Best of Wyoming

This roadtrip was a circular route across the lower United States, up the eastern side of the Rockies, across the state of Wyoming then proceeding South and East. We have now reached both the Western-most apex and the Northern-most apex, so from this point on we are basically heading back to Pennsylvania, although we still have some big stops ahead.

Today, we left Moran, Wyoming and proceeded up through the southern entrance of Yellowstone, across to the East entrance, and across the state of Wyoming. We had heard that this was a rather boring drive – whomever said that, I respectfully disagree. This drive was absolutely beautiful! What a big, amazing country! We were admiring the scenery in Yellowstone; we drove through the park and into Shoshone National forest, and the entire terrain is different. Once again, we see rugged rock formations but this time, they are intermixed with beautiful trees, and unlike the areas we’ve seen over the last week, there is no red color to the rocks here. They are dark greys and browns, and so striking against all of these beautiful trees. We were following a small river (or perhaps it’s a creek) and the views are really breath-taking. The phrase 'purple mountains majesty' has never been more real.

We came to the little town of Cody, Wyoming. What a quaint western town. They proudly display their western heritage and their great love of country. There are flags everywhere and chairs which are already set up for tomorrow’s parade.

Once through Cody, the terrain changes again and now we are viewing the plains area. Here, the land is flatter and is considered a desert area, but there are enough creeks and rivers to make irrigation possible. Ranches and farms dot the country side. We passed through the little town of Emblem, Wyoming, population 10. We know this because we read their road sign. We thought that was so charming and we mentioned it when we checked into the campsite here. Our hosts laughed and said, “Yeah, we know about that town. Last night, their population was only 7 because 3 of them were here for a birthday party”. Oh, my, I just love these small towns.

Speaking of small towns, let me tell you a little bit about our destination -- Greybull, Wyoming. This, also, is a charming small town of about 1850 people. It has a grocery store, post office, really nice high school and middle school which can be seen from the main road, several churches and an historic old hotel with a restaurant called The SpeakEasy. It has one traffic light and no stop signs except where the side streets meet the main road. Everyone yields at all intersections -- townfolk know this so there's no reason to post it. It was a little un-nerving at first. But we saw one thing in Greybull that we couldn't resist, even though it caused us to break one of our rules -- we saw an A&W drive-in complete with car hops. You just pull in, order thru a callbox, and the carhops will bring you food and rootbeer served in an icy cold mug. Oh, my, did that bring back some memories. So, those of you who grew up with me in Charleston -- ever been to the A&W on Smith St. right across from Kroger's? My dad used to take us there occasionally to keep us entertained while Mom did the grocery shopping. If you remember that taste, it still tastes the same -- delicious! They advertise it's because they use cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Whatever the reason, it is completely different than root beer you buy at the grocer.

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After setting up our campsite, we took a swim then dressed and drove back into Cody. When we passed through we noticed a sign for the rodeo. July 1 – 3 is the Cody Stampede, a major rodeo event which features world-class rodeo competitors. We didn’t want to miss this. But first, we need dinner and decided to try the “Silver Dollar Saloon”. When we first walked in, we noticed about 10 “tables” which looked like a series of counters attached to the wall on one end. We took a seat and a friendly waitress soon came to take our order. They boast the Best Burgers in the West, so of course Jim had to try one of these. According to Jim, he’d give the burger a 4.5 out of 5, so perhaps not the BEST burger in the West, but far, far above the average. Again, the menu is mostly beef but I did see a quesadilla which I decided to try. Wow! Was I glad I did. This was undoubtedly the best quesadilla I’ve ever had – loaded with delicious grilled chicken and a cheese blend. Both entrees were served with a nice side salad. It was a fun dinner, really nice staff, even if the exterior was a little rough. I’d go there again in a minute.

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The Cody Stampede was so much fun and so perfect for July 4th week. Outside the arena, children could have their picture taken while seated on an enormous bull, which obviously looked more ferocious than he was. We walked past western-wear vendors and every imaginable carnival food. We found some good seats in the stand (everything is general admission) about half-hour before it started. It was a beautiful evening, about 80 degrees, low humidity, and the sun was getting low in the sky, casting deep shadows everywhere.

When the rodeo started, the MC announced that he was starting with a prayer. He stated that he respected all of the faiths represented, but here in Cody, they believe in prayer, so he did. That was followed by the National Anthem played by a world-champion fiddle player; then a tribute to the armed forces which included a Marine corps honor guard, mounted on horse-back. Then we were treated to a horse square-dance team, and then a drill team of local high school students.

Then the rodeo events began – roping and steer wrestling, bronc riders, barrel racing (my personal favorite), and finally bull riding. It was two hours of fun, great entertainment, and perfect for the western flavor of this little town.

The drive back to our campsite was a constant watch for deer and other wildlife on the road. It took almost an hour and when we arrived, we were still so wound up from the day – so much to see, so much to do. What a beautiful part of the country! The west is still alive but you do have to drive a bit to find it. No big cities here, no trendy little towns. Just America at its best.