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The Taste of the Wild West!
The Street at Old Trail Town
These are old, original cabins, businesses and wagons. The cabins have been moved from their original location and rebuilt and restored here at The Old Trail Town Museum in Cody, Wyoming. Â Probably the most famous of which is the Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid’s cabin.
Interior of Butch Cassidy’s and The Sundance Kid’s Cabin
Looking out of the window from Butch and Sundance’s Cabin I expected to see the Sheriff and Posse explode out of the Livery Stable opposite ……..
Looking out from Butch Cassidy’s and The Sundance Kid’s Cabin
…..in search of Butch and Sundance?
Original Wanted Dead Or Alive Posters
On arrival at the entrance cabin, to buy our tickets, we got a full description of the museum, how it came about and what to expect going round. Â As we went round it was easy to imagine life in those days and smell and taste the Wild West!
Most of the cabins were named and had information of the history/origins of the cabin or store. Â Great interiors for most cabins of artifacts from the appropriate era.
Old Saddles
Old Sea Chest
By going up one side of the “street” and coming down the other you see a few marked graves and monuments of renown men with the description of their do’ins: Jim White, John Jeremiah “Liver Eating” Johnston, John Colter, Jim Bridger and Buffalo Bill’s Grandson. Again the deceased had been moved here and reinterred. Â In the barns containing the carriages and wagons there was even an old hearse straight out of a horror movie.
Monument at Jim White’s Grave
Interior of The Shell Store. First store in Shell, WY
There was even a one room schoolhouse, I am glad conditions had improved when I went to school!
One Room Schoolhouse Interior
Original Log Cabin
In homage to the era and to try and give a sense of place and the atmosphere, all of the images from this visit have been made in black and white (and not because I just love black and white). Â I believe this monochrome view helps transport you back there.
Gear: Nikon D800, Nikkor 24.0mm-70.0mm f/2.6, Lexar Digital Film
Posted in History, Museums
Tagged black and white photographs, Butch and Sundance WANTED Posters, Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid Cabin, Cabins and Businesses from the Wild West preserved, Cody, Historic Museum, images available to license, Nikkor 24.0-70.0mm f/2.8, Nikon D800, One room schoolhouse interior, Photoshop, Prints available to buy, Richard King Photography, Silver Efex Pro, The Old trail Town Museum, USA, www.fulltimervingwiththekings.com, www.richardkingphoto.com, WY, Wyoming
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Wild Horses Coundn’t Drag me Away.
In the Snowy Mountain Range near Laramie Wyoming is a beautiful ranch called Deerwood. This was the first wild horse eco sanctuary in the USA, approved by the Bureau of Land Management. More than 350 Wild Wyoming Mustangs (geldings) have found their final home here over the past 5 years. Â Previously this was a cattle ranch but the cost of sending the cattle to feeding stations to fatten them up (as at 8,000 ft + the cattle just don’t put on weight) cut too far into the profits. The owners welcomed the opportunity to help the BLM save the wild horses.
Deerwood Ranch Sign
Deerwood Ranch’s proposal had all the features that BLM required: large acreage at various altitudes with a river for fresh water, crop fields for grazing, rocky fields for maintaining unshod hoofs, and trees for shade. Once BLM accepted Deerwood the owners had only a month to install 20 miles of fencing which they achieved with a day to spare. The ranch’s idyllic setting makes it a wonderful place to visit for several hours or stay over in a rented cabin for longer.
The ranch founder’s grandson gave us a personal 2+ hour tour on an ATV, that ended far too quickly. We learned so much about wild horses, their origins and how very different they are from domestic horses. Â These horses had all had 3 unsuccessful attempts at adoption (3 strikes) before they were brought to Deerwood which will be their final resting place.
Amazingly they all have beautiful shiny coats, manes and tails as they naturally pair up and groom each other.
Dappled Grey horse grooming his “buddy”
They know how to heal themselves of wounds and minor injuries by standing in the river. They rely on the rocky areas to keep their hoofs filed down. And they protect each other, even when they are sleeping, standing up or lying down.
Sleeping – standing up and lying down.
Most did not take much interest in us but a few got up close and personal.
Bay Wild Horse Portrait
The ranch also has some potbellied pigs, ponies, goats, cats and dogs that greet you when you first arrive. A few hours here was just not enough! Â We will be back!
Leaving the Ranch – We Will Be Back!
Posted in General Information, Mammals, Places to Revisit, Wildlife
Tagged Cody, Deerwood Wild Hores Ranch Eco Sanctuary, Lexar Digital Film, Nikkor 80.0-400.0mm F/4.5-5.6 VRIII, Nikkor TC-14 EII, Nikon D4S, Snowy Mountain Range, USA, Wild Horses, wildlife photography, www.mothernatureimages.com, www.richardkingphoto.com, WY, Wyoming
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Itinerary Update 2017 & 2018
After a long pause without good wi-fi and a month in England, we have updated our adventure plans for 2017 and started the plans for 2018
Click HERE for 2017 Update
Click HERE for 2018 Update
We look forward to meeting you somewhere on our travels –
Richard & Louise – and Cali
Posted in General Information
5 Comments
Cali is Officially Ours
As some of you know, our Motorhome is named after our cat Tigger, a beautiful calico who we treasured for almost 15 years after adopting her from the rescue center near Metuchen, NJ. Tigger left us just under 3 years ago in Naples, Florida.
Nine weeks ago today, we were fortunate enough to be chosen by an abandoned cat in Soledad Canyon campground. A beautiful short haired black cat let us talk with her, pick her up and invite her into our motorhome where she immediately hid in the dashboard and would not come out on our departure day. Others at the campground assured us we were the only people who had been able to pick her up. The Ranger told us she had been abandoned four months earlier. In spite of mountain lions, cougars and coyotes she managed to survive; clean, healthy although a bit underfed.
The First Day we met Cali
Aren’t I Cute? – Please say YES!
We named her Cali, for California, as we did not know if she was a girl or boy. But we thought she was a girl. She slept a lot and cuddled with us whenever we offered her a lap. She hides away from the loud noises the motorhome makes on travel days in various hiding places we didn’t even know we had. But mostly she stays close to us both.
Feeling at Home at Last!
While staying near Olympia, WA we took her to a vet, who said she was a she, healthy, almost double the weight when we found her, probably about 4 years old and that she was chipped. So we contacted the chip company who made phone calls and sent emails to her previous owner. After a week with no response, they said we are now Cali’s new owners. Cali was previously called “Shadow”, had been rescued before as she had been chipped by the LA County Animal Care and Control  and, in fact, is 10 years old (January 2010),
Watching the World go by – from a safe place
We are very fortunate that Cali, in the same way as Tigger, chose us. There are so many similarities in behavior and loving personality that we are convinced that Tigger sent her to us.
Don’t you just love native art?
YES! They are mine at last!
We missed having a cat but were not actively looking while we still make our 2 trips per year to the UK. But Cali prevailed. She is now part of our daily FaceTime with Richard’s Mum who loves to see and talk with Cali and is really looking forward to Cali getting a passport so she can join us on our UK visits.
Posted in General Information
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