We decided to stay outside the East Entrance of Yellowstone. The down side of the East Entrance is that your drive consists of about 30 miles through Shoshone National Park before you even get to the park entrance, then an hour drive to get to Lake Yellowstone, where you can pick up different routes through the park.
The up side is that you are near Cody, Wyoming! Cody boasts an authentic Western experience, with many activities that harken back to yesteryear.
Buffalo Bill Cody helped to found Cody; he had a ranch nearby and held tryouts for his Wild West Show in the town. He also built the Irma Hotel, named after his daughter, in 1902. Through the years, the Irma has been a temporary home to many European nobility on local hunting excursions, and its cherrywood bar was a gift from Queen Victoria. The Irma is still in business, and you can dine there and enjoy their evening shootouts in the street!
Doc Holliday plays cards, while Buffalo Bill keeps on eye on things.
The Irma Hotel bar, gifted from Queen Victoria.
Some cowboys and their gals dining at the Irma.
After experiencing the hotel and the shootout, you are all set now to enjoy a good rodeo. (Now you know I am always up for a rodeo.) Cody is the Rodeo Capital of the World, and they have a rodeo every night in the summer. You read that correctly, every night from June 1st to the end of August. For all of you on Eastern time, next summer if you notice the clock at 10:00 pm eastern time, you can be sure that a rodeo is beginning in Cody. I love that thought. There is something about knowing that a rodeo is going on that makes me sleep peacefully at night. 
Driving East from Cody toward our campground, we passed the Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir. The water is a pale green, and there are tours of the facility, but we got there too late. Check out how sheer these cliffs are looking down from the top of the dam…
These steep mountains surrounded our campground as well and allowed for beautiful sunrises and sunsets. A great way to start and end your day.
I am truly enjoying all your pictures, and the stories of course!
All it takes is just to look at one of the pix and I am immediately transported back to our adventures in Cody and touring Yellowstone – it was incredible!