My Month In Kansas

My Take On Kansas

where I went this month

Kansas's land

The topography in Kansas was a real surprise for me, and that's my own fault.  My pre-trip research told me that, except in the western third or so of the state, Kansas was a hilly state.  I guess that was so not what I expected that I ignored it.  Reality has a way of intruding whether you want it to or not.

At any rate, far western Kansas is flat, as I'd thought.  The rest of the state has hills of increasing height going east.  Similarly, far western Kansas has very few trees, while there are actual forests in far eastern Kansas.

I was surprised at the number and variety of geologic oddities, such as the Monument Rocks and Mushroom Rock State Park.

Kansas is a much more attractive state than I'd expected it to be.

Agriculture in Kansas

The vast majority of the land is being used for agriculture of one kind or another.  Kansas has some manufacturing and other kinds of industries, but most of the state's economy relies on agriculture.  

Television news broadcasts include daily ag reports.  And the newspaper in Dodge City included a quarterly insert about Kansas agriculture, with information from Kansas State University experts and their research.

One of the topics was fall grazing options for cattle.  I had no idea there was so much involved in planning strategies for how to feed cows during the fall.  For instance, if a farmer wanted to save money on the labor and supplies needed to simply feed hay to cows in feedlot, he'd want to consider how to improve results from grazing lands.  He might want to keep his herd away from a field long enough for forage to grow there.  He might even want to plant grasses in a field to give high quality feed for his herd, instead of "old, nasty, tall dormant forage," the report said.

Another article discussed the effect of rising temperatures, which are reducing corn and soybean yields.  And the result of that is an increase in the insurance premiums farmers are having to pay.  These weren't results of climate change I'd ever thought of.  As a side note, the article never used the phrase "climate change."  Even higher losses in yields than with rising temps come from the drought that's been a problem for some time.  The combination of heat and drought has been a real problem for Kansas farmers.

Still another article described some of the varieties of winter wheat and their different performance in different counties.  It noted that a farmer would want to plant the variety that worked best in that particular county.

All this and more was in the fall edition of this publication.  I imagine there'd be a similar range of topics in the editions for the other seasons.  It's obvious that agriculture is a far more complex field than it might seem to those of us who have had a backyard garden.  And Kansas farmers have been successful.

Kansas is one of the top wheat-producing states in the US and the top flour-milling state.  Kansas is the 2nd largest state for beef cattle and tops in the world for meatpacking plants.  So, like I said, agriculture is the mover of Kansas's economy.

Kansas's people
There aren't many population centers in Kansas, and most of them are in a sort of corridor from Kansas City west to Topeka.  Wichita, in the south, is the state's largest city, and west of there are Dodge City and Garden City, both decent-sized cities.  Otherwise, Kansas is a rural state, ranked 40th out of 50 states for population density.  

When people live in a somewhat isolated area, they develop self-reliance.  When people rely on agriculture to make a living, they develop stubbornness and optimism.  They also depend on their neighbors to a degree that might surprise people who live in cities.

And unsurprisingly, these are the qualities I found in the people I met in Kansas.  They weren't particularly friendly or outgoing, but maybe that's because this isn't a tourist destination state - they may just not be geared to being friendly toward strangers.

Almost everyone I talked to said they liked where they lived, and almost always it was because of liking the people who lived there.  Most of them also said they lived where they'd lived all their lives, so I think Kansans value permanence.

Driving in Kansas

That's part of the state seal in the background.

This state doesn't issue a front license plate, and this photo shows the standard rear plate.  Kansas issues quite a few specialty plates, and they're popular.  But I was surprised that I almost never saw a personalized plate.

In general, the roads in Kansas aren't bad, except that so many of them - even the US Routes - are 2 lanes with no shoulder to speak of.  It looks as if Kansas roads are geared to the rural populations and act like farm-to-market roads.

Although even the smallest towns can have museums for local history, none of them tries to be a tourist destination outside of the largest cities.  The road system reflects this.

My experience driving here for a month was mixed.  In several cities I found drivers that honked their horns at intersections and refused to let me merge into their lanes, but in general throughout the state drivers were ordinarily polite.

What I didn't see that I wanted to see

Not a lot, actually.  You can see from the map above that I really tried to get around most of the state.  I'd intended to leave the state by driving from Wellington back over to Dodge City and then go south through Liberal, where there are movie sets from Wizard of Oz.  That would have helped finish covering that area of Kansas.  But doing that would have made it hard for me to cover places in the Texas Panhandle I wanted to see.

