Our "Black Powder Cartridge Rifle" history tour

[Big Mak]

In August, SWMBO and I are taking youngest son from WA state to Grand Junction,CO where he will attend college as a freshman at CMU.

After we get him into the dorm, the normal "freshman" shopping, then we head out to Cody WY where we will spend the night.
In the morning, we'll visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Then off to Little Bighorn.
From Little Bighorn we will head to Big Timber and spend the evening. The next morning, tour the C.Sharps factory and head to a friend's house in Flat Lake, MT.
After a night in Flat Head, we go to Ponteray, ID and stop at Buffalo Arms and stock up on BP.
From there, it's over to Spokane for 2 nights, then home.

Fortunately my wife shares the same interests in the history of our country, and these are spots we've not been to!

Any recommendations on this route are greatly appreciated! (Lodging in Cody? Food?, Lodging in Big Timber? Food?)

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[Bent Ramrod]

You could stay at the Irma Hotel in Cody, but it's pretty pricey. Definitely have lunch or dinner in their restaurant, though.

Check out the Shiloh factory and Boulder Castings, in the same industrial park as C. Sharps; just up the street. There is also a gun store/gas station called (I believe) The Fort just across the main drag which has tons of cool Stuff in it.

[Big Mak]

Thanks Bent! Will add that!

[Don McDowell]

Stay and eat at the Grand in Big Timber.

[Big Mak]

We had to scrap Cody WY due to the INFLATED PRICES OF HOTELS! OMG!
Now, mind you, I don't mind paying $300+ for an average hotel in Oahu, HI or Maui, but in August, every hotel price triples or quadruples in Cody WY!
It must be the Yellowstone effect.

So instead of Cody, we're heading to Buffalo, WY, then to Devil's Tower, Little Big Horn and stay in Billings. The next day we hit Big Timber (And The Grand, thanks Don!) as well as C Sharps and Shiloh. I'm already prepping the wife for a potential "Big buy" in Big Timber. :D ;)

We can still cut back West to Cody for tourist trap but I've heard it's a 2 day affair. MIght save that trip for retirement, 35 months from now....

[Randy Bohannon]

Buffalo WY, since we were voted the prettiest town in WY by Expedia,we welcome you and your bride. The Occidental Hotel has been famously renovated with original furnishings.I have enjoyed your writing the past few months and cordially invite you and your family to a Wyoming welcome dinner at my humble home. I am a one star chef and a retired fireman/paramedic.P.M. me for particulars if you are so inclined. Again welcome to Buffalo "More than a one horse town".

[hpbear101]

If you can swing a trip to the Museum in Cody it will be worth it. I have only been there once and it was only for a couple hours but even at that it was worth it.

Big timber is a nice little town and both the Sharps producers are a great visit. I visited C. Sharps and came home with a bill for a new 1885 Highwall in 45-90 (went back in a few months to pick it up). I would also second the "Fort" it is a Sinclair gas station with lots of guns for sale, and lots of other non-firearms shopping as well. Shilo and C. SHarps are basically across the street from the Sinclair (east end of town).

Tom

[Big Mak]

Buffalo WY, since we were voted the prettiest town in WY by Expedia,we welcome you and your bride. The Occidental Hotel has been famously renovated with original furnishings.I have enjoyed your writing the past few months and cordially invite you and your family to a Wyoming welcome dinner at my humble home. I am a one star chef and a retired fireman/paramedic.P.M. me for particulars if you are so inclined. Again welcome to Buffalo "More than a one horse town".
Extremely kind of you Randy! I'll put it on the itinerary and PM you when we get a week out or so.

[tdoor4570]

Big Mac when you hit Grand Junction give me a call we will have coffee tdoor4570

[waksupi]

Look at Old town in Cody, also. Good stuff there. There are towns within reasonable driving distance to find cheaper lodging.

[Don McDowell]

Depending on the timing of your trip, if it's anywhere around the 21st of August, everything is booked up and prices inflated due to the total solar eclipse.

[Chill Wills]

Big Mac when you hit Grand Junction give me a call we will have coffee tdoor4570

tdoor4570 - do you shoot the silhouette matches in Whitewater?

[Chill Wills]

Depending on the timing of your trip, if it's anywhere around the 21st of August, everything is booked up and prices inflated due to the total solar eclipse.

Yup - And we are planing to be camped on the south 40.....:p

[Don McDowell]

Yes sir , got your spot all saved. :)

[Big Mak]

Sounds like I need to bring my smoke pole to Grand Junction! We'll be there Fri night through Monday morning.
Wife wants to do the Arches on Sunday some time during this trip.
We'll be visiting GJ about 3 times a year for the next 4 years now that son will be playing college ball down there.

Sounds like I need to bring my smoke pole to Grand Junction! We'll be there Fri night through Monday morning.

