August 1-5, 2018

TL;DR: After spending a good bit of time in the forests, Cody was a welcome spot of civilization, and surprisingly charming. From the rodeo to Buffalo Bill to cowboy boots, we really embraced the Wild West atmosphere.

THE SIGHTS

Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway/State Park

This byway felt a little bit like Utah, with lots of canyons and spires. There was red everywhere, with a river flowing through.

Millstone Pizza Company and Brewery, Cody

WiFi. And a good local porter made with local coffee. Working essentials.

Buffalo Bill Museum, Cody

This was a neat, well-done museum. We didn’t really realize how big Bill’s show was––or how internationally beloved. The queen (of England) was a big fan, and even gifted a bar to his daughter.

Side note: Said bar, Irma’s, was very old school, all the way down to the smoky rooms. For those who love play fighting, there’s an elaborate historical reenactment outside every day. It’s very close to an excellent BBQ truck (more details on that below!).

Unfortunately, Bill was a lonely guy since he traveled so much. This led to some serious issues. His wife accused him of adultery, he accused her of poisoning him. The usual.

There was also a ton of guns, taxidermy, and art. And a pressed penny station. (Yes, we got one.)

Also, who knew dire wolves were real?

The Cody Rodeo

We walked to the rodeo right from our home base at Walmart (file that under things we never thought we’d say). Overall it was pretty slow moving, and the rodeo clown was laying it on thick. There were bucking broncos and bulls, and barrel racing with badass cowgirls.

Didn’t love the roping of the cattle or horses at all. Though there was a father/daughter duo that really crushed it.

Big Horn National Forest

There was a really gorgeous, winding road leading up to the forest, with the mountains in the distance, and a layer of Yosemite fire smoke.

You could see all the layers of the rock: sandstone, limestone, granite, dolomite. Very helpful signs labeled the age of the rocks. Because 2.9-billion years old is quite impressive.

Shell Falls

This was right along the Big Horn route. The fast-flowing water (enough for 144 showers per second) has been cutting through the granite for about one million years.

DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS

We’re beginning to think we’re a bad omen for fires. After we left Redding, Glacier, and Yellowstone, there were pretty bad ones. Hoping it’s not a repeating pattern.

Bri got a $10 haircut in Cody — and they did a great job. He’s a new man!

In Cody, we went to The Cowboy Palace to get a few pairs of boots for some friends’ kids, including an American flag pair that lights up when you walk. The kind gentleman up front also gave us free rodeo tickets with our order. (Which we’re very glad about since we wouldn’t have wanted to pay for it.)

Passing through Dayton, WY, we saw Bri’s favorite sign yet: It was for an oil permitting company called “Professional Permitters,” and their slogan was, “We quill so you can drill.” It’s the little things.

We drove about 50 miles of unpaved roads in Big Horn exploring and looking for a place to park. Really makes you appreciate smooth asphalt.

AND THEN THIS HAPPENED…

In Big Horn National Forest, we thought we heard something a little wonky, but didn’t think too much of it. As we got ready to leave our spot, Bri noticed that the front was down .4 degrees. Then, we got an error message that the leveler… needs… service. As we drove back towards civilization (at least an hour away), Layla kept attempting to retract the levels every two minutes. We panicked for a bit. Then it stopped. So. Guess it’s OK?

ROADFOOD

On the edge of Cody, Wyoming, Noon Break 2 Go serves time-tested New Mexico-style burritos topped with Code 10 green chili sauce.

All the meat at Fat Racks BBQ is smoked in the back of a bright red food truck. It’s so flavorful, you won’t want sauce.

From sourdough pancakes with minted butter to buttermilk biscuits with pastrami, food at The Local looks like a million bucks. But it’s a bargain.

WHERE WE STAYED

Nights one, two, and three: Cody, Wyoming Walmart

We loved Cody, so stayed here for three nights. The parking lot was incredibly windy and hard to sleep in, but its proximity to everything was worth it. Walkable to the rodeo and downtown.

Night four: Big Horn National Forest

We drove up 14 until we got to the turnoff for 10, which goes about 25 winding miles through the hills to 14A, which we didn’t really want to take. We did see a few potential spots, but they looked unlevel. Saw lots of other ones that were taken, and tons of trailers and dune buggies.

We ended up finding a spot up on a hill. It was the right spot. That night we saw the most gorgeous stars. It was so quiet and we could see the Milky Way, Big Dipper, a satellite, two shooting stars… all the constellations just looked so clear. It was really beautiful.

Later, we saw the moon rising from bed. Not too shabby.

GPS coordinates: 44.6933430, -107.5940190

Night five: Sheridan, Wyoming Walmart

This Walmart was right near a little stream with a nice running trail next to it. Otherwise, your typical Walmart parking lot and our frequent home as of late.