October/November - Coulee Region Women's Magazine

| TRAVEL |
Journey to the
Wild, Wild
West
In Wyoming, the cowboy spirit still has giddyup and go.
by Charish Badzinski
Photos by Charish Badzinski
The shop was draped in western wear: chaps with soft
fringe, vests with silver studs and, to the right, an entire wall loaded
with cowboy hats. The salesman peered down at me from under his
tan leather cowboy hat with a kind smile as I tried on my tenth hat.
Gone were the hard sell and pushiness you might expect in some towns
that depend on the tourist dollar. In its place: a welcoming spirit, a
genuine warmth and an authenticity I assumed had gone the way of
John Wayne. Here, locals still wear Wrangler jeans (without irony), men
still rope cattle or climb aboard an angry bull to earn their pay and
everyone welcomes you to their town as if they expect you to stay for
life. Welcome to Cody, Wyoming. Welcome to the wild, wild West.
Rodeo Capital of the World
Billed as the “Rodeo Capital of the World,” Cody hosts rodeo
competitions several nights a week year-round, and tourists lucky
enough to visit over the Fourth of July weekend can nab a ticket to
the Buffalo Bill Cody Stampede, as we did. But before heading to the
rodeo, visitors can embrace the spirit by buying a cowgirl hat from one
of the charming cowboys working in the shops downtown. Though you
might be judged as being odd among the downtown La Crosse crowd,
you’ll blend in anywhere around Cody.
Top: The author descends a mountain atop her faithful steed.
Above: A sea of cowboy hats fills the stands at the Buffalo Bill
Cody Stampede.
www.crwmagazine.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2011 49