Travel
A Quintessential Western Town
Cody, Wyoming’s Western vibe is evident in every corner of the town, and that’s just the way founder Colonel William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody would have wanted it. Established in 1896, the town of Cody was always meant to be a tourist destination. Buffalo Bill, whose Wild West Show had made him one of the most famous men in the world, chose the town site because it was rich in resources and close to Yellowstone National Park.
Throughout its first century, the town became known for its proximity to two entrances to Yellowstone, the world’s first national park, as well as its hospitality and an increasing number of attractions, among them the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and Cody Nite Rodeo. Other attractions have been steadily added to the mix, including Old Trail Town, Heart Mountain Interpretive Center (a WWII Japanese American confinement site), Buffalo Bill Dam & Visitor Center, and many more. Today, Cody and the surrounding region are known for rodeos, authentic guest and dude ranches, world-class museums, and recreational adventures.
Cody receives considerable national media attention. USA Today readers recently selected it as the top Western small town in the 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for 2023. USA Today readers also chose Cody as one of the best historic small towns. In addition, Cody was named one of the top Western towns by True West Magazine.
The editors of USA Today deemed Cody perfect for a Wild West-style getaway, noting that “visitors can go on a wild mustang tour to learn about local wildlife, check out a re-creation of an old frontier town, or enjoy the outdoors at Buffalo Bill State Park. And for the history buffs, there are multiple museums in the area, including the Draper Natural History Museum, the Buffalo Bill Museum, and the Plains Indian Museum.”
“Few places offer such an array of classic Western adventures, important historic sites, abundant outdoor recreation, and welcoming locals,” said Ryan Hauck, executive director of Cody Yellowstone, the regional marketing arm for the towns of Cody, Powell, and Meeteetse, as well as the East Yellowstone Valley and part of Yellowstone National Park.
Cody lies in the northwestern part of the state, approximately 250 miles west of Gillette, which will host FMCA’s August 23 through 26, 2023, international convention. The fun-filled tourist town would make a great side trip before or after the FMCA event. For more information, visit www.codyyellowstone.org.
Bookshelf
Family And Forgiveness: An Unfinished Life
Unfinished Life by Mark Spragg
Author Mark Spragg knows a good bit about Wyoming’s hardworking ranchers and farmers. Raised on the oldest dude ranch in the state, he grew up tending his family’s horses, leading pack trips into the wilderness, and toiling on the land from dawn to dusk. These experiences provided background for his memoir, Where Rivers Change Direction, and three novels, including An Unfinished Life (Vintage Books) — the Supersized Book Club selection for FMCA’s Gillette, Wyoming, convention this August.
In An Unfinished Life, Einar Gilkyson, a gruff, aging rancher from Ishawooa, Wyoming, works on his property and cares for his friend, Mitch, who suffers debilitating pain from a bear attack Einar helplessly watched happen. Einar’s world crumbles when his estranged daughter-in-law, Jean, unexpectedly appears, fleeing from an abusive boyfriend. Einar has never stopped blaming her for the car crash that killed his son, Griffin, a decade earlier — the “unfinished life” in the book title. Jean’s arrival comes with an even bigger surprise: Einar’s 10-year-old granddaughter, Griff, who is named after her father.
Griff has learned to cope with her mother’s poor life choices. She longs for a real home and hopes it will include the grandfather she is just getting to know. Themes of remorse, retribution, and family relationships combine as they all try to work things out.
Mark will visit with Gillette attendees on August 26 to discuss An Unfinished Life and his other works. He and his wife, Virginia, wrote the screenplay for the Miramax film of the same name starring Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, and Morgan Freeman, which will be shown on August 23. Learn more about FMCA’s Supersized Book Club at join.fmca.com/wy23bookclub/.
App File
Educational Kids Games
When traveling to your next destination, or even between activities in camp, it can be challenging to keep kids busy. These apps can help to occupy a child while sprinkling in knowledge and sparking imaginations.
ScratchJr: Coding is a type of literacy kids can start learning. ScratchJr is an introductory programming language that enables youngsters ages 5 to 7 to create their own stories and games. Kids can snap together programming blocks to make characters move, dance, sing, and more. Inspired by the original Scratch programming language for ages 8 and up, the interface and language have been modified for younger children. Free on iOS and Android. www.scratchjr.org
Star Walk Kids: Essentially a portable planetarium, Star Walk Kids encourages exploration through a fun interface where children can learn facts by watching animations and explanations. Point your device toward the sky to look at stars, planets, and constellations while learning facts about each one. Kids can test their knowledge through quizzes within the app. Free on iOS and Android. www.vitotechnology.com
Nature Passport: This app encourages people of all ages to go outside and explore. It is chock-full of activities designed by experts in outdoor play and experimental education, and it includes 40 different team-based activities with interactive widgets to record experiences and observations. To encourage users to explore the area around them, the Safari function integrates with the iNaturalist app from the California Academy of Sciences. Catalog memories using the in-app journal, keeping a timeline of completed activities, badges earned, photos, and more. Free on Android. www.naturepassport.com