***This blog post was written on 8/18, but couldn't be posted until now due to lack of internet in Yellowstone the past few days. A post about Yellowstone should follow in the next couple of days***
Yeehaw!! The wild west just keeps getting wilder the farther we go…both in culture and landscape.
After spending a toasty Tuesday evening dry docking in Billings, Montana at the local Cabela’s (which featured a horse corral out back for anyone who chose to ride in that way) we drove to Cody, Wyoming for a couple of days. At an elevation of over 5,000 feet, Cody was founded by Colonel William Cody, AKA Buffalo Bill, in 1896. This small town is known as the rodeo capital of the world, hosting a nightly event every day from June through August. The Cody Nite Rodeo has a thousand people in attendance most nights, and is the birthplace of many professional cowboys and bull riders.
We joined the rodeo crowd on Wednesday night and were able to get wonderful seats in the “Buzzards Roost,” right behind and above where the bull gates were. Being able to watch the cowboys don their protective gear and get their broncos and bulls ready to compete was a new and exciting experience. Another unique fact about this rodeo was that their announcer was out in the arena on his own horse as he commentated, instead of in a typical announcer's stand. It was fun to watch him interact with those beside him in the arena, dodge wild broncos and bulls, and participate in the lassoing event.
Personally, I thought the best part of the night came at the very beginning. The announcer (Colter) opened the evening by saying that in Cody, they take pride in two things: faith and freedom. He then removed his hat and prayed what he termed a ‘cowboy’s prayer.’ Within that prayer, he boldly laid out the whole Gospel message and our need for salvation in Jesus. After having lived in Minnesota my whole life, where it’s rare to find any kind of event opened with prayer or acknowledgment of God – much less Jesus, this was a very refreshing experience, especially when considering the number of people who attend each night and are hearing the Gospel because of this young man’s boldness in proclaiming Christ. Colter then introduced the woman who would sing the National Anthem, and stated that she is a “devout Jesus follower.” His final words at the end of the night, before riding out of the arena were “Thank you for coming. May God bless America and remember, Jesus is Lord.” Not your typical way to finish out a rodeo… at least not in my neck of the Minnesota woods!
There were the typical bull riding, barrel racing, bronco busting, and roping events, and then, surprisingly, they had Junior bull riding…which featured high school-age cowboys on slightly smaller bulls. That was unexpected for our family, who has never seen a bull rider younger than 20. Even more shocking was the Pee-wee bull riding for ages 12 and under! They rode smaller bulls and only had to stay on for six seconds as opposed to the usual eight, but still! It was slightly terrifying to see these skinny little people riding and being thrown from bulls five or six times their weight. Mom about had a heart attack I think! The Pee-Wee winner was the tiniest and most exuberant one of the bunch, looking to be about 10 years old. It was crazy, to say the least, and, I have to admit, I kind of wonder what their parents were thinking when they agreed to let them participate in this sport. :) After the rodeo ended, we spent the night in the parking lot listening to the crickets, horses, and bulls making music.
Yesterday, we visited the iconic Buffalo Bill Dam which held the record for the tallest dam until beaten by the Hoover Dam, nearly twice its height. The dam is 70 feet wide at the base and 200 feet wide at the crest and contains no steel reinforcements. Construction was begun in 1904, but wasn’t completed until 1910, The dam irrigates over 93,000 acres of oats, beans, alfalfa, sugar beets, and barley. The dam was impressive to see and the scenery around it was beautiful!
After a quiet park lunch, we explored the main street and, in particular, Cowtown Candy shop. They have amazing fudge (with free samples) and a wide selection of candy. Featuring both ‘normal’ candy such as M&M’s, Skittles, Smarties, and unique candies such as Zotz, Bleeps and PuckerPowder, Cowtown proved an exciting stop for the little boys. :)
The rest of the evening was pretty chill with a stop at the laundromat and a walking expedition into town by the other three big kids and myself to watch the free, nightly, Western melodrama and gunfight by the Sheriff, Annie Oakley, Doc Holliday, Sundance Kid, Richard the Kid, and Butch Cassidy. The performance was mostly improv and the cast was missing a few other characters, so proved to be a little rough. Enjoyed seeing it but wouldn’t have wanted to pay to attend.
Last night ended up being a night of little sleep for the majority of the family, as we experienced our first Wyoming windstorm while Wallydocking. (That means we stayed in a Walmart parking lot). Poor ol’ Kram-A-Lot Inn was a rockin’ and a shakin’ all night, and her occupants lay awake wondering if she were going to be blown over. There was also the issue of windows. If they were closed, the RV quickly became a sauna that made it impossible to sleep. If they were open, it quickly became a wind tunnel that also made it nearly impossible to sleep. Dominic and Levi were the only ones who enjoyed a good night’s sleep. We did make it through the night without any real calamity, however, the next morning brought the need for a thorough cleaning of Kram-a-Lot due to the dust and dirt that blew in during the night.
Today, we drive to Yellowstone National Park, where we’ll do some sightseeing and settle in for the night. Tomorrow we’ll head to see the long-awaited Old Faithful!
Until next time, God bless.
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