I think I mentioned in my blog posts all of the places I'd hoped to visit but missed for one reason or another.  There are enough of them that it'd justify another trip here.

My conclusion

I liked Kansas, the state.  This isn't a place I'd want to live in, partly because of the total lack of access to ocean or mountains, but also because of the people.  Those who already live here like it because of their neighbors, but I found them not a particularly welcoming bunch.  

In fact, I found the state itself more welcoming than the folks who live here.  I found Kansas to be interesting and varied, qualities I never expected to find here.  I'm glad I came.

Kansas - Day 31 & Day +1 - in the campground

Wellington KOA, Wellington
Saturday, 31 October and Sunday, 1 November 2020

I'd only intended to stay here until the 1st, but then I realized not only did I need to write a half dozen blog posts but also figure out where I'm going next.  I couldn't just check out without knowing which way to aim the RV when I hit the road.  Plus, I'd cut 3 days out of my month here in Kansas so I could run down to Texas to vote, and I'll be staying 2 months in Texas so I didn't mind overstaying my usual 1-month time.

I'm glad I stayed.  Not only did I get nearly caught up on this blog, but I also got some chores done and came up with an itinerary for the next week and reservations at campgrounds along the way.

I also saw what a difference the weather and date make in campground use.  I've stayed here at 2 other times during this month, and each time the campground was nearly full all the nights I was here.  This time I spent 3 weekend nights here and each of those nights there were fewer than a dozen camping groups here.  That includes folks with RVs, with tents, and using the KOA Kabins.

I spent Halloween in my traditional way: ordering in a pizza and watching the movie Soapdish.  With Sally Field and Kevin Kline and Robert Downey Jr. and Whoopi Goldberg and Elisabeth Shue and Garry Marshall, it's a spoof on soap operas and is just a hoot. 

When I got here on Friday, I noticed right away that there was a stray cat hanging around.  The campground worker said she just showed up, and he thought she'd been dumped here.  Over the 3 days I was here, I donated the tail end of a bag of Lily's food for her, and was glad I had when she chowed down.  She let me get close enough to pat her - she turned out to be very affectionate - and to see that she had several injuries, one of which I was afraid would get infected.  I suggested that the KOA call Animal Services when they open tomorrow, because she needs care and seems so sweet-natured she's likely to be easily adopted.  I guess it's just as well Lily's so territorial and has such a small space to be territorial in, because otherwise I'd be taking in a lot more stray kitties than I have room for.

Kansas - Day 30 - Yates Center, Wichita

Wellington KOA, Wellington
Friday, 30 October 2020

There was frost on the ground this morning when we walked around the campground.  I guess last night was the first day it was dry enough to be able to see frost and wet enough to produce it.

today's route

detail of Wichita

 

On the road
My plan today was to drive due south to Yates Center, which claims to be the Hay Capital of the World, and then west to Wichita to see what the largest city in Kansas looks like. 

I first came to Lyndon, "Gateway to the Lakes," they say.  I'm not sure what lakes, since Lyndon's not on one, but I guess they mean Pomona Lake, back where I was last night, and Melvern Lake up ahead, where Eisenhower State Park is.

I saw deer by the side of the road and slowed down, just in case.  There were 3 adults between the road and a wire fence, and a fawn (looked like still with its spots) on the other side of the fence.  Don't know how that happened, but I'm glad they all stayed put.

Woodson
County Courthouse

After 53 miles of the usual Kansas cropland, cows, grazing land and hills, I came to Yates Center, Hay Capital of the World.

Founded in 1875, it's the only town in Kansas that was designated a county seat before anybody lived there.

With about 1,400 residents, it looks like the nice old town it is.

At Yates Center I turned onto US 54 to travel to Wichita.  I crossed the Verdigris River, which I remember from my month in Oklahoma.  Not far on the other side I stopped at a rest area, where I found this historical marker.

I was grateful for an explanation of where the Flint Hills are, because I keep seeing signs about them but haven't found them on the map.  Basically, I've been in them for several days.  I also thought this bit about the cattle grazing was interesting - I had no idea it was so important, both historically and currently, to Kansas's economy.

Once again, today there's still a wind that's strong enough to shove me around on the road.  It's coming from the south and the thing is, I'm not driving a little Honda Civic.  My RV is a big heavy vehicle, but I have to hang on to the steering wheel to keep us steady.

