The Cody Firearms Museum is located inside of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. In fact, there are five museums within the Center. We were in Cody back in September 2018 and the Firearms Museum was closed for renovation. Jim was really bummed out about that because it was not going to be completed until the following year. In the years since we have traveled all around the country, and we have finally made it back up here to see the museum.
We went out to visit the Dug Up Gun Museum but upon arriving there, discovered that it was up two flights of steps, did not have an elevator for Jim, and would not let me take any pictures. So while Jim waited downstairs for me, I checked them out and when I found out that out, we decided not to go see this museum. From there we started driving back toward the campground, but kept on driving and came to an "interesting scene" which turned out to be the Shoshone Canyon. We kept driving and went to see Buffalo Bill Dam, through three tunnels and down to the Dam. We were able to drive through the cones closer to the handicap parking. We still got a golf cart ride up to the museum.
There were a couple of landmarks that the early pioneers used to follow the road west -- first came Chimney Rock and then came Scotts Bluff. Chimney Rock is a national historic site located in the panhandle of Nebraska on the Oregon, California and Mormon trails.
There were some out buildings at the Legacy of the Plains Museum that we did not get to the first day we visited. We decided to head back there after our visit to Scotts Bluff NM, but the only building open was Japanese Hall, and that was because there was a Docent in there to talk with guests who came in to see it. She said that her ancestors were part of the Japanese people who settled in Scottsbluff and that her grandparents' picture was on the wall.
One of the places we wanted to visit while here in Scottsbluff was the Scotts Bluff National Monument. The monument's north bluff is named after Hiram Scott, who was a clerk for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company and died near the bluff in 1828. The bluff served as an important landmark on the Oregon Trail, California Trail and Pony Express Trail, and was visible at a distance from the Mormon Trail. Over 250,000 westward emigrants passed by Scotts Bluff between 1843 and 1869. It was the second-most referred to landmark on the Emigrant Trails in pioneer journals and diaries.
Although called "Scotts Bluff National Monument," the site includes two separate bluffs, "South Bluff" and the northern bluff called "Scotts Bluff." There are five major outcroppings on the bluffs, known as Dome Rock, Crown Rock, Sentinel Rock, Eagle Rock and Saddle Rock. The area between Scotts Bluff and the North Platte River is known as the "Badlands." Wikipedia has a lot of interesting information on the Monument.
We made it to Scottsbluff on July 16 for the week. I had a list of things to see, but we did not get to all of them; it was very hot and we did not want to leave Lucy in the truck too long. Our first stop was the Legacy of the Plains Museum, which told about the people who settled here and the various crops that are grown. Located on the Oregon Trail, the Legacy of the Plains Museum features an impressive collection of pioneer and early community artifacts, antique tractors, and farm implements; an 80-acre working farm; historic farmstead structures; and striking views of Scotts Bluff National Monument.
We had a good time going to see the Golden Spike Tower. Lucy was even allowed to come in and up the elevator to the outdoor deck and the top where all the exhibits were. The tower was named for the last spike that was put down when the two railroad companies laying tracks from east and from the west officially met at Promontory Point in Utah. The Golden Spike Tower offers the best view of the world's largest rail yard, the Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, where every day approximately 10,000 cars are sorted and sent on to their next destination.
One of the stops here in North Platte was the Cody Park Train Museum. Took a bit to find it as the address given is not where the museum is actually located. It's actually located inside Cody Park. Once inside the park, Jim found it on Maps and we were able to find it that way. It's not a big museum; there are a couple of trains outside and one that you can walk from one end to the other, plus a small building to look in.
During our stay in North Platte, we wanted to visit the Buffalo Bill Historical Museum, but when they wanted to charge us and extra fee beyond the entrance fee, just to park in their parking lot, we did not stay and instead went to the Lincoln County Historical Museum. This museum highlights the 6 million service men who passed through the Union Pacific Depot aka "Canteen" where they were given food and drink. The book written by Bob Greene Once Upon a Town highlights the North Platte Canteen. Unfortunately, the Union Pacific Railroad tore down the original site of the Canteen, so the information of it is now here at this museum.
Another one of our stops while in Oakley, Kansas was the Fick Fossil & History Museum. Mr. and Mrs. Ernest and Vi Fick were the founders of the Museum. The Fick's extensive collection of local fossils and artifacts formed the basis of the museum. They collected thousands of fossils and sharks' teeth in Logan County during the 1960s and 1970s. Vi Fick was also an artist who incorporated these finds into unique folk art pieces, some of which were featured in "Ripley's Believe it or Not!".
The next stop on our trip north was in Oakley, Kansas. We stayed at High Plains RV Park, which offered us a nice grassy site at the end of the row, so we did not have anyone next to us. The only thing about this part of Kansas is the weather; it can turn in a moment and one night found me out taking the awning down before the rain and hail hit. But other than that, we visited the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center. Oakley celebrates the birthplace of the legend of Buffalo Bill. Why is Oakley the birthplace of Buffalo Bill? Let's find out.
We were able to be in Dodge City, Kansas through the July 4th Independence Day celebration. On July 4 the Boot Hill Museum had many activities during the day, but the best part was the Special Gunfight by the World Famous Boot Hill Museum Gunfighters on Front Street.
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| Boot Hill Gunfighters |
On Thursday, July 3 we were scheduled to take the Dodge City Trolley Tour. We got there a little early so I could go into the Visitor Center and walk around a bit. I did find a couple of the statutes of old time Dodge City Stars but most of them have been removed as they are renovating some of Front Street. I got a picture of James Arness and Doc Holliday. There were only two couples on the tour -- us and one other couple. We had a great guide; been doing this a number of years. He took us all around the city; we listened to a tape of the city and the guide interrupted occasionally to tell us a story of the topic.
While we were in Liberal, Kansas we also visited the Mid-America Air Museum. Jim took his rollator in but when the lady saw him with it, she offered him one of the scooters that they have for guests. It was a good thing that Jim rode that instead of walking as this place was pretty big and there was a lot of walking. The Museum is also a Harvest Host, which means they allow motor homes, RVs, etc. to park there overnight; no hookups so if you don't mind that, it's a great place to park.
We are traveling north this summer and our first stop was in Liberal, Kansas to visit Dorothy's House and the Land of Oz. We stopped at the gift shop first to pay for the tour and then went outside to wait for "Dorothy" to come and show us her house and tell us about her trip to the Land of Oz.
