Blowing Across Kansas

Our site in WaKenney KOA Kansas.  

Since we only had 300 miles to drive today, we leisurely packed up and were on the road by 8:30.   I settled in my seat preparing to watch Kansas go by.  We have been on I-70 west many, many times but it has been a long time.  I was amazed at the many things I learned about Kansas as we drove west.

We crossed into Kansas at 9:15 and got on the Kansas Turnpike.  

We exited the Turnpike at Topeka which is the capitol of Kansas.

I loved the twin spires of this church.

The first third of Kansas is rolling hills.  We didn't remember it, but enjoyed the scenery

The sunflower is the state flower and they bloom everywhere.

  

Kansas is the home of Fort Riley.  Fort Riley was the home of the 7th Calvary during the Indiana Wars.  George Custer was second in command and he and his wife lived at the fort before he left on his fatal trip to Little  Bighorn, Montana.

We stopped for lunch at a rest area and saw this man had strung a hammock between the trees.  It is hard to see but he and his dog climbed into the hammock and took a nap.  The dog was a huge black German Shepherd.  Very creative way to get a quick nap.

This part of Kansas had a plentiful supply of limestone.  When the pioneers settled here, they cut and shaped the limestone into posts to mark their property.  This part of Kansas is known as "Post Rock" country.

I saw a sign advertising an Evel Knievel Museum.  I didn't know he had a connection to Kansas.  There were also signs advertising an Oz Museum.  I saw a sign for Nicodemus National Historic Site.  From the internet I learned that Nicodemus was a town founded by freed African Americans following the reconstruction period of the Civil War.  There are several original buildings from that time period.  Of course, I saw plenty of signs advertising Kansas State University and boasting the number of NCAA Basketball wins they have had.  I am still mad at Bill Self.  In Topeka, Kansas a law suit was filed on behalf of a student named "Brown" against the Board of Education  requesting the integration of schools.  The Supreme Court ruled for integration. 

Another unknown fact about Kansas is that the first section of Interstate 70 was laid here in Kansas.  I guess because of it's being President Eisenhower's home state.  He and his administration formulated plans for the interstate highway system.  Kansas grows 1/5th of all wheat grown in the United States.  There are lots of grain silos/elevators.  Here they call the silos "Prairie Cathedrals."  I saw several signs along the highway saying "One Kansas farmer feeds 156 people."    Farming is definitely big business in Kansas.  Also, there is a Greyhound Racing Hall of Fame.  I didn't even see one dog racing track.   I did not know so many things ocurred in Kansas.

Around Salina, Kansas, the wind picked up.  It was blowing from the south at 25 MPH.  Carol had to keep alert and both hands on the steering wheel to stay on the road.  The wind blew against the awning on a slide on that side causing it to unroll slightly and bang against the side of the motorhome.  We discovered that by driving 50 MPH, we could keep the awning from hitting the side.  So for the last 75 miles before we stopped in WaKenney, we drove 50.  It was stressful  We were very glad to get stopped.  We don't know if the wind broke something on the awning or if it was just too much wind.  Hopefully, the wind will not blow tomorrow and things will be smoother for us.

Kansas turned out to be more interesting then I thought and other then fighting the wind, it was a nice drive.