Many people may think that the Wild West no longer exists, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Western United States still offers a lot of remnants of the days of gunslingers and cowboys, rowdy mining towns and traditional native american cultures, along with thousands of acres of unspoiled natural wonders where people still hunt and fish and trap and work in a truly western atmosphere. If you like history and adventure, visiting the Old West can be a real treat. Though today the wild horse herds are thinning, they are still there. There may be fewer herds of wild buffalo roaming the wild western frontier, but you will find more than 3,000 bison in Yellowstone National Park roaming free, and deer, elk, bear, and wolves are abundant, as are eagles and hawks, throughout the wild west.
You probably won't find gold nuggets lying on the ground, but there are still working gold and silver mines in the Wild West, and some will let you pan for gold, silver, and garnets.. You will nearly always find running water and flush toilets at the many bed and breakfasts and working ranches, but not in many of the numurous ghost towns still standing in the Old West. There are plenty of places to visit if you are looking to taste the flavor of the untamed western frontier. Once you cross the Mississippi into the west, the land opens wide up into a place of working ranches and natural beauty where history continues to be lived on a daily basis. Experience a cattle drive or a wild horse roundup. Hunt in rugged mountains or open plains, and fish pristine lakes and rivers with experienced outdoorsmen. Spend a week on a working cattle ranch, where ranchers still live and work much as they did in the wild west.of yesteryear. Take a hair raising white water raft trip down rivers that are still untamed by dams for many, many miles. Watch real cowboys ride bucking bulls and broncs, or try it yourself. Experience the traditional foods and culture of native americans at a real pow wow or learn about the flora and fauna on guided nature tours or groomed trails on your own. Attend a historical reenactment of frontier history, or take part in an authentic fur trapper's rendezvous. If photography is your thing, the scenery is absolutely spectacular. The possibilities for an adventurous vacation are still endless in the Wild West. |
