May 6, 2018 - Sheridan, Wyoming is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to visit. It is a short day’s drive from Denver, and we are establishing an annual tradition of cars and the wild west. I like to call it my annual working vacation. This year it started when we arrived at that Canyon Ranch just outside of Big Horn Wyoming and minutes away from the Brinton Museum. With 2,500 acres of the most beautiful land, surrounded by other ranches far bigger, you have plenty of privacy. We stayed in the Foreman’s House a bit away from the main lodge, so we could comfortably do our work and be closer to the barn. It is a quaint house, quiet, and deer in the yard to watch while you have your morning coffee. We received the cars for this trip by transport, a couple of Dawns, a Wraith, and a Phantom, and began our work. We finished up, put our charges to bed, then off for a well-earned dinner at Wyoming’s Rib and Chop House with the rest of the team and old friends from last year’s event.
The next morning was the calm before the storm. We wandered the ranch a bit taking in the silence. A hearty breakfast, and a nice walk. Then we woke up the cars. The journalists were coming. Sometimes on these trips, as support staff our efforts are seen but we are not. Other times we are very much involved. This was the later. We arrived at the airport where the plane from Denver was arriving via Lander. Our passenger’s luggage gathered, introductions made, top down in the car and we were off. The tone was set for the rest of the trip when the tatoo’ed spitfire of a travel journalist was unsatisfied with the XM station I had chosen and needed something with more rock and roll. Finally, landing on Bohemian Rhapsody. Somewhere there is a video of her in a $400,000 Rolls Royce, with her Chauffer, and two other strangers in the back head banging like Wayne and Garth. The evening was spent with everyone getting to know each other, a catered BBQ dinner, drinks provided by Blacktooth Brewery and a local winery, and professional western story tellers regaling us with local tales by the light of a roaring campfire.
The next day, we were on driving duty again, which none of the team complained about. We dropped the journalists off for their tours around town. While we walked around town waiting for the group to finish. We found ourselves in a small sporting goods store. The type of place where you can pick up quick items for fishing and hunting and camping but where some of the old-time men of the town like to hang out. We walked in as outsiders wearing all Rolls Royce gear and were welcomed immediately. We began talking the outdoors, what we enjoy, where we have been, and good places to go. The conversation got a little weird when one of the members of this party told us about his cannon and the issues he is having with it. Because, apparently this is a normal conversation for him. As common as complaining about the traffic in the city. We were enthralled. Our wanderings complete it was lunch at one of our favorite places for a meal, Frackeltons then to the historic and ever popular Mint Bar. If you have ever wanted to hang out in a quiet old-west bar, this is it. No trip to Sheridan is complete with out a pint from Blacktooth Brewery and shot of whiskey here.
We spent a few days touring around the Bighorn Mountains; the leaves were starting to turn giving an amazing backdrop. On our last day we toured through the socked in mountain tops on our way to lunch in Burgess Junction. A drive through this amazing country is a must, and a great way to head to Yellowstone, as we did last year. We arrived back at the ranch to find two new additions to the entourage, two Frisians. Not just any, there particular two were once owned by Coca-Cola and pulled the Coke cart during parades. The two magnificent beasts were incredibly friendly, but I suppose that came with their old job. These two were coming to the ranch for a well-deserved and long retirement. Three million dollars-worth of cars and everyone wanted to play with the horses. This is Sheridan.
Legacy article - the article was originally written after the 2018 Rolls Royce event where Ignition GM David Polley served as the on-site event manager for Automotive Media Solutions.