Prince Albert To Visit
My fondness for cowboy musicians is no secret around town. Some people call it my weakness, and I will admit that is a good word to describe my feelings. Others have called it an obsession, but I would not go that far. That word describes people who collect CDs and posters and display them in their homes in secret rooms. That’s not me.
These days I have my eye on someone else – Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Now why in the world would a gal from little Cody, Wyoming set her sights on royalty from the most glamorous nation on the Mediterranean Sea? Do we really expect that the prince knows anything about Cody or that he ever even heard of our town?
As a matter of fact, he is coming to town and following in the footsteps of his great grandfather, Prince Albert I.
The first Prince Albert came to Cody in September, 1913 to go hunting at the invitation of Buffalo Bill. (That guy really did have cool friends.)
The hunting party camped in the area near Buffalo Bill’s hunting lodge, Pahaska Teepee at the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park beyond the western end of the Wapiti Valley. If you ever get a chance to go inside the original hunting lodge, I highly recommend it. For many years, the flag of Monaco has had a prominent place on the wall of the lodge.
On September 18, 2013, Prince Albert will present the Camp Monaco Prize to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his great grandfather’s visit. The prize is a joint project sponsored by the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Draper Natural History Museum, University of Wyoming’s Biodiversity Institute and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation-USA. These three organizations are dedicated to the conservation of native biodiversity and created the prize to promote this common mission.
Earlier this year, 15 organizations submitted proposals, and the prince will present the winner with a $100,000 check that will support efforts in the areas of scientific exploration and public education that will expand understanding and foster concrete action.
You can see why I am so excited about this visit. Our town certainly has had its share of dignitaries and people who truly care about the surrounding region, but this visit has to be one of our highest honors.
I will keep you posted on Prince Albert’s visit.
In the meantime, I am lovin’ life – and hanging a poster or two – in Cody, Wyo.
