From Cody to Yellowstone

En route to Cody, Wyoming we were dropped off at the famous monument, Devil’s Tower for two hours. I read somewhere that this is one of the ‘Things to see before you die’. We were all terribly hung over and the sun was hot, making this drop off an unpopular one. It looked like a huge tree trunk. Don’t worry too much about seeing it before you die. I was more excited by the prairie dogs, which in fact look nothing like dogs, more like rats. Cute though.

That evening we stayed at Buffalo Bill’s Antler Inn and I experienced my first Rodeo. Some of the group really got into the spirit and sported cowboy hats and checked shirts and we all piled onto the bleachers, me with the obligatory hotdog in hand. The real-life cowboys were lined up on a wall at the front, legs swinging over the edge and eager for their turn on the bucking horses. Some kids close by were causing trouble and simulating the action using a large, rusty barrel.

I enjoyed some aspects of the rodeo, such as the horse riding challenges and the cute games arranged for the kids in the audience, but it was around the ‘calf roping’ point that my mild amusement turned to horror. The idea of the ‘game’ was to let a calf loose in the ring and with the crowds screaming a cowboy would ride out on a horse and lasso the calf, dragging it sharply to the floor by its neck with such force that it looked like it should break. Once the calf was down, the cowboy would quickly tie up the it’s legs rendering it lifeless on the floor.

I didn’t want to look pathetic so I gulped back the tears as the excited screams from the crowd made the ordeal even more menacing.

It turned out the Rodeo was not my cup of tea, but I’m glad I went. After all, the whole point of travelling is to see how other people live, to find out what makes them tick and to discover their interests and their ‘normal’. As our tour manager, Jason drilled into us, ‘It’s not wrong, it’s just different.’

Following the best breakfast I have ever had at a little diner called Grannies, we were off to Yellowstone National Park, where we would be spending two nights. The temperature dropped and the scenery became more and more magnificent as we drew closer to the park, which was established in 1872 and is located in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.



A few people complained about the weather, but being a sucker for a cold but sunny climate, I absolutely loved it.

We spent two days hiking through the forests, gazing at beautiful fountains and seeing one to many smoky geysers. We saw elk and deer and even a herd of buffalo stampeding towards some terrified tourists. When we realised they would be OK, that was really quite funny.


Although I felt two days in Yellowstone was enough, I really enjoyed my time there because it was so different to the city tours. It had immense natural beauty, the air was clear and I felt de-toxed. The actual town was charming with a strong emphasis on local trade and a close-knit vibe.
That evening, after watching Old Faithful erupt, we had dinner at a cosy lodge and drove back to the hotel in the dark. We stayed at the aptly named Brandin’ Iron Inn which was a slightly upmarket motel, but it still had that cool slasher movie feel to it. Our second night in Yellowstone was spent at the local bar celebrating Caroline’s birthday. We met the local trout fishermen, drank large measures of whisky and coke, played pool and stumbled home in the biting wind.