Cody, Wyoming feels like an old west town, perhaps because it is. It was founded in 1896 by the legendary Colonel William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. At the time, he was just 41 years old and one of the world’s most famous men. It’s located on the Shoshone River in northwestern Wyoming and is a gateway into Yellowstone National Park.
It is a charming place with cute shops, museums and access to the outdoors.
Today it’s known as the Rodeo Capital of the World and is a destination for nature lovers from across the globe. Truly, friends, it’s a beautiful part of the country.
The year round population is about 10,000 and it seems those folks must be a hearty sort. The wind is strong and the nearest TJ Maxx is like two hours away. You probably think that’s a joke but it’s really not. If you need a new outfit or frying pan, you’re probably going to Walmart. There are some specialty shops downtown that seemed kind of expensive to me and there are thrift stores. The nearest town with shopping is Billings, MT and I’ve never done that trip but it doesn’t sound fun in the winter.
As a visitor, though, we had a fantastic visit to Yellowstone, the Washakie Wilderness, Heart Mountain, and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. There’s some neat stuff to look at around town and a great bookstore which I will take you to tomorrow.
The city is home to an enormous collection of public art including some stunning life sized statues of wildlife, pioneers, ranchers and others. You could pass an entire day just driving and walking around to see all these amazing pieces of art. There are so many of them, they almost become part of the landscape.
There are some historic hotels in downtown, some chain hotels and some mom and pop places as well. We stayed at Moose Creek Lodge and Suites because it’s downtown, is relatively inexpensive and was nice enough for our needs.
I was sorely disappointed with myself after I left and realized that we had driven by a Carnegie Library and didn’t even try to go in. Good grief. Some other time. The good news is there’s lots of other stuff to talk about and explore from this trip. Come back tomorrow and we’ll start at one of my favorite places – the bookstore!
We drove through Cody once as we were leaving Yellowstone. The drive was gorgeous, and I made a mental note to return someday to explore more. I look forward to reading your posts about this area.
I hope you make it back someday. It’s a lovely place!
It is easy to get lost in the charm of this true Western town. Looking forward to the rest of the story!
I’m such a fan of those old style of towns. They don’t make them like that anymore. It’s neat to hear that they have an extensive collection of public art.
Oh my gosh! There’s so much to see all over town. It gives the place so much character!
We only stopped in Cody for gas on our way to Canada in June. I think my last stop there was in 1985! But the area north of Cody was fabulous. I look forward to seeing what you found in town.
That is such a beautiful part of the country. Someday we want to find our way up into Montana as well.