Shopping day. We drive to Billings, a city of 110,000. It is a major crude oil pipeline node and we see 3 oil refineries and acres of steel, truck and oil equipment yards coming into town. I am reminded of the 5 years I worked in an oil refinery. I miss it and I don’t. I can’t imagine the technology changes since the 70s.
We find Costco and stock up on some food and clothing. They sell wine and beer in the store too. We head SW in our white Tucson and fit in with all the white pick up trucks.
Desolation greets us left and right again. Scrub land with some large hills in the distance. The buttes here have smooth tops indicating glacial smoothing. We cross over the Shoshone River and arrive in Cody, WY – the rodeo capital of the world. This is where Wild Bill Hicock and Buffalo Bill Cody tamed the west and made it famous.
It is a nice town with wide streets and plenty of souvenir and western gear shops. We tour part of the Buffalo Bill Centre of the West museums and pick up some souvenirs.
It feels good to be here in the sunshine.
Dave and Marie