The Easy Way to Plan a Vacation to Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country, Or What I Like to do in my Free Time

When it comes time to plan a summer vacation in Cody (or Yellowstone or Wyoming) my friends have developed a foolproof method.

They let me do it for them.

I don’t mean to be a busybody; it’s just that my enthusiasm kicks in when I hear the words “Yellowstone Vacation” or “I’m thinking of heading to Wyoming this summer, do you have any special tips or suggestions?”

I can put together a three-, five- or 10-day itinerary faster than you can say “Corrie, slow down and take deep breaths. You’re starting to concern me.”

When people do allow me to share my experience, the first thing I suggest is that they try to envision just how much space we have here in the West. Wyoming on a single page in the road atlas can look like it is the same size as Ohio. Not even close. To illustrate, Interstate 80 across Wyoming is a little more than 400 miles while Interstate 80 across Ohio is close to 235 miles. People move here for our wide open spaces and big skies, but they learn quickly to not try and see everything in one day.

My second Wyoming vacation tip is to plan, but don’t plan too much. If you are coming to Cody this summer, by all means plan to attend the Cody Nite Rodeo or visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West  or any other great attractions. You don’t, however, need to declare that if it is Wednesday afternoon you have to experience the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center or spend exactly one hour at Old Trail Town/Museum of the Old West. The region is full of fun, quirky, historic, unusual, somber, light-hearted, rugged, rustic and comfortable places. What they are not are items to be crossed off your list.

My third suggestion is something I learned from my parents. Let each person choose an activity, and then everybody else has to participate. My mother was never a water person and would not choose to go rafting, but she had an absolute great time navigating the rapids on the Shoshone River here in Cody. And different people simply notice different things. You expect great artifacts at the Center of the West, but if you look closely at the items at Tecumseh’s Old West Miniature Village and Museum you will begin to realize that the owner has amassed an incredible collection of his own.

There are great reasons that vacationers from around the world come for a summer vacation in Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country. Many people travel here and then return again and again.

If you insist on bypassing “Corrie’s Vacation Planning Service,” here is one final tip. Go to www.codyyellowstone.org for information about vacation packages, special events, guide services, suggested itineraries, weather and more. Be sure to check out  the “Buffalo Bill’s Travel Saver” page for the latest travel packages and discounts.  Or you can call the Cody Country Visitors Center  at 1-800-393-2639.