El Dorado is a substantial town of about 13,000.  It has a welcoming sign that boasts "Historic Downtown El Dorado" because more than half the downtown buildings qualify for historic status.

Butler County Courthouse

El Dorado is the county seat, but that was settled only after a fierce fight with the nearby town of Augusta, which wanted to wrest that honor away for itself.  That fight led to accusations of ballot box stuffing (and we thought that was a modern era problem) and to the Augusta Sheriff locking up the courthouse.  But eventually both towns voted and El Dorado won by a 2:1 margin.

The current courthouse (above left) was built in 1909, so it really is as old as it looks.

As I was driving through town, I ended up in the new, commercial end of town where franchises abound.  I passed a Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburger, which I don't remember seeing in Texas, though there're now several, mostly in the Austin/Temple area.  Anyway when I got farther along to a Spangles (similar menu), they had a sign saying their thoughts and prayers were with the family and staff at Freddy's.  I hadn't noticed when I passed, but I'm guessing Freddy's had been closed for a quarantine period.  This virus is hitting everywhere.  Whywhywhy do people think it's overblown?

At Benton, I saw one of those brown highway signs that usually indicate a historic site or an attraction.  This one said Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper.  Those words seemed to not belong together, but they turn out to be a food & entertainment place with what they claim is the world's largest collection of Hopalong Cassidy memorabilia.  Unfortunately, it got put up for sale last year.  I don't know if anyone bought it, but with the virus they sure aren't going to be doing much business this year.

Also in the fields I've been seeing hay, maize and soybeans.  I was surprised to learn that soybeans have become a large share of the output for Kansas farmers.  Kansas means corn and wheat to me, but I guess that's an out-of-date idea.

Wichita

The first thing I saw when I came to town was a hot dog place with a sign saying Happy Halloweenie.

Cathedral of the
Immaculate Conception

I was stopped at a traffic light on Central Avenue when I saw this church in the next block.  I took this photo then, figuring I wouldn't be able to take one at a better angle, and I was right.  But maybe you can get an idea of the dome and turrets on this building, and the carving on the front is as elaborate as they are.  It was consecrated in 1912 and really is a show-stopper of a building.

I didn't see it but did see signs for the Historic County Courthouse, built during the Depression with murals on the walls inside from the same era.

Wichita was founded in 1868, though back in those cattle days there weren't too many fancy buildings going up.

I was aiming for the Keeper of the Plains at the Mid-America All-Indian Center.

Keeper of the Plains
and bridges to the island

a closer view

an even closer view

This is a 44' tall metal sculpture, done by a Native American and donated to the city.  It stands on an island where the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers join, and this land is considered sacred to Native people.  Also on this island is the Mid-America All-Indian Museum, which I wanted to visit and ran out of time.  I understand that on some nights, fires are lit around the base of this sculpture, illuminating it in a ceremony.  I think the bridges, one over each river course, are themselves works of art.  

I was on the north side, and there's a walkway along the river and a decent-sized park near the parking area.  The dogs and I walked around for a bit when I was taking the photos, but I didn't try to cross the bridge for fear there'd be lots of other dogs on the island.  In fact, we had to dodge several just trying to get back to the RV.

From there, I drove through town for a couple of miles, heading toward a Frank Lloyd Wright house I'd heard was there.

the Allen House, designed
by Frank Lloyd Wright

Except for that office building in Oklahoma, all the other Wright houses I've tried to see have been secluded and barricaded behind barriers where people wanted lots of money for a tour.  I've never wanted a tour but just wanted to see the outside.

For the first time, I did.  It seems a very attractive house, finished in 1918.

The houses immediately around it looked very expensive, though certainly of a different style than this one.  It sits on a corner, and when I turned that corner and drove back toward downtown on 2nd Street, I started seeing lots of houses I think of as Craftsman-style.  They looked like they were built in the first few decades of the 1900s.

I'm glad I stumbled on it and glad I got the chance to see it.

As an odd side note, I heard a few months ago about a public hearing in Wichita about wearing masks.  One man told the crowd that Bill Gates wants to vaccinate everyone in the United States and the world so people can't get into heaven, because he wants to pump aborted fetus DNA into people's bloodstreams, and that's what all this is about.

Do you suppose other countries have such a diversity of opinions?  And of accurate information?

