On day 101 of “The Ultimate USA Road Trip” we drive from Sheridan to Old Faithful, known for its beautiful Geysers. Along the route we stop at a number of museums that tell the history of this region. We drive on the beautiful Bighorn Scenic Byway through Bighorn National Forest and through the Waipiti Canyon in the Shoshone National Forest to Yellowstone National Park.


We drive the Bighorn Scenic Byway in the opposite direction as on day 100. Enjoy the ride on this 58 mile (93 km) long road over the top of the Big Horn Mountains, the Byway winds past densely forested areas, lush meadows, waterfalls and deep rifts. There are several places along the route where you can stop to take photos, such as in Dayton, where the Byway starts, here you can stop to take photos of the historic Dayton Mercantile, this Mercantile was built in 1886 and renovated between June 2013 and September 2014. They sell consumable local products such as raw honey, honey candies, sauces, meat rubs, jellies, jams, soaps and lotions.

The drive through the Bighorn Forest is a beautiful drive, so take your time and stop to enjoy the beautiful nature. Visit the Big Horn National Forest Visitor's Center, which provides information about the area including interpretive exhibits. A stop you should definitely plan is at Shell Creek Canyon Lookout, where you have a great view of the canyon, the rocks and a beautiful waterfall.

Another nice stop is in the town of Shell at the “Old Shell Store Kitchen & Tap House”, a great place to stop for a drink and a small snack. They offer burgers, salads and freshly baked sweets.

The Bighorn Scenic Byway ends in the town of Greybull, from there we drive west to the town of Cody, a town in the American state of Wyoming, and administratively part of Park County. The city was founded in 1896 by and named after William Frederick Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill. Cultural activities in Cody therefore mainly revolve around the figure of the pioneer of Cody and cowboy and western culture. The Irma Hotel is located in Cody, commissioned by Buffalo Bill and named after his daughter. Wild West shows are given here during the summer.

Here you can visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, it includes five great museums, all under one roof and is named after William Frederick Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill, the founder of this place.

This museum was formerly known as the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. It is a complex with five museums and a library. The museum features art and objects from the American West. The museum was founded in 1917 to preserve Buffalo Bill's legacy and vision. It is considered the oldest and most comprehensive museum of the West. The New York Times described it as one of the nation's strangest museums.

You might consider planning an overnight stay here and exploring downtown Cody. You can dine authentically and enjoy entertainment with a Western touch. There's plenty to see in the Center of the West, discover Plains Indian cultures, pioneering cowboys and cowgirls, classic and modern Western works of art and more. Cody tells unique, exciting stories of the West.

The Old Trail Town & Museum of the Old West, on the edge of town, is also worth a visit. Here you can experience rich western heritage first hand. Voted “Best Tourist Attraction and Historic Site” by True West Magazine. This is where Buffalo Bill started the original town of Cody, Wyoming in 1895.

Today, Old Trail Town preserves the lifestyle and history of the Frontier West through a rare collection of authentic structures and furnishings. From remote locations in Wyoming and Montana, these historic buildings were carefully disassembled, moved, and reassembled here in Old Trail Town by western historian Bob Edgar and friends.

It is also home to thousands of historical artifacts from the Old West and grave sites of several notable Western figures. Among them is the grave of "Mountain Man" John Johnston, who was played by actor Robert Redford in the 1972 film "Jeremiah Johnson."

Also here are original cabins used by Old West outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and a Wyoming saloon frequented by Cassidy's "Hole-in-the-Wall Gang." This site also contains the log cabin of "Curley", a Crow Indian Army scout who helped escort Lt. Col. George A. Custer and the U.S. 7th Cavalry to the Battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876. Old Trail Town exists today as a memorial to the uniquely American experience known around the world as "the Old West."

The Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway also starts in Cody, a beautiful road that connects Cody and Yellowstone National Park. Several beautiful stops are possible along this Byway.
The Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Drive is a 50-mile paved highway that is an exceptionally scenic drive as it follows the North Fork of the Shoshone River through the amazing Wapiti Valley and the mighty Absaroka Mountains.

This incredible “Byway” also includes attractions such as the historic Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir, Buffalo Bill State Park and many others that make the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic ByWay one of the most popular byways in Wyoming. Wyoming Highways 14, 16 and 20 form the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway, and this is one of the main routes used by visitors heading to Yellowstone National Park. President Teddy Roosevelt once said that the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway was "the most beautiful 50 miles in the world."

We stop at the Buffalo Bill Dam and reservoir which are named after William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, the founder of Cody and a major supporter of irrigation projects in the area. Construction of Shoshone Dam, as it was called until 1946, was completed in 1910. At that time it was the highest dam in the world. However, the dam suffered from leaks and loss of capacity from the start. Between 1985 and 1993, the Buffalo Bill dam was raised by 7.6 meters. Since 1971, the Buffalo Bill dam has been on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1973 it was named a National Civil Engineering Landmark.

There are four hydroelectric power plants around the dam: the Shoshone Power Plant from 1922, the Heart Mountain Power Plant from 1947, the Buffalo Bill Power Plant from 1992 and the Spirit Mountain Power Plant from 1994. Behind the dam is the “Buffalo Bill” reservoir. reservoir” formed. The shores of that lake belong to the Buffalo Bill State Park recreational area.

As we drive through the amazing Wapiti Valley we stop briefly at the “Smith Mansion”, also known as the Smith Family Cabin, which is a large, prominent building approximately 75 feet (22.9 m) high in the Wapiti Valley of Wyoming. The mansion stands out as you travel along the North Fork Highway towards Yellowstone National Park because of its towering, dark and intimidating architectural style. It takes the form of a large wooden tower, the parts of which are attached apparently haphazardly, although the tower is very stable.

The builder of this mighty home, Francis Lee Smith was born on January 4, 1944 in Cody, Wyoming and studied architecture at Montana State University, graduating with honors in 1967. In 1952, a large forest fire swept through Rattlesnake Mountain, just west of Cody. Large amounts of timber went unclaimed, and Smith decided to use it to build what he described as “A tribute to the North Fork Mountains.” He chose the hilltop location because he believed it was the geographic center of the Wapiti Valley.

Lee started in 1971 with the intention of building a family home for his wife and expected children. But when the first floor was completed in early 1973, he decided to add more floors. Smith and his family lived in it while he was building it, without any electricity, running water, air conditioning or gas, with the only source of heat in the entire building being a small wood stove on the first floor.

In the early 1980s, Smith's wife Linda Smith-Mills divorced him, citing his continued obsession with building his mansion. According to her, his house became everything to him when she divorced him.”

Smith was working on a balcony on the top floor of the house around 6 p.m. on April 25, 1992, when a large piece of wood came loose and knocked him off the balcony. He fell six meters, hit his head or neck on a roof below and died instantly. A day later, a neighbor reported seeing Smith's dead body at the local sheriff's office. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. He was buried at Cody Cemetery, in his hometown of Cody, next to his mother and father. Discovery Channel reported on this house in the series “Abandoned Structures of America”.

We drive around Yellowstone Lake to the final destination “Old Faithful”. Enjoy your time in this famous place. “Old Faithful” is a cone geyser, reaching a height of 56 meters during an eruption, in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. It was named “Old Faithful” in 1870 during the Washburn Langford Doane expedition and was the first geyser in the park to be named. It is a highly predictable geothermal phenomenon and has erupted every 44 minutes to two hours since 2000. The geyser and the nearby Old Faithful Inn, where we spend the night, are part of the Old Faithful Historic District. This is also where “Beehive Geyser” is located, with a height of 45 to 60 meters during an eruption. The cone of the geyser is approximately 1.2 meters. Also visit the Yellowstone Art & Photography Center.