Roads and Rodeos Cody Loop Rider/Reviewers:
You know the old saying—if you assume a certain fact, you end up making an ass-u-me? Well that’s how we felt after our wonderful trip to Cody Being native Montanans, we thought we knew our neighbors to the south of us. We were pleasantly surprised as we got further and further into our busy weekend. We layered on the biker’s standard clothing, ending up with full leathers, as it was a brisk fall morning, to start out our 2-hour ride from Worden, Montana. Once off the interstate at Laurel, we were on a rural 2-lane road setting with tall rows of corn and fat healthy sugar beets. The traffic was moving at a nice motorcycle pace of 55 to 60 mph, and as a passenger, I kept my eyes on either side of the roadway to watch for deer and antelope. The valley opens up after Belfry, and we were greeted with views of the surrounding mountain ranges, any one of which could offer the possibility of an amazing day ride. As the sun peeked over the left side of the mountains, we entered Cody just in time for breakfast at the B-B Chuckwagon. The all you can eat buffet for $6.95 was a bargain and the picnic tables inside allowed for maximum seating capacity. My spouse and I were cheek to cheek, (as it were) and it felt nice & warm. The tin plates and cups brought to mind an Old West trail ride that Buffalo Bill Cody might have gone on himself. The staff was polite and engaged us in a nice small town friendly conversation about our plans for the days. Never mind what your mom told you about strangers, there are none in Cody. Just people you haven’t met yet. After breakfast we mounted the now warmed up HD Dyna Wide Glide and headed south to Meeteetse. Just a short 30 miles through dry creek beds and memories of Plains Indian villages, brought us to an unexpected gourmet treat. Down an old wooden sidewalk, through an old wooden screen door, complete with squeak, was Tim Kellogg the Meeteetse Chocolatier. Looking through old-fashioned glass display cases, we had to finally make a sinful decision about which chocolate to indulge in. Being a black leather biker, my husband had the Jack Daniels truffle, and I, being one hot biker chick, selected the Chipolte chili drop. Wow, by both accounts, delicious and very unusual. Thanks Meeteese for our mid-morning snack. Bikers get all excited about loops. The roughly 200-mile Bighorn Mountain loop is no exception for many reasons. Leaving Meeteetse on secondary highway 120, we drove through the Greybull river basin. Water is a scarce commodity in this part of Wyoming, and the river rewards its viewers with lush green fields and towering cottonwoods for approximately an hour’s ride. The red barren hills on either side of us gave testimony to that fact. As the little towns of Otto & Basin whizzed by, the Wide Glide began to climb the steep roadway of the Shell canyon. What a treasure the State of Wyoming has been hiding from us. As a passenger, I enjoyed reading the road signs labeling the different ages and types of rocks forming this beautiful canyon. It seems that all of the precious water we had been traveling with was now funneled into the narrow confines of Shell Falls. What a dramatic picture-taking opportunity, and a welcomed chance to stretch our legs. Continuing up the ever-climbing road, we saw moose and many other critters, safely off the path of our trusty HD. The snow pack is easily viewed from the road and felt refreshing for the first hour, then I was just plain cold—in August! So use your motorcyclists’ layers of clothes to keep yourself in your own personal comfort zone. Lunch for both machine and humans was at the half way point of the loop. Burgesss Junction provides a rider with all the basics, good rib sticking food, bathroom, fuel, and another chance to walk off the confines of our bikes. We recommend you take time to enjoy the alpine air and flowered meadows this stop provides, as the views change dramatically over the next two hours. Amazingly, we still continued to climb upward through switchbacks and steep draws. The glimpses of the valley below were breathtaking. At the top of the climb, we saw signs indicating a point of interest for the mysterious Medicine Wheel. The road was well marked, but as far we could tell, was mostly red dirt and gravel, a no-no for most HD’s. We decided we would have to venture back in our cage and see it some other day. With all that going up, there has to be a coming down part, and this was it in spades. The views were eye-popping and at times a bit nerve-jangling. This is a not-to-be-missed ride. As we leveled out into the valley below, we still enjoyed the distant view of the Pryor Mountains and could have taken another side trip to the Wild Horse range, but we continued on highway 14A into Lovell. As we crossed the long bridge over the Bighorn Lake, we could feel civilization coming. The traffic was a little heavier but still a pleasant ride through farm land. Next up was the college town of Powell. No need to gas up or stretch so on we went. Shortly after leaving Powell, we again saw signs indicating a historical point of interest ahead. What we found at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center was fascinating, but unsettling. This free interpretative site tells the story of the United States government’s fear of Japanese-Americans living on US soil following the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II. The 11,000 inmates were uprooted mostly from the Pacific