Chief Joseph Scenic Highway

We took the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway drive. The highway is just northwest of Cody and features some of the most beautiful scenery in the U.S. Spectacular mountains, lush ranch valleys, rugged canyons and arid flat lands provide contrast that enchant visitors and locals alike. The highlights of the drive is the 12,253 ft. Spectacular mountains, valleys and ranch land. Sunlight Creek Bridge is Wyoming's highest elevation bridge. Nearby Clark's Fork Canyon, cradling Wyoming's only Wild and Scenic River. The Road took us up to an elevation of 10,988 feet before we began out decent to the valley below. The drive was specular! The views incredible!!!

What a beautiful drive. It seems that everyplace that we go it is more beautiful than the last.

There was one more fact about Cody that I found very interesting! I love the WW II history and loved reading books about WW II. One of the most interesting facts was the on Heart Mountain just east of Cody there stands several empty buildings and the hospital chimney spire rising in the sky as the few visible reminders of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, once the third-largest community in Wyoming.

At the height of World War II, in 1942, about 120,000 Japanese-American citizens were removed from their West Coast homes and placed in 10 internment camps around the country. One was the 10,767-resident Heart Mountain camp Northeast of Cody.

Two-thirds of the internees were American Citizens, the camp was surrounded by a barbed-wire fence, and armed military police. The Wyoming Legislature enacted special laws restricting the actives and movements of internees.

The camp was occupies Aug. 12, 1942-Nov. 15, 1945. When released, many internees found they had nothing to return to as their homes and businesses had been foreclosed on because of their inability to continue payments while detained in the camp.

The national security measure, established for the supposed "protection" of Japanese-Americans, has since been criticized as an overreaction.

We left Cody on Saturday, September 5 and headed East. More on the adventure later.

Until then..... Candy and Johnny

Yellowstone

When Buffalo Bill set up his town of Cody, he wanted to make sure that it had visitor traffic so he placed his town on road to the East entrance to Yellowstone National Park. He also built the Irma Hotel (named after his youngest daughter) to give visitors a place to stay along the way.



Yellowstone was designated as America's first National Park in 1872. The park covers 2.3 million acres and is so large that you only see about 1% of the park from the road.



John and I had been to west Yellowstone on a visit about nine years ago but I had never seen the East side. It was incredible! In the first seven miles, the road twists upward through forests along Middle Creek to a height of 8,541 feet, brushing the base of Top Notch Peak at Sylvan Pass. Over the Sylvan Pass, you pass Eleanor and Sylvan Lakes and into an area burned in 2003. Forest fires closed this road for several weeks that summer and affected more than 21,000 acres. Another burn in the Sylvan pass claimed over 18,000 acres in 2007.

From this point, the East Entrance Road descends to the shore of Yellowstone Lake, passing a thermal area known as Steamboat Springs. As we had arrived early in the morning the steam coming from the vents was very clear and beautiful in the cool morning air.

We continued on our journey passing Fishing Bridge, Sizzling Basin, Sulphur Calderon ( where we found the Yellowstone road block... buffalo in the road holding up all traffic) and on toward Canyon Village. We were following along the Yellowstone River as it headed north, and, forced into a narrower rocky waterway, it gathers momentum, turning, in the space of just a few miles, from a peaceful waterway to a thundering giant, strong enough to carve out the magnificent Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.
We took the South Rim Drive. This drive offers wonderful overlooks of the Yellowstone River as it roars through a magnificent volcanic canyon, cutting ever deeper into the soft, hydrothermal-altered rhyolite rock. The 308-foot Lower falls ( photo ) can be seen via a trail that begins at the end of South Rim Drive, at Artist Point. It was a magnificent sight! I hope that the photo shows the rainbow that we could see in the early morning sun. Looking at the falls there is a green stripe on the left side of the falls, this coloring is caused by a notch at the top of the falls, which allows a deeper, less turbulent stream of water to pass over the lip of the falls, making it appear more green than the water around it.

