Buffalo -- Best of the West

As summer turns official, covered wagons rumble into Buffalo on their trek to Ft. Phil Kearny, where bloody land battles were fought. The new millennium's first wagon train pulled in with a 4-year-old young'un and a 95-year-old pioneer. Annual Living History and Fort Phil Kearny Days pioneer and Cavalry demonstrations occur at June's end.

Travelers still gather, as they did in the 1860's, at Bozeman Crossing on the historic Bozeman Trail. This historic trail stop offers travelers a round of miniature golf, historic carousel and ferris wheel rides, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, a family steakhouse, and souvenirs.

Time travels back through history just by entering Jim Gatchell's Museum, with great gun collections, narrated battle displays, and heaps of Cheyenne and Calvary gear. The Old Occidental Hotel is an historical museum downtown.

Outlaw cave, hideout for Butch Cassidy's gang, and Dull Knife Battlefield are great day trips. Sightseeing day trips are on well-marked loop-tours. Crazy Woman Canyon drive is dramatic, and Bud Love Winter Range is a wildlife paradise.

Western Hospitality

Western hospitality was critical for cowboys 'riding the grub line'. Welcoming strangers for supper and a bunk was common when towns were several days' ride. Bed-and-breakfasts are still common fare, as are cabin-style lodges and campgrounds. Butch Cassidy preferred the Occidental Hotel, but today it only takes in good guys.

Johnson County folks are likely to rustle up their grub in the great outdoors. For a real taste of the old west, best bets are an old-fashioned chuck wagon dinner, a campfire fishfry, or a ranch-style barbecue. Steak here is great, even if it's -- you guessed it -- buffalo!

Year-Round Recreation

Summer fun in Buffalo tends to run on the wild side. Rip-roaring rodeos, daring circus acts, triker parades, trout wrestling, and pow-wows are typical summer adventures. Even golf here ain't tame; tees perch on cliff edges, and spectacular views just might be a distraction. By July, Wyoming's largest swimming hole finally sheds its chill; and campers head for cool Bighorn National Forest. Snowy fun in Buffalo's winter wonderlands inspires travelers to plan off-season trips.

Over the years, Buffalo lassoed some artisan types, drawn by landscapes that don't get the tourist tramping of Yellowstone and Jackson Hole. Buffalo's award winning sculptor, accomplished painters, gallery artists, and cowboy poets draw inspiration from down-to-earth lifestyles. Painter Bill Graham manages the 22,000-acre Ranch at Ucross; and its Ucross Foundation hosts artists-in-residence from every corner of the globe. Ucross also puts up a real fourth of July fuss!

Buffalo's downtown visitor's center -- right next to the hitchin' rail of course -- is open every day. Vacationers can pick up loop tour maps, historic walking tour guides, hiking trail locators, and discounts from local merchants. Buffalo's version of Monopoly makes a great souvenir!