In 1906, President Teddy Roosevelt designated Devil's Tower as the nation's first national monument. It is actually the core of a volcano exposed after millions of years of erosion. It is one and a quarter miles around at the base and 865 feet high and the location of the award-winning, 1978 movie, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

Mr. Red Fox working hard for his dinner!

11:53 am Sunday, September 16, 2007

Well, I have been lax about posting again … and I apologize to my faithful readers. The older I get, the more time it takes me to do EVERYTHING and we have been filling our days with sightseeing and family business since leaving White Sulphur Springs in Montana. I will begin to catch you up with photos following this blog entry. I know I sound like a broken record but I will try to do better in the future!

Recently we spent nearly a week in Wyoming. We had been there before back in 1990 when Phil and I went speeding through heading home after a 16 day “genealogy jaunt” that took us back to Missouri. At that time, I did not know I had family in the state.

Most everyone knows that Buffalo, Wyoming is on the way to Yellowstone National Park. Our reasons for stopping were more personal since I have a COX cousin who lives there with her four children. I first met Althea over the telephone when she contacted me after finding my post on a genealogical bulletin board regarding our common progenitor's name, believing we were related. Both of us had been working on our common family history and “finding” each other was an exciting experience (genealogists will understand)! The COX Family Reunion in 1997 at South Lake Tahoe was our first ‘in person” meeting. Since Phil retired in 2004 I have been working on visiting Althea in Wyoming. That time finally came and it was wonderful to see her again and meet some of her family.

Penny the Pace crosses into Wyoming, her 42nd state in three years.

Penny meets the resident wild turkeys up front and personal at our campsite in Buffalo.

In 1999, the estimate of wild turkeys in South Dakota was 40,000. Another 10,000 was estimated in Wyoming. Phil and I are convinced we saw each and every one on our travels from Garryowen, MT to Buffalo and Sundance, WY.

Just a few of the hundreds of wild turkeys we saw everyday in our RV park and around the countryside. They were wary but bold and enjoyed the stale bread that Phil fed them each morning.

Our resident bunny at the campsite where we parked. What a little cutie!

Plaques on the front of the hotel.

The century old historic Occidental Hotel. The story goes that the present owner pulled down all the modernization attempts and discovered the unique walls coverings and ceilings intact. Then, the victorian style furniture was found in the basement where it had been stored for decades. A virtual time machine of goodies! Since this last restoration, the hotel has been a popular tourist stop in Buffalo, claiming that Butch Cassidy, Calamity Jane and Teddy Roosevelt were all guest in the early days.

This backbar is gorgeous and completely functional today.

The lobby looking pretty much like it did when the hotel first opened.

When it was new, this tricycle must have cost a pretty penny and brought much happiness to some fortunate youngster. Of course, it is probably worth ten times the original price tag today.

A spectacularly beautiful organ in pristine condition. Wow!

Beautiful example of the tin ceiling tiles.

This beautiful skylight is in the bar.

This is Nick, a young Buffalo resident that should be hired by the Chamber of Commerce as their sidewalk ambassador. He pointed out the trout swimming in the river running through town and gave Phil and I plus another tourist who joined the conversation--directions to his favorite place to eat lunch.

A tongue in cheek mural on the main street of Buffalo.

Excellent museum of Johnson County memorabilia. It includes the original 1500 piece collection of Jim Gatchell, a pharmacist and Buffalo founding father that has since grown to over 15,000 examples of historic significance.

Well worth the small entrance fee.

A log cabin moved to the museum property log by log and reconstructed and renovated for display. My thoughts were where did they put the kids? We know the pioneer families often had 10 or more and they rarely had any more space than this. Maybe there was a loft in the original cabin that the restorers chose not to reproduce or I suppose this could have been the honeymoon home ...

The cozy bedroom end of the cabin.