Silver Spirit Travels: Buffalo Bill Country....and it is glorious!

We spent two nights in Cody, Wyoming, so that we could have a break from driving and to visit the Buffalo Bill Museum (Buffalo Bill Center of the West, to be exact) in Cody. Frankly, I was initially a somewhat reluctant participant in this venture, expecting some major kitsch displayed in a small-town down-at-the-heels museum. Boy, was I WRONG! This museum contains several beautifully executed permanent exhibits, as well as some temporary ones. One wing is dedicated to the history of "Buffalo Bill" Cody, and presents a very balanced and interesting overview of his life and that of his compatriots. Another wing presents the natural history of this area - primarily of Yellowstone National Park - and seamlessly blends information about geology and biology of this area in a manner that is intriguing for all ages. Yet another wing contains Western art covering a broad range of form, styles, and time of execution - this exhibit includes an incredible number of original Remington pieces as well as many well-recognized Western artists and many who are less known, but provide a rich foil for those we do recognize. There is also a Western research library, with books and documents as well as computers. But wait, wait...... there's more!
Yet another wing contains a rich exhibit about the plains Indians, both from a historical and modern perspective. A side-exhibit in one of the open courtyards presented an up-close-and-personal introduction to raptors (birds of prey) - all of which have been injured and cannot be re-introduced to the wild, but at the same time are housed now in a remarkable setting here at the museum and are used to educate the public about the power and the grace of these magnificent birds, as well as the dangers they face at the hands of man.
And ...... wait for it......wait for it......wait for it......what would a Wild West Museum be without a GUN exhibit!?! This museum offers one that is so rich, that husband John said: "It's more than I can take in, in a single day!" Apparently it is considered one of the most extensive gun collections in the world. I did not visit the gun exhibit, but John said that in addition to all the historic guns (US and the world) , the exhibit also included guns of many of the major Western movies and television shows: Gunsmoke (Marshal Dillion); Lone Ranger; Bonanza - (the whole clan); Have Gun will Travel - Paladin....and more. History, but also fun!