Our recent trip to Montana and Wyoming was rather
spectacular. We stopped at museums and tourist attractions that caught our
attention, as well as some national parks including the Theodore Roosevelt
National Park in North Dakota where we saw a wonderful herd of wild horses,
including this beauty, and Yellowstone, where we saw buffalo, and buffalo, and
did I mention buffalo?
Then we hit Cody, Wyoming. Officially incorporated in 1901
by Buffalo Bill Cody and several others, this little town stole my heart. The
Buffalo Bill Historical Center hosts five separate museums, Buffalo Bill,
Natural History and the Greater Yellowstone Area, Plains Indians, Western Art, and
Firearms. It is all phenomenal and the gun museum exceptionally spectacular.
Here are a couple ‘inventions’ that never quite made it. A prelude to the Swiss
army knife, (invented in 1892) was this multifunctional folding knife with a
.22 caliber pistol invented in 1880. Yes it is huge and will not fit in a
pocket! And this was an attempt to make a repeating pistol in 1866.
After that museum we visited a place called “Old Trail Town”
which was fabulous. The cabins, well over a dozen, had all been donated by the
land owners of where they had been originally built. Volunteers tore down the
cabins log by log, numbering each long, and then rebuilt them.
Several of the
cabins had been used by Butch Cassidy, The Sundance Kid, and the Hole in the
Wall Gang. Visitors were allowed to walk inside each one, which are furnished
with period and area antiques.
To me, this little town was the highlight of the
trip. Among other amazing things, John Jeremiah-Liver Eating-Johnston—the
inspiration for the 1972 movie, Jeremiah Johnson starring Robert Redford is
buried at this trail town.
The shopping there was lots of fun, too. Of course they had
your usual tourist shops, but I like to visit antique and pawn shops, and found
two there that were amazing. If you enjoy old west museums, I’d recommend adding
Cody, Wyoming to your must-visit list.
My next release
isn’t set in Wyoming, but close—southern Montana. Snowbound with the Sheriff is a short Christmas tale that will be
released December 1st from Harlequin. Here’s a short snippet:
“Can you help us
or not?” a demanding voice asked.
Chayston
couldn’t remember disliking someone on sight, but it was happening. This woman
was making his stomach ferment like a barrel of apples turning into vinegar.
“He’ll help, all
right,” Riley said. “This here is Sheriff Williams.” Gesturing toward the
window with a thumb, Riley continued, “Chayston, meet Miss Violet Ritter from
Cincinnati.”
Chayston didn’t
bother glancing her way. He’d already known her name and where she was from.
The snow was
thick and hard to plod through. As he passed the window, she asked, “Williams?
Are you related to General Williams?”
“He sur—”
“How long have
you been pushing this thing?” Chayston asked, interrupting Riley before he
could say more.
“Over a mile,”
Riley answered. “I’ve been trying to hold up the back end. The front axels are
turning, but the back one’s locked tight.”
Chayston’s
well-placed kick was a mistake. The snow between the spokes was rock hard and
the action shot a sting from his toe to his knee. Riley had been driving the
stage for years, and there was no doubt the man had already tried everything
within his power to get it rolling again. “You’ve been holding up the back
end?”
“Not much else
we could do,” Riley answered. “Tried shoveling, that just gave way for more snow
to fall.” Lowering his rough and raspy voice, he added, “I didn’t dare pound on
the axel too hard. If the wheel broke this close to the edge, the stage could
tumble right over the hillside, taking your papa’s new bride with it.”
I haven't been to Cody since the '90s, but I loved the Buffalo Bill museum. And even though the town wasn't incorporated until 1901, there sure is a lot of history in that area. Plus, it's not far from Yellowstone. What an awesome area.
ReplyDeleteI so want to visit Wyoming and Montana. Thanks for the virtual tour. This may be as close as I get. Your new release sounds intriguing.
ReplyDeleteGreat looking blog! Thanks for listing me in your sidebar!
ReplyDeleteSMOOCHES
Forgot to add, there's a Buffalo Bill ranch here in Nebraska too. I visited it years ago when I was writing Rain Shadow.
ReplyDeleteSo much history, Jacquie!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Caroline, I hope you do get to Wyoming and Montana. Well worth the trip!
I'll have to look that up, Cheryl, I have family in Nebraska we visit fairly often!
Thanks for commenting, ladies!