Experience Buffalo Bill's Wild West

Northwestern Financial Review, Dec 1-Dec 14, 2002

If ever there was a brave and daring frontiersman, it was Colonel William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, and if you're interested in experiencing the "old west," look no further than the city he founded, Cody, Wyoming. Nestled at the base of the Wyoming Rocky Mountains, Cody has held tightly to its old west character; nearby, cowboys still herd cattle, buffalo still roam on the range and the Cody Nite Rodeo plays before audiences seven nights a week.

More proof of Cody's authenticity as a frontier town is Old Trail Town. Here frontier buildings ripe with cowboy lore from the likes of Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang have been collected from around the state and arranged in an "old west streetscape," meant to give visitors a sense for the hard-living characters of the old west.

But the old west wasn't all about lawlessness. Buffalo Bill Cody was a civic leader, entrepreneur, hunter, scout, Pony Express rider and showman. During his time, he became the foremost promoter of the West and a visit to the Buffalo Bill Museum will illustrate how the most famous name in Wyoming's history added romance to the idea of westward expansion.

Outdoor enthusiasts have long enjoyed the myriad of activities available in Cody, which sits on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park. Activities such as horseback riding, hiking, hunting, fishing, rafting, golfing and wildlife viewing abound. West of Cody, the Wapiti Valley is home to elk, grizzly bear, bighorn sheep, moose, deer and bald eagle.

With so much "wild" waiting to be discovered in western Wyoming, why not plan a tour to Buffalo Bill's Yellowstone Country. Information: Tel. (800) 393-2639.

Internet: www.codycountry.org