Cody, Wyoming

When John developed an eye infection during our visit to Yellowstone he was able to see a doctor at the clinic there, but we had to go to nearby Cody to get his medication. It's about an 80 mile drive from the Bridge Bay campground. It takes you through the Shoshone National Forest on the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway, which is one of the 300 most beautiful drives in the U.S. The scenery really is beautiful with interesting mountain formations and the Absaroka Mountains (which, of course, led John and I to a long conversation about how upset we were that A&E dropped Longmire). 

Since we had driven 80 miles we decided to spend the day exploring Cody and we had such a great time that when we wrapped up our time at Yellowstone we decided to head back for an extra night. 

So Cody was established by Buffalo Bill Cody during the Westward Expansion. The town is named for him and there are museums dedicated to teaching his story and the story of the town. We had already done a unit study that included quite a bit of information about him, so while it was fun to see his hotel (The Irma, which is worth eating at if you're in the area), and the area that we learned about, we decided to dedicate our time a few low key attractions. 

On Trip Advisor (my roadtrip best friend) I found out about the Dug Up Gun Museum, a privately owned collection of guns, knifes, and other weapons that had, literally, been dug up. The museum housed pieces spanning from the War for Independence to WWII. There was no photography allowed inside so you just get to see the door, but they did have some truly interesting pieces and it's run on donations only, so Gunnar especially recommends it highly if you're visiting Cody. 

Cody Dug Up Gun Museum 

Across the street from The Irma Hotel

The best kept secret in Cody, though, is Old Trail Town. The only way that I can think of to describe it is as a cabin museum. It's a private collection of cabins and various buildings that have been moved from the surrounding area to a single location with the goal of preservation. The collection includes the cabin owned by Curly, the Crow scout that aided Lt. Col. Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn, a cabin used by the Hole in the Wall Gang (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's gang), an old schoolhouse, saloon, and store, among other interesting buildings. 

Near the entrance they have this roping station set up (Old Trail Town is next door to the Cody Nite Rodeo Arena, where they host a rodeo every single night from May to August). We were fortunate to arrive during a pretty slow time so the kids spent about thirty minutes practicing their roping technique. 

When we were finally able to break them away we started exploring the buildings.

There is an extensive collection of wagons

Checking out Curly's Cabin

Inside Curly's Cabin

They also had a collection of just weird stuff, including this cow with two heads. The kids thought it was awesome and they were increasingly impressed with each two headed or six legged animal mount they saw. Despite their insistence that I take a picture of each of them I have decided to spare you looking at them all. You can thank me when we get to your house. :)

The schoolhouse was my favorite building in the collection...

The Hole in the Wall Cabin

Old Trail Town is also the final resting place of several notable people from the Old West. The most notable, I think, is John Jeremiah Johnston, the famous mountainman who was the inspiration for the movie Jeremiah Johnson. Johnston was from the Cody area, but was moved to an old soldiers home in California in his old age and was buried there. Shortly after the movie was released a class of seventh graders from Lancaster, CA started a letter writing campaign and were successful in having Johnston's body exhumed and moved to Cody. It site is on the grounds at Old Trail Town. 

There are several photos of Johnston in one of the nearby buildings as well as some photos from his reinterment. You might recognize one of the pallbearers. 

The kids loved this old prairie schooner. They now describe them all as 'the first RV's'

Lewis and Clark era canoe

In the old saloon

Genuine bullet holes in the wall

Old traps. Any guesses as to the identity of the photographer?

 

The ladies who work at Old Trail Town are wonderful and at the end of our visit John and I spent about a half hour chatting with them while the kids continued their roping practice. They were really knowledgable about the buildings and displays as well as the history of Cody and the surrounding area. 

So, there are lots of things to do in Cody and I don't think that you can really go wrong. Old Trail Town, though, is a Cody must-do, so don't miss it if you make it to this corner of Wyoming.