Montana/Wyoming
Mini-Vacation
We'll Visit:
Pompeys Pillar - Little Bighorn Battlefield - Fort Phil Kearny
Big Horn Mountains - Buffalo Bill Center of the West
July 18-20, 2025 3 Days/2 Nights
Tour Leaves from Bozeman, MT
Friday, July 18 - Pompeys Pillar
Located 30 miles east of Billings, Pompeys Pillar is one of America's most famous sandstone buttes. It bears the only remaining physical evidence of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. You will see the rock where Captain William Clark carved his name on July 18, 1806.
Pompeys Pillar has also been a place of ritual and religious activity for several American Indian tribes for over 11,000 years. Hundreds of pictographs and petroglyphs found on the sandstone rock reflect the monument's importance to early peoples.
In 1873, George Armstrong Custer camped opposite the pillar and engaged in battle there with Crazy Horse's Lakota Indians.
Saturday, July 19 - Little Bighorn Battlefield
On our way down to Sheridan, WY, and Fort Phil Kearny, we'll make a brief stop at the Little Bighorn Battlefield, where George Armstrong Custer lost his life with 267 other members of the Seventh Cavalry at the hands of Crazy Horse & Sitting Bull's Lakota.
We'll visit the area where the very first shots of the battle were fired, and you'll stand in the same spot where the soldiers stood when the Battle of the Little Bighorn began.
Saturday, July 19 - Fort Phil Kearny, Sheridan, WY
If not for the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the Fetterman Massacre outside Fort Phil Kearny in Wyoming would be the battle most Indian Wars historians would be studying and writing books about.
On December 21, 1866, Captain William Fetterman and 80 men died at the hands of Lakota and Cheyenne Indians led by Red Cloud and a young Crazy Horse. On our tour, you will stand on the spot where these men died, and you will walk the grounds of Fort Phil Kearny in the shadow of the Big Horn Mountains where they lived.
Sunday, July 20 - Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, WY
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is the home of five world-class museums, all under one roof, that celebrate the Spirit of the American West. Each museum explores a different aspect of the West through its artifacts, interactive displays, art, and exhibits.
The Center is dedicated to the American West: its history, art, Native American heritage, the natural science of Yellowstone, and the development of the firearm.
On display are actual costumes Buffalo Bill wore in his Wild West Shows and artifacts from the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Inside the Cody Firearms wing of the museum, you'll see firearms-related objects, more than 7,000 firearms, and 10,000 artifacts that span hundreds of years.
More Tour Highlights:
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Enjoy dinner at the Historic Sheridan Inn in Sheridan, WY. Buffalo Bill Cody ran the Inn from 1894 to 1901 and used to audition acts for his Wild West Show while sitting on the hotel's wide veranda. Ernest Hemmingway is said to have written a part of A Farewell to Arms there while staying as a guest. Other notable guests include President Herbert Hoover, Will Rogers, and Bob Hope. You can even enjoy a drink at the hotel's Buffalo Bill Bar, which Cody had brought all the way over from England. Dinner is included in the tour price.
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We'll drive from Sheridan, WY, to Cody, WY, through the beautiful and picturesque Big Horn Mountains. Beyond their beauty, the Bighorns also reveal fascinating layers of Earth's history, with exposed rock formations dating back millions of years. The drive will offer stunning views and a journey through time.
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The tour will make a quick stop at the location where John Bozeman was killed on April 20, 1867.
Tour Cost: $875/Double Occupancy
Tour Cost Includes:
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Hotel accommodations
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Transportation in Karst Stage luxury motorcoach
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Dinners both evenings, and breakfast one morning.
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All entry fees to museums and visitor's centers.
"That Was So Enjoyable! I Can't Wait to Hear About Future Tours!"
- Lisa
"Trip Was Great! Would Definitely Do It Again!"
- Shawna
If you have any questions, email FrontSeatTours@gmail.com
Your Montana/Wyoming Mini-Vacation Tour
Will Be Hosted By Dave Wooten
Known throughout southwest Montana for his morning radio show, Dave started Front Seat Tours because of his love of history and seeing new places. In addition to radio and being the inspiration behind Front Seat Tours, Dave is also a writer of several books, including his latest, Crazy Horse: Where My Dead Lie Buried. He was named Bozeman's Favorite Author in the 2020 Bozeman Choice Awards.
Dave will be your guide and host for your tour. If you have any questions about the tour, reach out to Dave personally at FrontSeatTours@gmail.com