Back on the road

From town I headed south to Wellington again.  It's the closest campground to Texas, where I'll be going for the next 2 months, and besides, I've stayed there enough to know I'll be comfortable.

I drove through the town of Haysville, which proudly announces it was established as far back as 1951!  Then through Waco (KS), pop. about 3,300.

Coming into Wellington I passed Boss Hog's BBQ, which is a logical name but not one I've seen before.  And then on to the campground.

Kansas - Day 29 - Tallgrass Prairie

Pomona State Park, Vassar
Thursday, 29 October 2020

today's route - I ended
not too many miles from where I started

On the road
The first part of today's trip was on local roads - 1000 Rd., 950 Rd., 550 Rd.  They were a lot like some of Texas's Farm-to-Market roads - intended to move people and product around a rural area.  

I saw a sign saying I had reached a place where the Santa Fe Trail had crossed.  At the same corner was a historical marker that I found somewhat interesting.  I didn't stop for a photo (no place to stop on these roads without risking an accident) but found it online.   https://www.hmdb.org/globe-historical-marker

I passed a decent-sized herd of cows that were cocoa-colored - not common around here, I think.

I passed through the town of Overbrook (pop. about 1,000), where a large mural said:
   Don't Overlook Overbrook
   A Santa Fe Trail Community

I passed a house that I suppose was a farmhouse, i.e. the house on a farm owned by the farmer, but it looked more like a fancy resort house.  It was perched on a hill, made of brick, and had multiple levels and a triple-deck deck.  It must have cost a fortune and seemed very out of place.

Not too many miles later I passed another farmhouse that looked exactly like I think a farmhouse should look - Victorian style, wood, with a large covered front porch.

As I drove along US 56, I saw a hawk hovering in the air over the road and noticed it was intently staring at a spot on the road ahead of me.  I couldn't see anything on the road, let alone something worth staring at.  I worried that the hawk might have tunnel vision and not see me coming and would suddenly dive and hit me instead, which would certainly kill it.  Fortunately, that didn't happen.

I saw another near miss - this time by a Meadowlark.  A semi was coming toward me on the road and somehow the Meadowlark slipped in front of both me and the semi, which actually involved a little maneuvering because we were nearly alongside each other at the time.  I don't know how that bird made it through without getting hit.

I heard on the radio that Missouri doesn't allow early voting anywhere in the state.  Their version of early voting is to vote absentee, which they don't allow just anyone to do.  You know, with all the problems we've had in this year's election - Texas allowing just one place per county to drop off early votes; polling places in every state closed because of lack of workers; mail-in ballots not being delivered nationwide because of the head of the US Post Office fiddling around with the machinery and worker schedules resulting in greatly slowed mail service; limits on when early ballots can be received to count (as if the USPO didn't have its thumb on that scale); lawmakers in Florida refusing to allow felons to vote despite a statewide referendum saying they could; lawmakers in many states requiring types of ID that are difficult for impoverished voters to obtain; not to mention gerrymandering by states without an impartial apportionment body; and so on - I'm beginning to think we need some national regulation of minimal voting practices that comport with the Constitution.  Otherwise, voters have to bring individual lawsuits in many many individual places to correct practices that have the effect, even if not the intent, of limiting voter participation.

Just this year, the Missouri Legislature passed a bill requiring absentee voters to get a notary's signature on the envelope.  They said it was to prevent voter fraud, and I'm sure it's just coincidence that they passed it in a presidential election year, after the pandemic started, and had nothing to do with the difficulty poor people might have in even finding - let alone paying for - a notary.  

In the town of Scranton (named after the town in PA), I passed a school building with the sign: "Be Kinder Than Necessary."

I came to Historic Burlingame, the Kettle Corn Capital of Kansas, they claim.  They had a slogan of "Where Santa Fe Trail Meets Rail."

I heard on the radio that Independence, MO, is home to the Midwest Genealogy Library, the largest free-standing public genealogy library in the country.  They offer access to their materials for free for those with a local library card - but they'll also honor the library cards of folks from other parts of the country.  They say they have a lot more material than Ancestry.com, and they don't charge for their service.

By this time I was a long way away from any NPR station and another station bled into my reception.  I heard someone say we're living in the final period of time before the Rapture.  I thought folks had already gone through these supposed Rapture times - the ones where some poor fools got rid of all their possessions because they were convinced they were going to be beamed up to Heaven (I think I have that right).  Given the hardships they must have gone through after that debacle, I'm stunned to hear preachers are trying it on again.

