Our last days in Wyoming.

We spend 4 nights in Cody. It is a lively place with lots of things to do. We are staying at the Cody KOA  about 3 miles out of town. We take the bikes off;  it's a good ride into town with a couple of testing hills!!

We spend several hours visiting the Buffalo Bill Historical Centre. It houses 5 exhibition areas/museums all of which provide insight into the West, its inhabitants old and new and its place on today's landscape.



William Frederick Cody (1846-1917) - Buffalo Bill -  one of the most colourful Wild West figures, started out as a teenage rider for the Pony Express. He served as a scout in the Civil War. When the war ended he began supplying buffalo meat to workers of the transcontinental railroad, earning himself the nickname 'Buffalo Bill'. He then took on the international stage as star of a spectacular circus in which historical scenes were acted out by cowboys and Indians. Despite earning several fortunes during his lifetime by 1913 he was bankrupt; he died 4 years later in Denver .


We attend the Cody Night Rodeo, the nation's longest running rodeo, held each night between 1 June and 31 August. KOA provides a free shuttle to the rodeo.

I try to take photos of some of the events but they are too fast moving!! The events include bareback and saddle bronc riding, bull riding, calf and team roping and barrel racing to mention a few. The opening display of horses and riders carrying flags is wonderfully practised; quite a spectacle ... and then the national anthem!
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Well - one event stayed still!!!

I walk each morning; we also enjoy the pancake breakfast - free pancakes - provided by KOA. A great opportunity to chat with other RV'ers.




From Cody we continue east to the Bighorn Mountain range. We plan to be in South Dakota by the fourth of July. We take Hwy 14A, at first driving through fertile valleys then quickly into high plains and desert like country - the Medicine Wheel Passage Scenic Byway (named after the Medicine Wheel sacred, historic site). We climb to a summit at 9,430 ft, from an altitude of approximately 5,500 ft in Cody. Certainly not the highest point in the Bighorns but ... what a view! It is beautiful.

The road to the summit is a bit hairy!

We stop at a lookout over the Bighorn Basin - such history in these parts. Snow has remained in some of the gullies. I am not looking forward to the descent!

Then one of those moments that you dream about - I am looking out my side window, always looking out for wildlife, when I see a pair of what look like tall ears poking up above some small trees. We drive off the road and stop. There in front of us are 2 moose eating grasses along a river bed!! Wow!! We watch them for about half an hour; take lots of photos.  Here are just a few!!



We are able to get close enough for a clear view of them; they are not particularly worried about us being there. They look quite young.




Then, as we continue on our way we see another moose! This one is bigger, a male with antlers. How lucky are we!!

The descent continues now in earnest; an 8% grade with many switchbacks and sharp curves as the road drops about 6000 ft in 10 miles.
There are many road signs warning of the steep grade.

The views to the east out over the valley are stunning!!