Northwest, forced to reduce their belongings to what they could carry, and live in tar paper shacks in this relocation camp. The memorial includes a walking tour and is capped off by an honor roll that lists former internees who went on to serve in the US armed forces after they were released from this camp. The story stayed with us for miles. Seven hours after we left the Western town of Cody, we were back just in time to check into our lodging at the Buffalo Bill Village for the weekend. The staff at the front desk was very helpful in suggesting must-see attractions and great places to eat. It seems we timed our arrival to coincide with the hotel’s happy hour. We were graciously served fruit, cheese, crackers and sarsaparilla. Nice treat for road-weary bikers. We were thrilled to drive right up next to our private cabin and grateful for the spacious bathroom in which to clean up for the evening’s activities. We rode down the inviting main street of Cody and easily found the Proud Cut Saloon. The heavy traffic in and out of the establishment made us thankful we had reservations and also indicated that this was indeed a great place to eat. We were not disappointed. The New York strip steak my husband had was done to perfection and the grilled salmon was delicious, served with hot homemade rolls and a hearty baked potato. When the waitress asked if there was anything else she could get us, we replied, “Yes. A wheelbarrow.” If you have never been, or if it’s been a while since you have been to a rodeo, you must attend the Cody Nite Rodeo. It’s a virtual institution of the town itself and the old West. We arrived about a half hour early to insure we had prime seats, which were termed the Rooster Rest. Above the chutes is where the stock and the riders get ready to compete and where all the behind-the-scenes action is. When the animals weren’t cooperating, the clown and MC kept the jokes and fun rolling. This is a real cowboy’s rodeo and many of the guys and gals were locals. One family had 3 generations of cowboys competing that night—how’s that for tradition? People-watching was an event not on the program, but it was fun to observe people from other states and countries who were seeing a rodeo for the first time. After a long and fun-filled day, it was a comfort to arrive at our cabin and find it cooled and ready for us. The cabin was spacious and decorated in traditional Western style complete with Indian prints on the wooden walls and fluffy down rodeo print comforters on the bed. Having the bike 10 feet from the front door was a definite plus. The staff at the Buffalo Bill Village sure know how to make weary travelers feel like VIPs by heaping loads of Western hospitality on them. After a good night’s rest, day 2 started with the most important meal of the day, breakfast at the Sunset Restaurant across town. The parking was ample and the presence of other HD’s at the front said that the business appreciated bikers. The family-style restaurant was clean and the choice between a full menu or a 20-foot buffet table confirmed we would not go hungry. There was something for everyone there and a gracious staff made for a great way to start the day. Just around the corner from breakfast was our first stop of the day, Old Trail Town, which is actually located on the original 1895 Cody City site. We were greeted right way by Buffalo Bill Cody, who went on to tell us that this Town was special. It was not recreated, but these were the actual buildings from the old West that had been moved in from various parts of the West, set back down and decorated with artifacts and antiques. Schools, saloons, blacksmith shop and more were all there to walk through. We spent more than our allotted time in Old Trail Town because the staff was so knowledgeable about these buildings and the stories that surrounded them. So just a warning—allow ample time to soak in all the history here. Across the street was Tecumseh’s Miniature Village. This was a free tour set up as family-friendly attraction. The miniature scenes, laid out behind glass fronts depict Western history from the 1600’s to the late 1800’s . O.K, we all know about boys and their toys. Well, the interactive displays scratched that itch for my big boy as he ran the model train around the exhibit 3 or 4 times. There are also thousands of Indian collectibles and artifacts to see. Again, not enough time in the day to see all this family-run business has to offer. Next on our must-do list was the Cody Trolley Tour. It was quite evident that this husband and wife team truly love their job as entertainers, historians and tour guides. They pack a lot of information into your 1-hour ride. I would recommend that you try and make this one of your first stops in Cody so you can appreciate the sites you see in and around town. The sound system installed in the trolley was great, and we quickly and easily learned about colorful characters of the West, such as Annie Oakely, and Buffalo Bill. The refurbished trolley was packed full, so we would recommend calling ahead to insure a seat. You can be picked up at either the historical Irma Hotel, or call for a free shuttle ride from your motel or campground. Now that’s service. It was time for a break in the action, so we wandered down the street to find lunch at the Silver Dollar Bar. The day was beautiful and the atmosphere was laid back so we took advantage of their large patio to rest and refuel. The waitress was quick to greet us and