Cody Prom”).  This is a fundraising event for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, and everyone who is anyone attends!  Current and former governors, U.S. Senators and Representatives, high dollar donors to the BBHC, local elected officials and business folks, all dance and socialize to the tunes of a fabulously entertaining band.  It is THE social event of the season here in Cody!

Whew!  So much partying, all in one week!  Come join the fun – it’s a week of celebrations here in Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country!

Lovin’ life in Buffalo Bill’s Country,

Corrie N. Cody

What’s neat about the Buffalo Bill Dam is not only the value of the crops raised on almost 100,000 acres of now-irrigated agricultural lands, the power generated by the four electric plants fed by the Dam, and the water used for the cities and towns downstream – it’s also the historical significance of how the construction of the dam changed this part of the country.

At the time of its construction, the then-named Shoshone Dam was the tallest concrete dam in the world, at 325 feet. It cost about a million dollars at the time to build the dam, which holds back about 400,000 acre feet of water in the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. Construction was difficult – because the region was so remote, it was hard to recruit and keep workers; additional difficulties ensued because of the steep granite canyon that the dam was built in.  And the Shoshone River’s unpredictable flows caused problems – one year, almost half of the annual snowmelt runoff came through within a 30-day period, causing construction to come to a halt almost completely.

The dam was re-named about 30 years after its construction to honor the man who had the vision for the dam and resulting irrigation system, William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody.  The dam was renovated in the 1990s, adding 25 feet to its height, and a visitor center that tells the story about the dam and its effects on the surrounding area.

One of the neat stories about the construction of the Buffalo Bill Dam centers on a town that is no longer there.  Beneath the waves of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir are the remnants of the town of Marquette, established in 1890 and named after a colorful rancher by the name of George Marquette. In 1903, the town was described as “consisting of a few scattered log houses, a little log post office and a school-house described as ‘a little lot structure, rude, bare, unattractive, but occupying a lightly sheltered pot on the South Fork of the Shoshone River.’”* In 1905, in preparation for the construction of the dam, the federal government bought the town site as well as some surrounding ranches, to the tune of about $400,000.  What buildings weren’t torn down prior to the filling of the reservoir in 1910 still remain at the water’s bottom, ghostly reminders of an era gone by.

The Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center, which was added with the addition of the dam in 1993, has preserved the story of the construction of this historic landmark.  It functions as a rest area as well as a museum/gift shop, and its exhibits and self-guided audio tour tell the tales of the laborers who toiled to build the dam, those who lost their lives in the effort, and the townsfolk who witnessed the changes to the landscape and to their lives as a result.

The Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center is a must-see when you’re planning a vacation to Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country – don’t miss it!

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

Corrie N. Cody

*Credit the “Wyoming Tales and Trails” website at http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/