All day I passed large herds of cows and grazing lands, huge croplands, and hills all over.  This really isn't the way I expected Kansas to look.

It was a good thing there wasn't a lot of traffic on the roads I traveled today because the wind was so strong it kept blowing me around the road.  It was a little scary at times, especially when I'd notice I had the steering wheel turned to the side as if I were fighting a skid.

Finally I started to see some blue sky.  I'd been glad of the precipitation, just for the novelty of it if nothing else, but the gray skies were a little depressing at times.

Council Grove
I hadn't intended to come here - I mean, it wasn't a planned destination - just a place where I'd change from one highway to another.  But we were all ready to stretch our legs so I stopped at a park here.  I hadn't expected to find some history too.

Council Grove depot

a closer view

Also at this park were some other historical buildings.

Sylvan Park Depot

detail from photo (left)

the side view looks really different than the front

the calaboose

the reconstructed hoosegow

From there I drove past the Council Oak, and the reason for its name may well be the reason for the town's name.   http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/council-oak  And if you want more information about the Santa Fe Trail in Kansas, this link offers quite a bit.   https://santafetrail/ks

I felt like I'd already been in town, since this park was surrounded by houses and businesses, but I learned differently when I went a little farther down the road.  There's a whole town with a regular downtown area that includes this amazing building.

Farmers and Drovers Bank

detail of the bank

This bank was founded here in Council Grove in 1882, and that fancy building was erected 10 years later, with the addition another 10 years later.  After seeing all that stuff about ancient oaks and original train lines, I just didn't expect to see such fanciness.

On my way out of town, I ran into some road construction, and the workers had 3 or 4 jackhammers going at the same time.  I hope those folks had ear plugs.

For the next 17 miles, I was headed due south and the wind was at my back.  After fighting it for so long, it was a relief.  All too short a period.  

On the map, the road I was taking south, K-177, looked like it would be a main road, but it wasn't any wider or straighter or had any more shoulders than those little 550 Rd.'s.  But it's labeled as an America's Byway, and I guess it does give a good picture of rural Kansas.

Lots of hills and lots of grasslands.  I noticed that the tops of some of the grasses were silver in the sunlight, and with the wind blowing them, they're really pretty.

I passed the Mashed O Ranch, only the "o" was lying on its side and looking more like this - ᴑ - only a little flatter.  Wonder what the story behind that name is.

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

I came here because I was sorry I'd missed part of this same preserve in northern Oklahoma.  Unfortunately, I didn't learn much here.

part of a sign at the visitor center

another part of the sign

close-up of the sign (left)

more of the sign

and still more of the sign

There was a very small visitor center, but I'd forgotten my mask and the wind was really blowing and I was cold and I decided this was enough.  I'd certainly seen plenty of grass today, though I don't think it was the tallgrass this preserve is concerned with.  The odd thing is that there wasn't any land near the visitor center that looked any different from the grasslands I'd been passing.  On the other hand, they'd mapped out some trails intrepid folks could follow, as well as words of warning.  This sign seemed the most interesting, and I wondered if there were signs like this at Yellowstone and all the places people seem to be having trouble with bison lately.

Back on the road

A detour almost made me lose my way, but I ended up where I wanted anyway.  In this case, it was the town of Emporia, which has nearly 25,000 residents.  They claim to be the founding city of Veterans Day and, from their explanation, it sounds reasonable.  In 1953, someone in Emporia thought Armistice Day should be changed to Veterans Day, and that's what the city celebrated that year.  Then a congressman from KS, also an Emporia resident, took the idea to Congress, which agreed, and Pres. Eisenhower (also from Kansas, though not Emporia) signed it into law.  The US celebrated Veterans Day for the first time in 1954.

Aside from that, I thought Emporia was a very attractive city.  It also claims the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

I saw cows lying in fields, almost hidden by the grass.  Which means they were lying in some pretty tall grass.  I'm attaching this Wikipedia page because it has a photo of what I guess is the tallgrass they're preserving.   https://en.wikipedia.org/Tallgrass-Prairie  What the cows were lying in wasn't as tall as what's in this photo.

In Osage City I passed an establishment with this sign:

   God Cares

   Ribeye Sale

I swear.