Of all the memories one carries back from this magic place, the view of the 23 mile long Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone will be once most magnificent! The array of beautiful colors: gold, yellow, pink, and rust along the canyon wall are the result of hot water steam, and gasses burnishing the rhyolite walls.

As you can see, it was another wonderful day of adventure. We did hike several trails to view not only the lower falls but the upper falls. At times these were rather strenuous but well worth the hikes. I am looking forward to returning to the Park next year to explore further.

That is all for now, tomorrow another adventure.

Love, Candy and Johnny

More from Cody, Wyoming

We got to Cody, Wyoming on Sunday, August 30 and discovered that there is so much to see and do here just a few days does not do justice to see and enjoy all there is to offer.
On Monday, August 31 we began our day with a trip to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. It is one of the finest institutions devoted to the American West. This center includes five distinguished museums and a renowned research library.
The Buffalo Bill Museum, dedicated in 1927, examines both the personal and public lives of W.F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody and seeks to interpret his story in the context of the history and myth of the American West.
The Whitney Gallery of Western Art, dedicated in 1959, presents an outstanding collection of masterworks of the American West. Original paintings, sculptures, and prints trace artistic interpretations of the West from the early nineteenth century to today.
The Plains Indian Museum, dedicated in 1979 features one of the country's largest and finest collections of Plains Indian art and artifacts. It explores the cultural histories, artistry, and living traditions of the Plains Indian peoples.
The Cody Firearms Museum, ( where John spent a great deal of time!!) dedicated in 1991, contains the world's most comprehensive collection of American and European arms dating back to the sixteenth century.
The Draper Museum of Natural History, dedicated in 2002, integrates humanities with natural sciences to explore, document, and interpret the Greater Yellowstone region and adjacent landscapes.
The McCracken Research Library, dedicated in 1980, advances the study of the American West by the collection, preservation, and use of manuscript collections, books and photographs.

One could spend days in just these museums alone and never see anything else. When you purchase your ticket it is good for two days entrance, and we did go back on Tuesday so see what we had overlooked on our first visit. This is one museum that is not to be missed.

Later in the afternoon we took the Cody Trolley Tour. This tour was very well worth the money. Two guides share the story of world-famous "Buffalo Bill" Cody while they spotlight historic sites, scenic vistas, geology, wildlife and old and new West attractions.

My favorite story on the tour was of the Buffalo Bill burial controversy! The official version of Buffalo Bill Cody's internment has him buried on Lookout Mountain, just outside of Golden, Colorado, gazing serenely over the skyline of Denver, the city where he expired, while visiting his sister, Mary Cody Decker. Buffalo Bill was granted eternal peace buried under his loving wife Louisa and twenty tons of concrete.
The twenty tons of concrete was necessary because the good folks of Denver were terrified that the people of Cody, Wy. were coming to dig up their town founder and return him to Cedar Mountain just outside of Cody. A will dated in 1906 stated that he should be buried on top the Cedar Mt. so he could forever look over the town that he loved. The "official" version of the story says that on his deathbed, Buffalo Bill told his wife Louisa, a friend and a priest that he wanted to be buried on Lookout Mt near Denver. this burial supposedly occurred 5 months later when the snow melted and the mountain roads became passable. The story goes, because Cody's wife Louise - long unhappy in her marriage to the western legend - sold the body to the owners of the Denver Post for $20,000. Buffalo Bill had been the most famous man on earth and the Post owners wanted his body buried near Denver to attract tourists.
However the story is told that the local undertaker in Cody, who was a friend of Bill Cody, was quite upset with the fact that Bill Cody was not going to be buried on Cedar Mt. near Cody, Wy. He and others began looking for a cowboy or somebody who might pass away that they could take down and exchange. Well, it came to pass. A cowboy passed away in early May and nobody claimed his body. The Mortician trimmed up his beard and moustache, looked at him and thought he might pass for Bill Cody. It is told that the bodies were exchanged and the men drove the iced-down body of the stranger to Denver, convinced the mortician there to let them pay their last respects and then cased the joint to make their plans. The men somehow switched the bodies and headed back to Cody with Buffalo Bill;s body. They promptly buried it on top of Cedar Mt. where, according to this account, it remains today.

