The Occidental Tourist
by Charles P. Eberson
Now with over 3400 miles on our trip odometer, our next stop on our way west is Buffalo, Wyoming for no reason other than it is a good waypoint for our travels. We had no prior knowledge of the town and that was part of the allure, not knowing what lies ahead. We pulled into the Buffalo Inn where we reserved a room for two nights before a big push westward. It was an adequate motel with a nice king bed, great shower and as a surprise, a complimentary full breakfast. Compared to camping, it was luxurious. As we ventured towards town, on the way we came across a familiar theme that continued to repeat itself; liquor stores, gas stations and combination restaurants and casinos. It seems that many little towns have a multitude of casinos that are in buildings some no larger than our WAWAs. The main street in Buffalo was only about a half a dozen blocks long but one could see that the area was clean and well maintained. There was a nice mix of western wear shops, galleries, an outdoor recreation store and of course, a couple coffee shops and a bakery to die for. We made a point of hitting that for some fresh baked cinnamon buns before we left town. The proprietor moved from Alabama a year ago to escape the crowds that came with hot humid summers. With little prompting, he shared more of about him and his family. It is interesting and fun to discover why people move to the West from their long established roots. Main street’s anchor property is the Occidental Hotel which began its humble beginning in 1897 by Charles Buell. A small group of miners stopped by Buell’s tent asking if he could feed them and put them up for a few nights which he did and he fed them well. Word got out and as a carpenter by trade, he built a small building to accommodate his burgeoning business. Fast forward and after many additions and renovations a walk into the Occidental Hotel today is like walking into a Western movie set and its bar is no exception although with a somewhat violent past. There is a record of numerous gunfights in the bar and renovations over the years and uncovered approximately 26 bullet holes in the wall. An evening in Buffalo would not be complete without a glass of whiskey at the bar where such notables as Teddy Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane and Ernest Hemingway sought to ease their parched throats. My whiskey was placed on the bar and I sat back while a gravelly voiced old cowboy while he played his guitar and sang his country songs. His granddaughter accompanied him on the bass fiddle. In our travels over the years, my wife and I often talk about moving to one of the places that strike a special cord with us; a place where we could lead a calm, satisfying and simple life. Buffalo, Wyoming has just made the short list.
Charles Eberson has been in the newspaper business for over 25 years. He has worked as a writer, advertising executive, circulation manager and photographer. His photography can be viewed at charles-eberson.fineartamerica.com
