I visited Cody as part of a Center of the West event. This Shopping in Cody, WY post was a result of that trip, but not a part of it.
Downtown Cody Wyoming June 2013

 I fell in love with historic downtown Cody, Wyoming at first sight. Granted, it was a beautiful June day with a mild wind and dappled sunshine with the threat of some precipitation here and there. But I truly loved the sense of history found all over town and the unique way that rustic cowboy mixes with new age hippy – it’s the perfect town for a couple like my husband and myself. While my hubby wasn’t with me on this trip, I felt he’d fit right in.

That’s not to say he’s a cowboy, heck, he hasn’t even been on a horse since the 1990’s. But the town reflects the “kill it, eat it” mentality that he lives by. Many of the stores, restaurants, and hotels have a hunting theme complete with mounted heads of big game in every nook and cranny. These mountain man-style decorated establishments live side-by-side with new age establishments with an organic flare, which made me feel right at home.

Shopping in Cody Wyoming - Tees, Food and Novelties

Shopping in Cody Wyoming

I took a few minutes to walk through some of the souvenir shops on the main street and had to laugh at some of the t-shirts and trinkets for sale. Of course there were the prerequisite tourist items like the Black Bear and Elk Poop which were actually candy coated peanuts. Every area has their region-specific novelty items; they’re silly but fun. I did giggle at the Wyoming version of Homeland Security t-shirt – four cowboys carrying guns. Certainly not a shirt you’d find in my hometown. There were also the hotter-than-hell-plus-then-some hot sauces and other themed items.

But thankfully for every touristy souvenir shop there was a fine art store or store that carried handmade quilts and local artisan handicrafts.

Shopping in Cody Quilts to Tees

I loved the wild west building facades they may not have all been original, they still made quite an impression. The Wyoming Buffalo Company store was one of my favorites although I didn’t have time to stop in and check it out. From an internet search I’ve discovered that it’s a gift shop heavy on exotic-to-me meats, something this vegetarian wouldn’t have ventured in to peruse, but the exterior is adorable.  I suppose I should have brought home some of their Buffalo  or Antelope Summer Sausage and Elk Salami home for the hubby. Oops!

Cody Wyoming Buffalo Company

My favorite t-shirt was one I spotted in a store window which read, “VEGETARIAN – Ancient Tribal Slang for the Village Idiot Who Can’t Hunt, Fish, or Ride.” Change “can’t” to “won’t” and it would be more accurate. Of course no trip through town would be complete without a Custom Cowboy Shop and since it’s about 50-minutes from the national park, a Yellowstone Gift Shop.

Shopping in Cody WY Cowboy Boots Hats and Property

I also stopped to check out the homes for sale. It turns out Cody is a bit expensive – on par with the Seattle suburb I live in. Disappointing as  I would have loved to have tried to convince the hubby that we needed a second home in Cody. The short time I was there was enough to know that I’ll definitely make a return visit someday and this time I’ll bring the hubby with me.