Across Wyoming

30 07 2026

After departing Bozeman, we’ve arrived at Buffalo Bill State Park outside of Cody, WY.  This park has been on our radar for years, but it’s extremely difficult to get reservations here, probably due to its proximity to Yellowstone National Park.  We’re in the Lake Shore Campground, site #2, one of the few that offer both electric and water.  This is a nice pull-through site, right at the entrance to the campground with a lake view.

Buffalo Bill State Park, Cody, WY

Cody is a fun place, with plenty to do and see.  On Friday evening we had a great dinner with friends at the Blanca Tatanka and enjoyed music by Bo Depena. Bo tours all around the western US, is based in Colorado and if you get a chance, make sure you stop and see him and his band! https://bodepenamusic.com/  On Saturday we joined friends at the Cody Cattle Company for a great chuckwagon meal and their live music show starring Ryan Martin and the Triple C Cowboys.  We’d recommend both the Tatanka and the Cattle Company for a great time while in Cody! Next time, we’d like to check out the Ponderosa Campground for a bit closer-in downtown access.

Cody Cattle Company. Cody, WY

Ponderosa Campground, Cody, WY

After Cody we spent one night in Thermopolis at the Eagle RV Park (review here) and then the Douglas KOA before our arrival in Cheyenne at the newly renamed Cheyenne Sky RV Park (formerly AB Camping).  In our annual tradition, we’re in Cheyenne for Frontier Days. This year we’ll see Riley Green & Trace Adkins, Blake Shelton & Avery Anna and Zack Top & Jo Dee Messina.  As always, wonderful times at the rodeo and concerts, and spending time with friends.

The “Daddy of em All”, Cheyenne Frontier Days, 2026

Frontier Nights 2026 – Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani

Following our busy week in Cheyenne, we joined good friends at Deer Haven RV Park in Saratoga, WY for some relaxation and sightseeing.  We enjoyed dinner at both the Snowy Mountain Brewery & Pub located in the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort and Cantina 2.0 Mexican Cafe on Bridge Street.  We also took a drive over Snowy Range Pass towards Centennial, WY through the beautiful Snowy Range Mountains.  At the top of the pass, we stopped to admire the view and learn about the tragic accident of United flight 409 which crashed into Medicine Bow Peak in 1955, at the time the worse air disaster in US history.

Deer Haven RV Park, Saratoga, WY

Snowy Range Pass, Wyoming

From Saratoga we’re at Boyd Lake State Park in Loveland, CO to visit family, followed by a quick stop in Colorado Springs at Garden of the Gods RV Resort, where this trip started 62 day ago!  In all, we’ve traveled nearly 4000 miles and stayed at 25 RV parks on our Montana Owners Group Western Rally trip.  It’s been a great trip, but we’re ready for some downtime until mid-September when we are planning a “best of Pueblo” trip.  More in September…


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : Summer Camping 2026

Douglas, WY – Eclipse Day

21 08 2017

Eclipse Viewing Equipment

It’s eclipse day and all around final tweaks, tests and re-calibrations are being done to insure the best views and images of the 2 minutes and 22 seconds that we are all here to see.

Totality begins on the Oregon coast at 11:15AM (MDT). It takes only about 30 minutes for darkness to arrive in Douglas where we enter totality at 11:44AM (MDT). Just over 60 minutes later the shadow will have finished crossing the US when the South Carolina coast enters totality at 12:46PM (MDT).

Special thanks to Jim Matzger, a fellow camper at the Douglas KOA for these images:

Going Away!

Totality!

Light Returns!

The eclipse starts at around 10:30AM with no perceivable difference to this beautiful sunny day in Douglas.  Eclipse glasses are the only way to note the very small “bite” out of the upper corner of the sun.  By about 11AM, the lighting is different – different colored and different intensity. And the shadows of tree leaves and other objects take on a strange oval shape.  But still the only way to see the eclipse is through our glasses. However, just as totality occurs, a quiet hush falls over the campground followed by a roar of applause  – and everything changes.

Removing our glasses, it’s not completely dark, the hazy orange twilight sky is all around us, birds have quieted and it’s cooled nearly 15 degrees. The sun is a glowing halo in the sky.  A few of the campground lights twinkle on and headlights can be observed on the vehicles moving along the highway.  The 2:22 minutes of totality goes by very quickly and without warning, we begin to see and feel sunlight returning.  Again donning our glasses we see the sun beginning to peek out around the edge of the moon.   And, the event is over!  Under nearly perfect weather conditions, perhaps even enhanced by some of the smoke haze of western forest fires, we’ve all just experienced what is undoubtedly the best North American eclipse of our lifetimes.

Comments from friends outside of totality run from “non-event” to “kinda weird”.  Many around the campground talk about two completely different experiences from past eclipses – outside of totality is like seeing a mountain peak, totality is like being on the mountain peak.  Outside of totality you’ll wonder what the hype is all about, inside totality you’ll begin planning to be there for the next one!

 


Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: , ,
Categories : Summer Camping 2017

Douglas, WY – Tour Day

20 08 2017

KOA Kampground, Douglas, WY

The Douglas KOA has gone all out with food, entertainment and learning options for our eclipse weekend.  Starting Friday evening, they are hosting dinners and breakfasts through Monday morning. There’s evening entertainment, a beer garden and even a lecture on the science of an eclipse including NASA brochures, dark sky maps and eclipse glasses.

On Sunday they have chartered a school bus and arranged for private visits to some of the most significant sites in Douglas.  Our day starts at Ft. Fetterman, located a few miles north of Douglas. This 1867 fort helped protect those traveling the Bozeman Trail.  While most of the wooden structures were destroyed for fuel, two restored buildings representing the officers quarters and an ordnance warehouse provide some interesting insight of life on these northern Wyoming plains.

Ft. Fetterman, Douglas, WY

Our next stop is at Camp Douglas, a prisoner of war camp established during World War II.  Italian and German POWs were held here due to over crowding of prisons in Europe and Northern Africa. These camps were built in specific “safe” areas of the US.  Douglas qualified due to it’s remoteness, access to the rail line and the communities willingness to host military personal as well as the prisoners.

Leaving town, we travel about 15 miles west to Ayres Natural Bridge Park, a beautiful park on La Prele Creek and then on to the LaPrele Station Pony Express site.  Returning to town, we stop at the fairgrounds for a tour of the Pioneer Museum and then back to the KOA.  All in all an interesting and informative day!


Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: , , ,
Categories : Summer Camping 2017

The Great American Eclipse

19 08 2017

Douglas, WY KOA

Good Morning from Douglas, WY!  We’re parked at the KOA and within the 70 mile wide eclipse totality shadow that will streak across North America from Oregon to South Carolina on Monday.  The last eclipse of this magnitude was in 1918 when the totality shadow entered the US over Washington and exited over Florida.  The next on April 8, 2024 will enter over Texas and exit over New Hampshire.

Organization and planning has been in high gear since well over a year ago here in Central Wyoming.  Our reservations were made last May at the then current rates of $40/night for full hookup sites.  Online websites are now offering dry camping locations nearby for $250/night with a 2 night minimum.  The Casper KOA is rumored to have increased their pricing to $900/night!  We’re very happy to be here in Douglas with the very accommodating and friendly staff.

If all goes according to predictions, the Wyoming state population of around 585,000 could double this weekend through Monday. Neighboring states are also expecting to feel the impact on roadways and other traveler services.  Leaving the Denver area on midday on Friday, traffic seemed about normal all the way to Douglas, with a few more sightings than normal of Wyoming State Patrol. We’ll get settled here and report back as we enjoy Douglas…


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , ,
Categories : Summer Camping 2017