After visiting Keystone, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Deadwood it was time to head West again, this time to Cody, WY.
Cody is known as a bit of a Cowboy town and features the
Cody Nite Rodeo which is famous enough that when I posted on Facebook that I was there, several friends and family said they had also been to this rodeo.
The night we were there is was cold and windy. As I recall the temperatures were in the 40s or 50s with wind gusts in the 30-40 MPH range. Cold for the middle of June when you don't have a jacket with you. I think I wore 3 layers and bought another when I was there to fight off the coldness. I emphasis this because the rodeo is outside and surrounded by open fields and I didn't really enjoy myself because of it. I think the rodeo itself would have been fun otherwise, but the cold and wind really took the fun out of it.
The rodeo has stadium seating on both sides with great views of the arena. Before the event you can get photos with bulls or buy some food. There was bull riding, bronco riding, team roping, barrel racing and a couple kids events. The activities looked like fun between the wind gusts and it was fun to root for some of the woman and kids or to watch the guys go flying off the bulls. I would recommend the rodeo, unless it's cold and windy, then I would just hit one of the bars.
The rodeo did have a little special Contiki event for us. 3 volunteers had to go out and dance and the crowd decided who was best. I want to say a prize was given, but I haven't got a clue what it would have been so I don't think it happened.
After the rodeo, we hit the bars. There we got to meet some real cowboys and this being the second time I had met some true western locals, I was growing a little concerned. It seemed that when cowboys drank too much they got a little sloppy, not really showing their best face. Fortunately, they were harmless and eventually went away. But it did add to the fun of being out in a different environment then you're used to.
