Cody and Yellowstone National Park, 24 - 31 October 2011

Cody, October 2011

We spent a week in and around Cody, Wyoming with our friend from Somalia days, Ray Carpenter. Ray drove us everywhere to see everything there is to see within 100 miles of Cody, including the hot baths and Dinosaur Center at Thermopolis, the cliff-face petroglyphs at Legend Rock, and many other places of interest. But the highlight of our stay was a tour of Yellowstone National Park under Ray's expert guidance.

We had brunch and spent a wonderful day with Rod and Lynn Morrison at their home near Cody.

We also made the acquaintance of some of Ray's friends. Wyoming's cowboy culture is most endearing, with its emphasis on civility, kindness, self-sufficiency and genuine warm hospitality.

We dropped in at a small restaurant for breakfast and were charmed by the middle-aged waitresses who were dressed in their nightgowns and nightcaps!

Later, we visited the historic Irma Hotel for a drink at the hotel's immense long bar. The town of Cody and the hotel were founded by Buffalo Bill, possibly the best-known American name in the world.

Being with Ray was a real treat. One of life's greatest pleasures is to reunite with old friends and relive the memorable times spent together in the unusual circumstances and out-of-the-way places life has taken us over the years.