Marilyn's Place - Family Restaurant and Pub had a sign in front saying it was closed, quarantined until Nov. 6.  It urged people to stay safe.  For the life of me I can't understand these folks who keep believing this virus doesn't exist or is no big deal.

All day long I saw hawks and Meadowlarks everywhere I drove.

Tonight's state park, like all the others, had strange signs.  This one said "Campgrounds" plural but then showed arrows going in 3 different directions without saying which campground was in which direction.  WHO MAKES THESE SIGNS!  (Sorry.  Little temper tantrum.)

Kansas - Day 28 - Kansas City, Leavenworth, Lawrence

Clinton State Park, Lawrence
Wednesday, 28 October 2020

today's route

detail of KC area

In terms of actual miles, I didn't go very far today, but it took me all day to do it.

I'd heard there was a paddlewheel riverboat in KC, but all I could find online was stuff about how there is such a boat and it's in the museum that's actually about the steamboat that sank 100 years ago or something.  Anyway, after a diligent search, I gave up on the riverboat which I didn't anyway want to ride with the weather still pretty raw today.  Instead I found 2 things I knew nothing about before this.

Strawberry Hill Museum and Cultural Center

Apparently these 2 buildings
have been merged.

a closer view for the detail

This amazing example of Queen Anne architecture was built in 1887 and was a family home until 1919 when the local Catholic church bought it to be an orphanage.  The flu epidemic that had started the year before was leaving a number of children orphaned.  This one parish alone had 51 deaths in 1918 and 71 in 1919.  The orphanage opened in 1919 and continued to house children in need until 1988.  A remarkable history.

Now the house is used primarily as custodian for artifacts and cultural events for those of Eastern European ancestry who had settled in this area.  The usual admission fee is $10, which is too much for me, but it's currently closed because of the virus.

As you can tell, it's way up on a hillside above the Missouri river, and from there I drove just a few blocks to my next stop.

Lewis and Clark Park at Kaw Point

I'd intended to come to Kaw Point because it's the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers.  The Lewis & Clark exhibit was an extra I hadn't expected.  The truly odd thing about this park is that to get here, I had to drive through an industrial park, then through a narrow opening in the seawall, into a bare utilitarian parking area.  At the end was a nice green spot where there were signs about L&C and Kaw Point.  Usually access to a park is at least somewhat scenic, but the only scenery here was the river join, and that wasn't too scenic.

the Missouri River

the Kansas River

Not scenic.  Industrial uses predominant here.

And here are some of the signs I found for the Expedition.

The dogs and I walked around a bit; there weren't many people there, probably because of the windy and chilly weather, as much as being a function of the day of the week.

Back on the road

I still don't know where I ended up, because Google claimed I'd find streets named something they weren't in real life and I drove quite a way (a) trying to find what they said I'd find and (b) giving up and trying to find a place to turn around and go back to figure out where to go despite it not being labeled the same.  I ended up in some very pleasant old urban neighborhood with lots of large old churches of impressive appearance, so it wasn't a total loss.

I found the Wyandotte Nation's 7th St. Casino, the Wyandotte County Courthouse (now on the National Register of Historic Places), and the Kansas School for the Blind.

I passed an establishment called Animal Crackers Feed Store and Pet Supply.

Between KC and Leavenworth, for a great deal of the way it was continuous town - mile after mile of houses and businesses and so forth - and then suddenly I was in the country with crop fields and cows and such.  I was on K-5 and it was one of the more winding roads I've encountered in this state.  There are many hills along this road which, to a great extent, follows the course of the Missouri River.

I passed the J&N Ranch, which has a sign saying it's the Birthplace of Black Hereford Cattle.

In a field where cows were grazing I saw calves (this time) galloping and gamboling (no other word for it).  Several of them playing together.  Nice to see young cows acting like young 'uns.

Between the curves and trees/bushes growing alongside the road, I had little visibility of anything I wasn't specifically passing, so it was a surprise to find myself suddenly at an intersection where I hit the city limits of Leavenworth.

Leavenworth

A short distance along that road - US 73 - and I came to a rest area, where we were glad to stop.  There was also one of the "info kiosks" that Kansas has, and I found this information.

I hadn't realized I was in an area of glacial hills
but that explains all these hills I've been driving in.

some glacial hill scenery (and a Lincoln quote)

towns in this area

I hadn't realized until this sign that
I was at the Eisenhower VA Medical Center.

This military memorial is right
next to the info kiosk area.

