Making the most of it (Rain!)

Whilst Wyoming is known both for its low population (circa 500,000) and rainfall, this morning we got some fairly substantial showers.Fortunately, we had a plan. First, we went for breakfast, which was not within the hotel, but a short (very wet) distance away in the Buffalo Bill Gift Shop. Walking through the mountain of souvenirs, Stetsons, jewellery, and western apparel, in order to get to the breakfast room was a first. The breakfast room itself was treat. It had once been the venue for Western dinner review evenings and was full of pianos, a huge wooden bar (extracted from Montana in the 1960s, and other paraphernalia. All very interesting and the breakfast was good, too. Still raining, we headed to the Buffalo Bill Centre and meandered around its interesting exhibits, until our trolley tour bus arrived at 11:00 am.

 Then we took the one hour tour, during which we learned much about Cody's history. The town owes its existence to Buffalo Bill and his entrepreneurial instincts. An early picture of the town shows little more than his first house and the Irma Hotel, which he built at enormous cost and named after his daughter. In this venture he was right on the money, as Yellowstone had only recently opened and he convinced the government to add the park's east entrance and anyone using the latter would have to pass through Cody. Buffalo Bill's life story is an interesting one, too; from a cow puncher and pony express rider, at an early age, to being one of the world's most renowned showmen.

We also passed the first bank to be robbed by the 'Hole in the wall gang", a robbery in which the cashier was shot and no money was taken!
 

Back at the museum centre, we had a look round the Western artifacts again and then walked to the site of the annual Plains Indian Pow Wow. In effect, native American Indian families come to this event from all over North America and represent many tribes. During the day they hold dance competitions and everyone dresses in full ceremonial costume.  An amazing spectacle! Of course, by then the sun was shining again!

As for an appropriate piece of music, maybe Apache (although they were from Arizona!) by the Shadows