Wife wants to do the Arches on Sunday some time during this trip.
We'll be visiting GJ about 3 times a year for the next 4 years now that son will be playing college ball down there. If we don't catch you this trip, TDOOR, we'll certainly catch you the next!

Don, we'll be staying at the Quality Inn in Buffalo on Aug 21st.

[tdoor4570]

tdoor4570 - do you shoot the silhouette matches in Whitewater?

didn't even know they were having any out there Chill

[Randy Bohannon]

Extremely kind of you Randy! I'll put it on the itinerary and PM you when we get a week out or so.

I look forward to hearing from you, perfect time of the year as well.

[Omega]

If passing by Golden, CO you may want to stop by Buffalo Bill's Grave (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buffalo+Bill's+Grave/@39.7318409,-105.2402011,18.02z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x876b9b3c8a864811:0x6eb70bba d7c1dc97!2sBuffalo+Bill's+Grave!8m2!3d39.7325821!4 d-105.2383197!3m4!1s0x876b9b3c8a864811:0x6eb70bbad7c 1dc97!8m2!3d39.7325821!4d-105.2383197)and museum, enjoy a good buffalo burger or buffalo chili while there. Haven't been in a long time but recall the burgers were quite good.

Interesting article about where he is "really" buried: http://www.5280.com/cultureandevents/digital/2015/10/only-colorado-buffalo-bill%E2%80%99s-grave

[hunter64]

In August, SWMBO and I are taking youngest son from WA state to Grand Junction,CO where he will attend college as a freshman at CMU.

After we get him into the dorm, the normal "freshman" shopping, then we head out to Cody WY where we will spend the night.
In the morning, we'll visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Then off to Little Bighorn.
From Little Bighorn we will head to Big Timber and spend the evening. The next morning, tour the C.Sharps factory and head to a friend's house in Flat Lake, MT.
After a night in Flat Head, we go to Ponteray, ID and stop at Buffalo Arms and stock up on BP.
From there, it's over to Spokane for 2 nights, then home.

Fortunately my wife shares the same interests in the history of our country, and these are spots we've not been to!

Any recommendations on this route are greatly appreciated! (Lodging in Cody? Food?, Lodging in Big Timber? Food?)

map-->
https://goo.gl/maps/GMmKBR3NAKQ2

We have a wedding to go to in Salt Lake in the first week of July. Last year we drove to Vegas from our home in Edmonton, Alberta down I-15 and on the way home we went thru the south gate of Yellowstone (Teton area) and up thru Big Sky, Bozeman and back home.

This time we want to basically do the same thing Big Timber , then Little Big Horn and then Cody going down to Salt Lake after. Always wanted to see the two factories. Do actually get to see anything other than the store front?

[hunter64]

We went on out tour and had a great time. Stopped at Big Timber at 2:30pm on Friday to look at both the factories and they both close at 2:00pm on Fridays and are not open Saturdays. I just assumed that they would be open till 4pm at least so make sure you are weary of those weird hours.

Went to Little Bighorn and it was great. It was refreshing to actually hear the facts of the battle and not white washed Calvary side only.

We then went to Cody to take in the Buffalo Bill Center and that was well worth it, the firearm section was really interesting. Nice little town with really friendly people. As stated the hotel prices are high even in July. We found a 100.00 a night dive but we survived,lol.

Then we went diagonal across Wyoming to the find the Oregon trail and that was well worth it . My 4th great grandfather came across it in the 1850's as a young man and carved his name into Independence Rock. I looked everywhere but couldn't find it on the rock. Followed the trail into Utah and it was eye opening what the pioneers had to go thru on the trail. You can still see some of the ruts in the rock where the wagons went. The Wyoming tour book said to make sure you have food and gas because services are limited. They were not kidding. The whole lower 1/2 of Wyoming is desolate with nothing there but antelope. You see a town on the map and when you get there a sign says pop. 10 , no gas station and maybe 2 buildings and that is it.

We found a sign on the way out of Wyoming that stated that the state has 2/3 of the world population of antelope. Next time a read a hunting story about the antelope hunt in Wyoming I will know that it is full of ****. There are antelope as far as the eye can see down there, all you have to do is go to the top of a hill , sit down and pick out the one you want. Kind of like going up to the top level of a barn and looking out over a cow herd and picking out the cow you want and saying you went on a hunt. We got out of the truck for a stretch, there was a herd about 200+ of them and they were not more than 50 yards away and they just looked at us.

We had a great time, just wish the sharps factories were not closed. As both there websites are horrible I was kind of looking forward to seeing what accessories and such they offered.

[mazo kid]

We found the motel prices excessive in Cody several years ago. We stayed in Buffalo, Wy.; it is just a couple hour drive to Cody and a friendly town.

[Big Mak]

Yes, that's our plan too, we'll be in Buffalo, WY on 8/21