Devil’s Tower, Buffalo Bill and North Platte

I love the West and stories of the Pony Express and cowboys. I love history and also care a lot for the make believe cowboy.  I am not naïve enough to believe that all the move west was romantic, but I love to think of it as so. Because I love a good story.

Inside the Pony Express Museum

While we were in South Dakota near Deadwood, we also drove over to Sturgis, if you are a biker you know about Sturgis. Well it isn’t far on over into Wyoming and the ‘Devil’s tower’. This is a very unique outcropping that will impress you.

(My buddy and best friend Sonny at the Devils tower)

There is nothing near the Devil’s tower, just the tower. It is a giant, majestic column of rock. It has huge unique grooves on the sides.

(I keep this picture because Sonny took it, we were fascinated by Prairie Dogs)

We drove back thru Sturgis to Rapid City and headed South. Leaving the Black Hills. Just out of South Dakota, we drove thru Valentine, Nebraska. The Heart City. street signs and directions in red and white. Pretty little town.

(Sonny meets Buffalo Bill)

(Sherry & Colette Below at a house at the museum ordered from Sears and Roebuck late 1800 or early 1900’s)

(The house would not be complete without an outhouse complete with corn cobs)

Our destination was North Platt, NE. We wanted to see the museum and Scouts Rest, home of Buffalo Bill.  WE got to see both.  For you that do not know, N.Platte was a great rest stop for all troop trains East and West during WWII. N.Platte was famous for serving every troop who stopped, refreshments free of charge. I was thrilled to be where my brother  and uncles had stopped on the way to serve in the Pacific.

(Moose and Elk antler chair)

Us on Buffalo Bill’s front Porch, in horseshoe seats.

I asked my Brother about it. He smiled and said,”Funny story about that place. The Gov’t had paid the troops before us in silver dollars, and naturally many were spent there. I wanted to buy a beer and only had a $20. The beer was $.50.”  He was 17 at the time. “The girl tending bar said she would have to give me silver dollars in change, I told her 19 silver dollars would pull my pants down. She smiled at me and said, mine too! that scared me, I never got that beer.”  Gotta love my brother, God rest his soul, I miss him and his dry wit.

(Above:This is an irrigation ditch plow, pulled by 20 oxen)

(Below is Buffalo Bill’s Barn, much of his traveling show was stored here when not on the road)

The Museum had movies of the trains stopping, but with the millions of troops pictured I never saw anyone I knew.

Scouts Rest was nice. Buffalo’s house was neat. Of course there were a few guns, he also had a chair made out of antlers.  We rested on his front porch.  It was a restful place and many Old Pony Express riders rested here.

Later we may go on down to Dodge City.

Thanks for coming by the log.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

What the world needs is more geniuses with humility, there are so few of us left.

—Oscar Levant

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1959 Cadillac Cyclone, never made production.