When Louisa died she requested burial with Buffalo Bill on Lookout Mt. This was granted and Louisa's casket was placed on top of Buffalo Bill's burial vault and covered with more concrete. So no one really knows just who is buried on Lookout Mt., or if Buffalo Bill was really buried on Cedar Mt. near Cody, Wy. The exact location of the grave on Cedar Mt. is known to only a few people. The site in not open to the public and access requires gaining permission of a private land owner.


I thought this story was great, one can only wonder what the truth really is?

More below on our trip to Cody.....

Candy and Johnny

Rodeo and Gun Fights in Cody, Wy

With a full rodeo staged every night of the summer, this community has earned the slogan "Cody is Rodeo"


This sport of cowboys is a must see, and with a performance every night all summer long it fits easily into everyone's plans. Rodeo in Cody is as old as the town itself. After the fall round-up, cowboys from all over the Big Horn Basin trailed cattle through town to the rail head across the river. The earliest bronc-riding contests were staged right on main street, Sheridan Avenue.
Rodeo's popularity soared during the 1920's. The Rodeo Association of America was born in 1929 to bring some rules and regularity to the sport and to establish national championships. The "Stampede" in Cody has grown with the sport and is now one of the top twenty rodeos in the nation. John wanted me to get up on the Brama bull and have my photo taken however, I declined!!!!!!! I really enjoyed watching the pee-wee's riding the horses and the bulls, they were really fun....


Cody gunfighters perform a free Old West melodrama in downtown Cody six nights a week in from of the Irma Hotel. The gunfighter programs last about 45 minutes and feature actors garbed as real and fictional heroes and desperadoes. Depicted are a variety of Old West characters such as Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickock, Ned Cristy, Wyatt Earp and Teton Jackson. The intent of the Cody Gunfighters is to keep alive the spirit of the Old West. Proceede from donations and the sale of posters benefit Cody charities. Even though they use blanks in the guns, it really is quite loud! A fun time to be had by all.... lots of cheers and boos....

Another evening we had dinner at the Irma Hotel ( great prime rib!) with our friends Gary and Courtney. From dinner we went to the Cowboy Music Revue. A Branson/style music variety show. Dan Miller, Wendy Corr and Tim Bushnell along with Dan's daughter playing the fiddle, it was a wonderful review. Another fun evening with good friends.

There is still more to see and do around this area so stay tuned for more later, until then, Candy and Johnny

Cody, Wyoming

We arrived in Cody, WY. on Sunday August, 30. We had a nice drive from Bozeman and found the Ponderosa Campground and settled into a nice shady spot, away from the noise of the traffic.
When we checked in the gentleman in the office loaded us with so much information of what to do and see in Cody, it was difficult to decide where to begin. Our friends Chris and Jan had also sent along a message of what to see and avoid while we were here...

As quick history of the Cody: it was one of the last places in the west to be developed. Wyoming has only been a state since 1890 and Cody wasn't formed until 1895-1896. A few cattle ranches were established in the basin as early as 1878. Prior to that, this area was inhabited by Crow Indians
By 1895, William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody had worked wagon trains, been a celebrated Pony Express rider, military scout, buffalo hunter, showman and entrepreneur. He had married, established his Scouts Rest Ranch, written an autobiography, started numerous business enterprises and due to the worldwide success of his Wild West show, had acquired fame and fortune.
Attracted by the big game, spectacular views and DeMars Hot Springs, Cody took a liking to this area and applied his capability for grand visions toward creating a town named after himself. Buffalo Bill had the vision to realize that a town needed five things to survive - water, a newspaper, lodging, transportation and visitor traffic. He set out to establish all five for Cody.

His dream of irrigating thousands of arid acres east of Cody from the Shoshone River was realized with the building of the Buffalo Bill dam..... thus this is the first place we visited.

