Beautifully bleak landscape in northern Wyoming

Update October 2014: Hungry Bear announced on its Facebook page that it was closing.

If you happening to be driving Highway 308—the short, rolling-hills connector between Red Lodge and Highway 72 leading south to Cody—consider stopping at Hungry Bear Bakery Cafe in whistle-stop Bear Creek. Grab a big $1 cup of coffee and maybe a slice of “world famous” banana cream pie and eavesdrop, from a corner table, on nearby ranchers gathered for the morning gabfest about weather, politics and the price of cattle.

Hungry Bear Bakery Café
116 East Main Street, Bear Creek, Montana

Cody. The name conjures up images of the Wild West and Buffalo Bill Cody. Sure enough, there’s a Buffalo Bill Historical Centre (containing no less than five museums), daily summer rodeos and wild-west shootouts, and more than 25 restored historic western buildings. With a population of only 9,500, it’s easy to get around and sample a surprisingly eclectic food scene. Cody also provides an eastern entrance to nearby Yellowstone National Park.

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