The marina at Bighorn Canyon.
Sunrise at Lake De Smet.
A few miles north of Buffalo we found beautiful Lake De Smet where summertime watersports were in full swing. Boats of every description filled the lake, especially on the day of a big fishing tournament, and kids swam and played in the water near the shore. Lake Stop Resort restaurant's back patio deck had a view of the lake in the distance and was a great place for a leisurely burger and a beer in the fresh air. Taking our cameras on a wildlife expedition late one afternoon, we drove through the Bud Love Wildlife Habitat Management Area. We were amazed to see huge herds of deer grazing in the grasses both near and far. Beautiful bucks with enormous racks raised their heads slowly to look at us, and one group with both fawns and adults paused to stare at our vehicle long enough for us to capture a fun family portrait of them right out the window. Sheridan, Wyoming is a lovely small town about 35 miles north of Buffalo. One of our favorite destinations in town was the western tack store and museum, King's Saddlery. Crafting gorgeous saddles since the late 1940s, this unique store offers an immense variety of ropes for ranchers as well as cowboy boots and hats and other western gear. When we walked into the store, we wondered why there were two odd looking pieces
of furniture with bull horns on them. Then a customer appeared with a few ropes in his arms, and one by one he tested each rope's characteristics by roping the bull horns on these two fake bulls. He apparently liked the feel of one particular rope and soon purchased it at the cash register. In an adjoining cavernous room, we discovered a museum filled with rows and rows of historic saddles that had been used by local ranchers and famous cowboys over the last century and a half. Some were ornate and some were quite simple in design, but all had been well loved and were well worn. Just south of Sheridan we visited the Brinton Museum, which features exhibits of western art and American Indian art. Built by a farm equipment entrepreneur and left in trust to his sister to become a museum, the property includes not only the art exhibit halls but a beautiful historic ranch house and a leather craft shop as well as a charming bistro for lunch or brunch. The townof Sheridan lies at theeasternendof theBighorn Scenic Byway, US Highway 14. Taking it westward, this winding and twisting highway took us high into the mountains on switchback after switchback. We drove it towing our 36-foot fifth wheel trailer but its steep grades are not for the faint of heart or for an RV with a weak engine. One of the highlights of this drive was a stop at
MOUNTAIN HIGHS AND LOWS
COAST TO COAST SUMMER MAGAZINE 2019
25
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog