Who We Are

We sold our home in June, 2007, and spent the next 7 1/2 years traveling full time in a Cross Roads Fifth Wheel. (We had been traveling during our summers for several years before going full time.) We loved the full-time lifestyle! Each summer we spent a month or two volunteering in State Parks, first in Indiana at McCormick's Creek State Park, near our family, then in later years as the grandchildren got older, at the Bluewater Lake State Park in New Mexico. We spent 6 months each winter at Cactus Gardens RV Resort in Yuma, AZ, where I worked mornings in the park office. The remaining months were spent on the road, seeing this great country of ours. Our favorite places are our National Parks. Anita loved photography and the freedom of digital photography, taking sometimes hundreds of photos in a day. We hiked as much as our legs will allow. We also really enjoyed square and round dancing as we travel across country, and meeting all the wonderful people who dance and/or travel.

But as in all things, there comes a time for change, and we decided it was time to create roots once more. In the fall of 2014, we purchased a home in Cactus Gardens, and in the spring of 2015, sold the 5th wheel. Anita also retired in the spring. We will continue to travel each summer, but for a shorter period of time. We hope to continue blogging about those trips, but it will obviously be on a more limited basis than in the past.

Please explore our past posts if you are interested in traveling this great country. You'll find an index in the left column. We hope you enjoy our blog, and appreciate all comments

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Buffalo Bill (Shoshone) Dam and Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody

THE BUFFALO BILL DAM

The Buffalo Bill Dam (originally known as the Shoshone Dam) is located just west of Cody, on the Shoshone River. Completed in 1910, it was the highest concrete arch dam in the world, 325 feet high.  If you’re interested in it’s constructed, there is a link in the posting just below this one, along with a photo of Ron’s mother in front of the tunnel in 1939.

We spent an informative hour at the dam interpretive center. The first photo is approaching the dam from the west.bb1

Looking toward the dam and interpretive center:bb2

Looking downriver from the walkway on the dam:bb3

BUFFALO BILL HISTORICAL CENTER

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bb5 After our stop at the dam, we spent most of the remainder of the day in the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody.

Comprised of 5 Smithsonian affiliated museums, it is well worth taking a day (or two) to see.  The entrance fee is a two day pass.

Various programs are presented at the center.  On the day we were there, we were fortunate to be able to attend a dance presentation by the Wind Dancers from the native Wind Dance Reservation of Wyoming.  They perform at the center two days annually. For more than an hour, the dancers described and demonstrated their native dances.

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 The museum complex consists of 5 separate museums.

The Plains Indian Museum:bb3

bb4 The Buffalo Bill Museum: bb5

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The Draper Museum of Natural History:bb7

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The Cody Firearms Museum:bb11

and The Whitney Gallery of Western Art (we didn’t have time for to see this museum).

CODY SHOOTOUT

Since 1996, six nights a week throughout summer, the Cody Gunfighters have a shootout in front of the famous Irma Hotel (named after Buffalo Bill Cody’s daughter).   Profits from the rental chairs ($1 each), posters and souvenirs go to charity.bb12 More comedy than drama, it was fun to watch as Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickok triumphed once more over the bad guys. bb13

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1 comment:

Sandybee said...

Hello,
My name is Sandybee and I got to your website through Geeks on Tour. You have done a very nice job with your site. I was reading some of your older posts and saw the Indian head on your Aug 11 post. I thought you might like to know that you found one of the 'Whispering Giants.' There is one in every state, apparently, although I have yet to see one as we're not out on the road yet. Here's a link to Peter Toth, the artist who makes them: http://www.dcschumaker.com/

Keep up the blogging!

Sandybee