Good job, Sheridan, Wyoming!

It was just a 30-mile drive to move the motor home to our next destination in Sheridan, Wyoming. We have a full-hookup site at Peter D's Campground, so we needed to catch up on laundry. We also checked out this very nice college town that sits close to the Montana border on the north, and enjoys views of the Bighorn Mountains to the west. We had read about the sculptures in downtown Sheridan, so we strolled down Main Street on our first evening.

In 2001, the city of Sheridan passed a 1% optional sales tax that helped to fund public art throughout the city. They started with funding a few pieces in a plaza downtown, and now they have more than 100 pieces of art. 

The program also pays sculptors to display their work downtown for a year. The pieces are for sale to the public while Sheridan enjoys them. The city and private donors buy some of the bigger pieces to stay in Sheridan forever.

We've walked through many different sculpture gardens throughout the country, and we have to say that downtown Sheridan had some of the best we've ever seen. This one is titled "Bigger Flies for Tired Eyes," and we certainly can sympathize with that fisherman that is having some problems seeing the little things.

Most of the sculptures are western or animal themed--two of our favorite subjects.

That saddle was close to a favorite western store on Main Street--King's Saddlery and Ropes. Mark loves the smell of leather, and this store had a fragrant inventory. They also make and sell ropes of all kinds. If a cowboy can't find his new favorite rope here, he can't find it anywhere. 

We walked through the western store and rope inventory to get to the Don King Museum, that is actually across the alley. Who knew this was back there?

Mr. King was a maker and collector of saddles. He collected western memorabilia for thirty years, and displayed hundreds of saddles in this museum.

He was a leather artist, and the saddles he made were works of art. This little museum was a fun find in Sheridan!

We also drove by the Sheridan Inn. Built in 1893, Buffalo Bill Cody was part-owner and a resident here from 1894-1902. It seems like we have been stalking Buffalo Bill all summer, and we've found another town that claims a piece of this western legend.

Buffalo Bill sat on that front porch and watched as people auditioned for his Wild West Show. Now the only people on the front lawn are the bronze dancers, with Mark trying to cut in.

Sheridan has a nice park, with a biking trail and shade trees. A pasture adjoining the park was home to the city's bison herd. The newest member of the herd was snuggled into the grass in the center of the picture below.

A chain link fence kept the bison out of the residential areas that surround the park. That chain link fence was the only thing between Mark and the biggest bull bison.

The same pasture park was also home to elk, but we only found this one female.

We also drove around the university campus, and through most of the little city of Sheridan. We were within easy driving of more fun things to do in the area, so we're glad we're staying for several days. We have to say that this was one of the prettiest and most interesting towns we've visited. Good job, Sheridan, Wyoming!