Cowboy Stuff in Wyoming

We finished our whirlwind tour of Nebraska on July 24 and continued westward to Casper, Wyoming. We stopped in Casper in 2008 and still can’t shake the taste of the worst buffet we’ve ever had. Other than that minor incident, Casper seems to be a pretty nice town. We got the Honda washed, replaced the motor home’s broken screen door latch and Bonnie did a load of laundry.

The next day we continued north on I-25 and checked into Pete’s RV Park on the edge of Sheridan, Wyoming. It was a very nice clean campground and these signs were cute and self-explanatory . . . don't you think?

In 2006, True West magazine rated Sheridan America’s #1 western town. It’s definitely a cowboy town with several outfitters, saloons, frequent rodeos and old time museums. One shop keeper clarified that Wyoming’s “tourist town” is Cody and Sheridan is for the working cowboy.

It’s true that Main Street has many outfitter type stores full of cowboy attire, boots, hats, leather goods, saddles, ranch tools, etc., but there are also many interesting tourist-oriented businesses that clearly cater to visitors.

Don King was world famous for his leather work and saddles. Much of his work survives in his Main Street shop and museum. The museum contains hundreds of western saddles, from the mid-1800s to brand new ones. It’s one of the largest saddle collections in the world. It also contains ropes, belts and all kinds of western ranch tools, equipment, old photos and memorabilia. We’ve never seen so much leather in one place. Very interesting place.

Remember Buffalo Bill from our North Platte report? Well, he showed up again in Sheridan. Bill traveled a lot and left his mark in many places. During his years in the entertainment business, he stayed at the Sheridan Inn and auditioned performers for his wild west shows while sitting on the wide covered porch.

The Inn was built by the Burlington & Missouri Railroad in 1893. It’s unusual design was based on a hunting lodge that the architect had visited in Scotland. The building was nearly razed in 1967 but was saved and recently restored. It’s now a classy restaurant, saloon and conference facility.

The Inn was considered one of the finest hotels of its time between Chicago and San Francisco. Many celebrities stayed there, including Will Rogers, Charlie Russell, Ernest Hemingway, Bob Hope and others. The Inn’s original Buffalo Bill Bar was built in England of oak and mahogany.

Another famous watering hole is Sheridan’s 1907 Mint Bar. It’s considered to be the ultimate cowboy bar. Outside, a multicolored neon sign shows a wrangler on a bucking bronc. Inside, the Mint is decorated in dark cedar and gnarled pine burls. Booths are made of rough-hewn logs and the shingled walls are covered with old brands from local ranches and photographs of ranch life, mostly in the 1940s, as well as portraits of rodeo stars, trick riders, and Western celebrities.

The Mint serves mostly beer and whiskey. Local cowboys order a “ditch” which is whiskey and water. We were told the place comes alive in the evening. Since our “coming alive” time is morning, we gave up The Mint to watch an evening thunderstorm and prepare for the next day’s drive into Montana.  We haven't seen every town in the West, so we're not sure that Sheridan is the #1 western town.  But we do agree that it's a very nice town indeed.