Cody, Wyoming to Broadus, Montana - Buffalo Bill Center of the West and Little Bighorn National Momument

We spent the morning learning more about the early settlement of the West at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.  The Center is actually five museums co-located on a beautiful piece of land.  The Buffalo Bill Museum contains numerous items which were the personal property of Buffalo Bill and his family.  It is equipped with state of the art exhibits to include an automaton of Buffalo Bill telling a bit about himself as he welcomes visitors to his museum.  The Plains Indian Museum educates us on the cultures, traditions and values of the various tribes which inhabited the Plains.  Its extensive holdings and full scale dioramas help visitors reach a better understanding of the Native people's life on the Plains.  The Cody Firearms Museum is probably the most extensive collection of firearms in the country.  The museum does more than just exhibit weapons.  It addresses the need for weapons and development of firearms.  Many of the items on display are very rare.  Even those who have little interest in firearms will find this museum worth a visit.  The Draper Natural History Museum and Whitney Western Art Museum round out the Center.  We could have spent and additional day at the museum but had to move on to Broadus for the evening.

William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody

We arrived at the Little Bighorn National Monument shortly before it closed.  We were able to quickly explore the battlefield with the help of an audio guide.  The terrain is amazingly complex and not anything like what has been depicted in movies or paintings.  Our visits to several museums dedicated to educating us about the First Nation/Indian Tribes and efforts by non-Indians to expand settlement into their lands helped us to understand why and how this battle unfolded.  Its significance has been lost to most of us in the 21st Century.  The 7th Cavalry's defeat at this battle essentially doomed the Indian chances of survival as free roaming people of the plains.

Cemetery at Little Bighorn National Monument