REGIONS Black to Yellow WY Not? Find the Perfect Black to Yellow Experience for You STAND AT THE CENTER OF A BISON HERD Tour the Durham Ranch, one of the largest bison operations in the U.S., to find out how the Flocchini family has maintained a herd of more than 2,500 grazing animals on 55,000 acres for more than 50 years, learn about the ranch’s holistic practices and see the bison up close. PERUSE THE ALADDIN GENERAL STORE Discover groceries, fishing supplies, western wear, jewelry and antiques at this historic locale. Built in 1896, the general store is the largest and most prominent of 15 buildings that make up the tiny hamlet of Aladdin. Notice the authentic peeling wallpaper in the “antique attic,” and follow tradition by sipping lemonade on the front porch. INVESTIGATE A PRIMITIVE ANIMAL TRAP The Vore Buffalo Jump near Sundance is a natural sinkhole that was used as a bison trap from about 1500 to 1800 A.D. by at least five different Plains Indian tribes. Stop by the small interpretive center to gain an understanding of the site’s significance. LEARN ABOUT THE ANCIENT BASIN FROM TOP: VORE BUFFALO JUMP, MATTHEW IDLER; THE MINT BAR, SHERIDAN TRAVEL AND TOURISM. At Washakie Museum & Cultural Center in Worland, you can get lost in the unique geology, archaeology, paleontology and local history surrounding the Bighorn Basin. Noteworthy sights include casts of prehistoric skeletons and dinosaur bones and The Last West , an exhibit chronicling the struggles of the region’s earliest settlers. BELLY UP TO A HISTORIC BAR EXPLORE 10,000 YEARS OF HISTORY There is a wealth of classic watering holes in the region, including The Mint Bar in Sheridan, where a neon façade has enticed cowboys and ranchers to come in for a cold one since 1907, and Cassie’s Supper Club, a Cody hot spot for drinks, live country music and juicy steaks since 1922. Established in 1893, the Sheridan Inn is a great place to stay with rooms featuring furnishings inspired by the hotel’s most famous guest and part owner, Buffalo Bill Cody. Hundreds of prehistoric petroglyphs and pictographs, dinosaur tracks and local ranching history are just a few things to uncover at Medicine Lodge Archaeological Site near Hyattsville. This lesser-known beauty in the Bighorn Mountains has hundreds of miles of multiuse trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and ATVing. Bring your binoculars and keep your eyes peeled for porcupines, prairie dogs, bobcats and more than 100 species of birds. WY AM I HERE? John Flocchini’s grandfather, a butcher and owner of Durham Meat Company in San Francisco, purchased a 55-acre bison ranch in northeast Wyoming in 1965 — and Gillette’s Durham Ranch was born. “It’s very much about our family,” John Flocchini says. “The ranch is a place of solitude. A lot of my family is from out west and they spend a lot of time out here. From a broader perspective, the bison herd is pretty spectacular … this is historic bison range. To see them and experience them in their native habitat and environment is pretty cool.” 50 #BlackToYellow
Wyoming Official Travel Guide 2018 Wyoming OTJ: Page 50
