We have passed through these parts a few times and with each visit, we learn/see/experience something new. Today's visit to Cody was especially enjoyable.
We began with a stop at Buffalo Bill Dam, a concrete arch-gravity dam on the Shoshone River. Originally 325 feet, it was the tallest dam in the world when it opened in 1910.Its name was changed in 1946 to honor the famous Wild West figure William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who founded the nearby town of Cody and owned much of the land now covered by the reservoir formed by its construction. It is part of the Shoshone Project, successor to several visionary schemes promoted by Cody to irrigate the Bighorn Basin and turn it from a semi-arid sagebrush-covered plain to productive agricultural land.We were too early to take a dam tour but we were impressed, nonetheless. It is so impressive, in fact, that it was named a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1973. Cool stuff.
Once in town, we headed to The Irma. William F. Cody, was arguably the best known American in the world during his lifetime. Having been involved in many events that shaped the American West, he formed an arena show of the western experience called Buffalo Bill’s Wild West in 1883. It toured the United States and Europe for 30 years.
Buffalo Bill helped found Cody, Wyoming, in 1895. He also established his TE Ranch in the area. In 1902, he built an establishment which he called “just the sweetest hotel that ever was” and named it for his youngest daughter, Irma. It was built to appeal to visitors from around the world — as a staging point for sightseers headed for Yellowstone, big game hunters, summer tourists, and businessmen investigating the ranching, mining, and other business opportunities. Buffalo Bill maintained two suites and an office at the hotel for his personal use.Eating in this historic spot is a must for us. The dining room remains almost exactly as it was when Bill dined here. I loved this 'doorbell' used to call the waitstaff in the day.
A first for us was a visit to The Cody Heritage Museum which focuses solely on local Cody history. Greeted by knowledgable and enthusiastic docents, we were overwhelmed with the amount of history this little town holds.As we strolled through the exhibits, we learned about: the founders; the ranching and agricultural history; and early Cody businesses; the tourist industry; the oil, gas, and railroad industries; area cowboy history, including the Cody Stampede Rodeo; and historic Cody families. Wow.
The highlight of our day was our visit to Cody Cattle Company.The tagline is, "YOUR BEST NIGHT IN CODY STARTS HERE. Good People. Great Food. Legendary Nights." We really didn't know what to expect. We were blown away by it all.I was incredibly surprised by our evening's greeter "Buffalo Bill" himself.What's fun is the fact that we hung out together at The Irma in 2009 (almost 17 years ago to the day). How cool is that?The Cody Cattle Company is a dinner and show experience for all ages. They offer a nightly buffet with a great menu, followed by fabulous live music.Not only was the food fabulously delicious, it was all-you-can eat. I really wish I was a person who could eat two plates, it was some of the best tasting food I have ever eaten (melt in your mouth beef brisket, fall off the bone chicken, wonderfully seasoned pulled pork with sides of potatoes, baked beans, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, corn bread, and salad). I'm drooling still.My plate!The band was beyond incredible! Ryan Martin and the Triple C Cowboys provided us an unforgettable evening of boot tapping, hand clapping, and long overdue dancing. They were all so talented.The tribute to Dolly Parton had many of us emotional.The minute I was back in the camper, I wrote a review for this true Cody treasure. What fun that the owners wrote a reply in response. "Thank you so much! We sat a table away from you and enjoyed watching you having fun!" There's not much more to add. What a great road trip, thus far! Yeehaw!
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