Apologies for the late posting – it’s not easy finding a wireless internet connection in Deadwood, South Dakota !!
Our day started at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody. This has been one of the biggest surprises of the trip so far. It is a stunning museum which has extensive exhibits showing the history of Native American tribes in the area as well as the history of Buffalo Bill who was an iconic figure in the Wild West, toured all over the world with his Wild West show and only died in 1917; and the museum itself would not be out of place in London or New York so it is very strange to come across it in this tiny town in Wyoming.
Our journey to Deadwood in South Dakota took us all the way across Wyoming through some even smaller towns - Shell for example. Great scenery and we saw a moose and a bear (well at least I think it was a bear…).
Shell, WY - Population 50 !! My mum sometimes has nearly this many for Xmas lunch...
Having almost reached the halfway point in our journey, I thought that, in case anyone reading might be insane enough to follow in our footsteps, it might be a good idea to recap on what we’ve covered so far :-
Hotels
The Fairmont in San Francisco was very good; the Peppermill in Reno, the Ameritel in Twin Falls and The Cody in Cody were all fine; the Rusty Parrot in Jackson Hole was a big disappointment – trying to be a boutique NY hotel in a cowboy town is never going to work. Tonight we’re staying at the Mineral Palace in Deadwood – although being given a large book of $ 5 vouchers at check-in is never a good sign….
The breakfast buffet at the Mineral Palace Hotel in Deadwood was pretty basic...RestaurantsOne Market in San Francisco was excellent, while Zuni Café (home of the 60 minute chicken) had a good atmosphere. The Canyon Crest in Twin Falls has great views and Wyoming’s Rib Chop House in Cody serves amazing barbecue ribs. Tonight we discovered the Midnight Star in Deadwood which is owned by Kevin Costner and has two restaurants, a cool bar and casino.
MuseumsThe de Young in San Francisco is worth a visit but the California Academy of Sciences isn’t. We missed out on the Idaho Potato Museum (yes, it does exist), but the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody was great.
National ParksSo far we/ve been throughthe Grand Teton Park - beautiful; Yellowstone Park - like a small country - everything's there but you need time to explore; Big Horn Park - ruggedly beautiful; and tomorrow will be driving throught the Black Hills National Park.
DrivingMost days we are covering 250 to 350 miles which takes between 4 and 7 hours depending on the roads and traffic. I have to say that it’s been mostly very enjoyable – I’d rather be driving a sports car but the Tahoe is pretty easy. The boys have been very good, they watch DVD’s and listen to music most of the time – having a big music library on board is essential.
ClothesThe toughest part of spending 3.5 weeks on the road (and travelling light as we can only fit so much in the car) is packing and re-packing almost every day; and making the clothes last. Elizabeth was so paranoid that the boys would run out of clothes that she kept them in, more or less, the same outfits for the first four days. Now Cody was absolutely fine with this – he would quite happily wear the same pair of boxer shorts for the entire trip (he might turn them inside out half way). However, Harley and Brandon have begun to notice……yesterday, Brandon gave his T-shirt to Elizabeth and said "mum, can I change this – it’s starting to smell really bad !!"
I guess we should feel proud that at least two of the boys have discovered personal hygiene….
This weekend is special as it is Rodeo Weekend in Deadwood !! (or as my brother-in-law Richard who prefers Beverly Hills would call it - Ro-day-oh Weekend…). We booked tickets months ago – in fact I was so desperate to go to a rodeo that I booked the rest of our cross country trip around it.
We stopped off for a tour of the No. 10 Saloon where Wild Bill Hickok was shot in the back and killed back in 1876. The boys thought this was very cool....