Driving away, I saw signs saying Leavenworth is the hometown of Melissa Etheridge (musician), Murray Dickson (major league pitcher 1939-59) and several others.  Leavenworth is proud of its status as Kansas's First City.

I passed Fort Leavenworth, active since 1827, the sign says.  Which, you know, is a long time for a fort to be active.  There's a memorial to the Buffalo Soldiers on the grounds, but I didn't want to go through the process they've got to get admitted to a military base.  Some other time when I'm not driving my house around.

I was aiming for the US Penitentiary building.  Remember when I drove by here a week or two ago and said I was surprised at the way it looked?  Well, here it is.

US Penitentiary (Leavenworth)

I ask you, does this look like a prison to you?  When I first saw it, that dome was gleaming in the sun (unlike today's grey sky) and I had it figured for a government building.  Which it is, in a way, just not what I expected with this view.

It was built in 1903 and has had a mildly colorful history.  Did you know (I didn't) that Japanese-Americans were held here during WWII because they refused to serve in the military while their families were being interned in prison camps for being of Japanese ancestry?  Despite what the president's saying, our country has a history of some pretty racist actions now and then.  Anyway, this link tells about that and some of the people who've escaped from the prison.   https://en.wikipedia.org/US-Penitentiary-Leavenworth

I heard on the radio (I'm getting an NPR station here) that we'll have a full moon - which is also a blue moon - on Halloween.  I also heard an Arizona woman who organized a strong get-out-the-vote effort in her state say one of the reasons she did it was she'd heard "panic is not a plan."  Which seems pretty sensible.

From US 73 I turned onto US 40, retracing my path that day I'd gotten lost and discovered I had a very flat tire.  I almost felt at home.

I stopped at the Lawrence KOA for propane.  After my less than happy experiences in various state parks, I was sorry I hadn't even realized this place was here and instead had a reservation at a state park on the other side of Lawrence.  But I didn't know when I made my arrangements that the state parks were definitely low budget in more ways than just price.

Lawrence

Lawrence Public Library

I'd heard about the unusual architecture of this library and wanted to take a look.  As you can see, it is indeed unusual.  What's really interesting, though, is that this is a refurbishment of the existing library, with the walls visible now attached to the original walls.  They must have done some serious thinking about how to make this work, because apparently they also made it more energy efficient, as well as more functional inside.  There's an explanation about the process at this link.   https://www.arch2o.com/lawrence-public-library

One block over from the library is Massachusetts Street, which I'd heard is picturesque and the spiritual heart of Lawrence.  I didn't take any photos but it is an old and attractive street, filled with shops and houses and people and this county courthouse.

Douglas County Courthouse, Lawrence

I don't know when it was built, but I was surprised to learn it's still in use as the county courthouse.  Even Texas county courthouses aren't as imposing as this one.

Because I'd taken the time to drive around Kansas State University, I figured I'd better take a look at the University of Kansas, which is here at Lawrence.  It too has an attractive campus.  I didn't get as clear a feel for the school as I had at Kansas State, but my guess is that their relationship is much like that of the University of Texas (primarily liberal arts) and Texas A&M University (primarily agriculture and military).

I stopped for groceries and went on to Clinton State Park, which is very nearly in town.  As I was driving in I saw a Blue Bird Restoration Area which, honestly, was the last positive thing to happen to me there.

First, I happened to notice a small sign on the entry booth (closed) saying all the water was shut off at the campsites and water was available only at a few public spigots.  Then I followed the signs for "campground" - singular - even though I knew there were several different camping areas here.  My campsite was #437 and, following the arrows, all I could find were campsites in the 100s.  

I finally found a camp host who gave me directions to a water spigot and directions to my camping section.  Getting there would involve going straight where the sign had told me to turn left.  She laughingly agreed the signs only mentioned one campground.  (I hadn't been thinking of it as a laughing matter.)  It turned out her directions to both the spigot and the campground were almost as bad as the original signs, but I eventually found them and was pretty put out by the time I got settled.  Aside from everything else, the campground was charging me an extra $2/night for having a water spigot at my site which they weren't allowing me to use.  It's only $2, but it was a sort of last straw after driving around for an extra half hour I shouldn't have had to do.  

Really - what is wrong with these folks and their inability to come up with useful directions?  In the alternative, can't they draw a map of the campground on a piece of paper and Xerox it if they want to save printing costs?  I guess Kansas saves all its innovation for agriculture.