take our order of “to die for” Nachoes. Being right on the main drag, it was fun to kick back and watch people and bikes go by. The afternoon found us driving down the Southfork Road, whose starting point is just across from the Cody Nite Rodeo grounds, southwest of town. This is a 20-mile dead-end road through the mountainous wintering grounds for a large herd of bighorn sheep. Not having to fight traffic is an understatement. We passed only one vehicle on this nicely-paved secondary road. It was so relaxing to just sit back and watch the entire Shoshone River Valley and national forest open up to us. I can’t begin to describe the view. Three different mountain ranges towering above us made us feel small and privileged to be there. Solitude best describes this amazing ride. Back in the day, many of Cody’s social activities surrounded the Irma Hotel. It’s no different today. We again found ourselves at the doorstep of this historically significant hotel, built by Buffalo Bill Cody in honor of his youngest daughter Irma. At 6:00 pm, there is an honest-to-goodness gun fight, with blanks of course, at the side porch of the Hotel. For a modest dollar, you can reserve your seat for the night’s action of good vs. evil, old west style. When Buffalo Bill had once again rid the town of undesirables, it was time to have a delightful dinner inside. The décor of the Irma took us back to those times where cowboys off the plains and riders off the train mixed together to enjoy a drink at the ornate bar after a long day. The nightly buffet was a hit with us as we consumed prime rib, chicken and oyster’s Rockefeller. The staff was generous with their smiles and time. After dinner, we leisurely strolled across the street to the 30’s Art Deco theatre for a Cowboy Music Review. To tell the truth, we were not sure this was “our kind of music.” After about 10 minutes, it was evident that this variety show was everyone’s kind of music. We were converts to Dan Miller’s family entertainment. In the restored theater there were ages one to 88, (he took polls on country of origin, age, etc), and all were enjoying his light hearted way with the crowd. He treated us to poetry and western music from every decade. We saw a rather large fellow biker break down and cry when Dan’s bass player, Wendy Corr, sang Patsy Cline’s song, “I Fall to Pieces.” It was a nice country touch to be able to talk with Dan Miller and his group after the performance out in front of the theater. A quick 2 minute ride and we were back to the cabin for some much needed shut-eye. Day 3 was a day full of sight seeing, not involving the motorcycle mode of transportation. The HD was sad. We walked to the Holiday Inn for a quick and easy buffet breakfast. The table was loaded with everything from oatmeal to French toast to yogurt, and included fruit and pastries. The waitress was especially nice and efficient. Check out at the Buffalo Bill Village could not have been easier, just leave the key on the desk and you are on your way. The crown jewel of Cody is the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Imagine a wheel with 5 spokes coming from the center. It is really 5 museums housed in one building. A common theme in this review is the problem of not having enough time to properly see an attraction, ditto at the Historical Center. This is the reason why an admission ticket is good for two consecutive days. We were embarrassed at what we didn’t know about the everyday creatures we Montanans live with. Who would have thought that prairie dogs have an ecological purpose, or beavers create habitats for land animals. Tour the Draper Museum of Natural History and find these things out. The Whitney Gallery of Western Art has such a cross selection of traditional and contemporary art that it helps the average person enjoy a bit of culture. The Cody Firearms Museum was so much more interesting than I thought it would be. Guns from every period of time, interactive displays, actual tools to craft a gun and a grand trophy cabin make the time slip away. Lunch from the on-site Mustang Grill-O eaten in the gardens was a treat for all of our senses and helped us process the vast amount of information we had just taken in. By early afternoon we were back on the Dyna and headed out to see the reason why the Cody area is inhabitable. With only about 9 inches of rain per year, there was a big need to have a consistent water supply for people, animals and crops. The Buffalo Bill Dam was built 6 miles west of Cody, begun in 1905 and finished in 1910 to do just that. The trip is short but visually stunning with the solid rock walls, a set of tunnels to toot your horn in, and a variety of plant and wild life visible from the well-maintained road. We took in the many displays and films provided in the visitors’ center and were fascinated by the American ingenuity used to get this project done at the turn of the century, using, of course, turn-of-the-century tools. With our minds full to the brim with all this new knowledge, it was time to head for the barn. A tank full of gas and alert eyes were all we needed to find our way back home. We have already put in calls to our traveling buddies and told them what they are missing. Cody and the surrounding area is not just a passage way to Yellowstone Park, but a destination unto itself. We already have plans to return and enjoy ALL this area has to offer bikers and those who love them.
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