Whoa! This is Different!

After leaving Bozeman in 46 degree, soggy weather, we're now in Sheridan, Wyoming, with a temp of 76 heading to the 80's tomorrow. Hard to believe that 260 miles could make such a difference. We dropped down out of the Absaroka Mountains into the plains of eastern Montana and northern Wyoming.

Sheridan is an historic old west cowboy town, with at least 6 battle sites in the area from the conflicts between the US Army and the Indians, as well as a variety of museums that highlight the cowboy lifestyle. Sheridan is an eclectic town, with a large performing arts community as well as many artists working in metal, paint and leather. There is a huge country music festival happening this weekend called the Bighorn Country USA, beginning tonight with Due West and Thomas Rhett among others and finishing Saturday night with Blackjack Billy and Lady Antebellum.  There are a dozen or so other performers as well, so a great weekend should happen!

The first thing we did in Sheridan was to visit the Don King Saddlery and Museum. The Saddlery makes, of course, custom saddles and riding gear, as well as rope used by professional rodeo performers and day-to-day cowboys alike.  Don King has passed away, but the business is run by his son, Don Jr.  It's said that they have orders for 75,000 feet of rope from around the world each year. One of the employees works in the museum, tooling leather belts, photo album covers and such.  It was a treat to be able to chat with the artist while he was actually making the pieces.  He has been working for Don King Inc. for some 43 years, after getting a Masters Degree and deciding that what he really wanted to do was leather work.  Here's an example of the intricate work he does on saddles:

We started our tour of the shop in the rope department.

These saddles cost between $1900 and $7000.

The walls of the store are decorated with a huge variety of Wyoming memorabilia, including the heads of several local animals.

The museum contains thousands of western items from specialty saddles to a two-headed calf.

Also on display is a huge collection of antique firearms, including several Sharps rifles used in the days of Buffalo hunts.

This is one of the oldest guns in the collection, an antique Blunderbuss.

Barely visible in the upper right corner is a Chinese rifle made in about the same era as the Blunderbuss.

Perhaps its appropriate to also have a 1900's hearse in the same area as the guns!

We were fortunate to arrive in Sheridan on "Third Thursday", where Main Street is blocked to vehicular traffic and turned over to street vendors and produce sellers between 5 and 9 pm. We bought a few small items, but the most interesting thing on Main St is this sign.  When was the last time you saw one of these?

Oh, and the "nourishment" reference from yesterday? We're staying in Peter D's RV Park, space number 30.  This is a nice, if rustic, park with the cleanest restrooms I've ever seen.  Peter D himself greets guests at the office and provides tour guide services to all the local attractions.  Peter D has lived in the area for years and knows everyone and everything.  As he says,  "Peter D's RV Park has nutritional value.  If you don't stay here, Pete don't eat."