ArizonaRealCountry.com 13 August 2018 Elk Creek, MO – St Louis, MO 206 miles I stayed with my oldest son, Jason, for the next few days in St. Louis, Missouri. The day after I arrived, Missouri Representative Warren Love did return my call and explained that Missouri had over 1,000 bills to consider this past session, but he assured me he would get the NDOC introduced in the 2019 session. While in St. Louis, I went to the St Louis Art Museum and discovered their third-floor gallery includes western and Native American Art, so I gave them my pitch and left them with some brochures. Again, asking for their support in Missouri and encouraging them to celebrate as so many museums do. Day of the Cowboy continued from page 10 St. Louis, MO – Dodge City, KS 581 miles Dodge City, Kansas, has one of the biggest National Day of the Cowboy celebrations in the country, so I appreciated the chance to stop there and talk with Robin and Jan from the Convention & Visitors Bureau. They arranged a radio interview for me in the morning with Josh Roesner on Rockin’ M radio, a bus tour of Dodge, and then an afternoon interview, which was also filmed, with Ray Schrader. At the end of my interview with Ray, he had me take an oath and I became an Honorary Member of the Drovers of Dodge City. Together we all made plans to make the NDOC organization a bigger part of next year’s Dodge City Days and their National Day of the Cowboy event. Dodge City, KS – Mancos, CO 530 miles My next scheduled stop was Mancos, Colorado, the home of Barb Richhart, the Western Belle of KSJD Dryland Radio. Barb is also a board member of the National Day of the Cowboy. She has a backyard concert to celebrate the NDOC every year and she always makes time to interview me for her radio show. Sid Hausman will be her guest artist for the NDOC this year. I enjoyed the interview with her as well and already had a chance to listen to it on her Sunday podcast. If you go to Western Belle’s Facebook page, you can listen to her broadcast of western music, cowboy, poetry, traditional country, and our interview. Mancos, CO – Twin Falls, ID 539 miles Twin Falls, ID – Gresham, OR 646 miles After stopping in Pendleton, Oregon, for dinner, I arrived back home late at night on June 30th, having been on the road 26 days and driving a total of 5,100 miles. I wish I had kept a journal because I met so many interesting people, and saw so many things for the first time, like Devil’s Tower, Wall Drug of South Dakota, and the Crazy Horse Monument. Seems to me I had perfect weather every day too. I love to promote the National Day of the Cowboy in person and on the air. I stopped too many places to mention, but not enough places to meet everyone. I’d like to do it again next year, but maybe in September when the 15th Annual National Day of the Cowboy will already be behind me! BOOK YOUR RESERVATIONS TODAY! vacation@flyingeranch.com • (928) 684-2690 Check us out at: www.flyingeranch.com and www.facebook.com/FLYINGERANCH Come visit us at: 2801 W. Wickenburg Way, Wickenburg, AZ 85390-1087 Day Rides Continue... BUT WE WANT TO BEAT THE HEAT! Starting May 1st there is only 1 ride offered at 8:00 AM in the morning. Experience the Sonoran Desert on our 20,000 acre ranch! JUST BECAUSE IT’S GETTING HOT DOESN’T MEAN THE FUN HAS TO STOP! We will offer early morning horseback rides, serve you three wonderful meals each day and treat you like royalty while you chill out by the pool. We are anxious to showcase our western hospitality. Bob & Linda DeMitry Elk Creek, Missouri Ray Schrader, Drover of Dodge City, Kansas