The dam was one of the first three major ones built by the Bureau of Reclamation. Construction began October 19, 1905 and was completed January 15, 1910. Total cost of the dam (1910 dollars) $929,658. It was the first arch dam in the world, and also the highest at 325 feet at completion. Length at base - 70 feet. Length of dam at crest - 200 feet. Construction in 1988 began to raise the crest of the dam by 25 feet, thereby increasing the water storage from 375,000 acre feet to 647,000 acre feet.
Construction was completed in 1991.
Because of its historical significance, Buffalo Bill Dam was added to the National Register of Historic places in 1973.
You can tour the dam for free and learn about the building of the dam.

The dam is located on the Shoshone River at the west end of the Shoshone Canyon.

It was an amazing sight!

Monday we will be off to visit the Buffalo Bill Museum.... more on that later.

Love to all, Candy and Johnny

Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

August 27, a glorious sunny day and John and I decided to drive along the shore line of Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Coeur d'Alene is located in the Idaho Panhandle. The city lies along the northern shore of the lake. The lake spans 25 miles long, ranges from 1 to 3 miles wide and has over 109 miles of shoreline to explore and enjoy. The lake is fed primarily by two rivers, Coeur d' Alene River and Saint Joe River. The outflow is via the Spokane River. The elevation of the lake is 2,125 feet above sea level.

Although glacially formed, Lake Coeur d'Alene's surface level is raised about seven feet during summer months by a dam on the Spokane River. The lake was a primary method of transporting lumber in Kootenai County since the industry took root in the region.

An interesting fact that I found: There are a number of model T's sitting on the bottom of the lake, due to people in the early 1900's who would drive across the lake during the winter time in order to save half the distance in getting around the lake. When the ice broke, so did the chances of getting across. Also there are some steamboats on the bottom that had been burned when they were no longer used to ferry people around on the lake. Divers frequently visit these ruins on the bottom.

Coeur d'Alene was named by French-speaking traders who also named the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe. The most common theory for the name is that trappers considered the local Indian community sharp traders, hence the defining name, heart of an awl. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe owns the southern third of Lake Coeur d'Alene.

It was a beautiful drive along the East side of the lake, as the road follows right along the shoreline.


We left Coeur d'Alene on Saturday and drove to Bozeman, Montana for the night. Sunday we headed to Cody, Wyoming, the town established by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. More on Cody in the next addition....
Can't believe that the summer is coming to a close... still more to see and do!

Candy and Johnny

Anacortes to Spokane

After five wonderful weeks in Anacortes with good friends, good food and fun times we said a
fond farewell! We left Anacortes and headed East... our first stop was Spokane, Washington. As a junior flight attendant I had flown to Spokane and had many layovers, however we usually arrived at night and left early in the morning so did not see much of the city. John and I toured the downtown area.
Spokane is located on the Spokane River in Eastern Washington, 110 miles south of the Canadian border, approximately 20 miles from the Washington-Idaho border, and 271 miles east of Seattle.

The city of Spokane (then known as "Spokan Falls") was settled in 1871. The city's name is drawn from the Native American tribe known as the Spokane, which means"Children of the Sun" in Salish. Completion of the Northwest Pacific Railway in 1881 brought major settlement to the Spokane area. The city of Spokan Falls (the "e" was added in 1883 and "Falls" dropped in 1891) was officially incorporated as a city of about 1,000 residents in 1881.It is the second largest city in Washington.

Spokane hosted the firsts environmentally themed World's Fair in Expo '74, becoming the smallest city yet to host a World's Fair. Expo '74 also had the distinction of being the first American fair after World War II to be attended by the Soviet Union. This event transformed Spokane's downtown removing a century of railroad industry that built the city and reinvented the urban core. After Expo '74 the fairgrounds became the 100-acre Riverfront Park. The park has views of the Spokane Falls that runs through the center of town and the park.

John and I had lunch at Anthony's over looking the falls. Such a beautiful day and view!
That is all for now.

Love, Candy and John