Kansas

We enjoyed our time with family and sightseeing in Kansas. Thanks Cousins for a great time - you're right, we have to stay longer next time!

If you've never been to Kansas, you have to visit. This trip we did a lot of quirky stuff that I'd never seen and we really enjoyed it. So here goes!

We went to dinner in Minneapolis, Kansas at the Blue Moon. It's only open on weekends and is in the basement of an old building - reminds me of a speakeasy. Upon walking into the Blue Moon, we were greeted by a cousin I hadn't seen in years - it was great seeing you again, Martha. Here's what you'll see if you go to the Blue Moon - and you'll enjoy the steaks, salmon, pork chops or anything they fix.

Lucas

The next day we really explored. We started out in Lucas and the Garden of Eden. Now this place you have to visit. It was built by a Confederate War veteran - S.P. Dinsmoor - who was also a retired school teacher from Ohio. He built all of this himself out of concrete and stone. The house is stone and the sculptures and some of the out buildings are all concrete. I loved his philosophies - in fact I think we should run him as a candidate for President. He's even buried in a mausoleum he built and you can see him though the glass - mostly bones but he still has his beard - Amy refers to him as the "Old dead guy." I had to text her to see if she'd been there - she had. So here are a couple of my favorite shots - there are more to show you when I get home along with the book with Mr. Dinsmoor's explanations.

Labor Crucified - the laborer is in the center being crucified by the "Leaders" - Lawyer, Doctor, Preacher and Banker. The clouds are compliments by Mother Nature.

Here's the Stone Cabin. It's built from cement logs, of course.

This is the back side of
the piece called Trust - yes,
the flag is concrete.

And this is the is the
Garden of Eden sign with
Adam and Eve.

The Big Flush

We're still in Lucas! Next we visited the Big Flush in Lucas. We didn't realize that it was the day of the event - we just came to see the new public restroom decorated in mosaic. But it was the day of the event - there was an auction and highest bidders won the right for the first flush. This town is very into Outsider Art - also called Visionary Art - it reminded me of Volis Simpson and his mobile sculptures in Wilson, NC. I was interviewed by a reporter with the Salina Journal but he didn't include any of my witticisms - I was quoted but they weren't any of my words. Oh well, fame is fleeting. Enjoy the new Lucas Public Restroom:

 The entrance...

The ladies room mirror...


















Here's the article from the Salina Journal - I was misquoted....  I have the complete article for you to see.

The Mushroom Rock State Park

 The glaciers dropped their loads here near Salina Kansas. There are about 5 mushrooms. What fun!
 

Fort Harkness

Here's a picture of Fort Harkness - Geronamo was held here but went on a hunger strike and climbed through the bars and escaped from his second floor cell:

Coronado Heights

Coronado and his guys came into Kansas and it's believed they stood at this highest point in Saline County. People say Kansas is flat, but I'm here to tell you it's not! This building was built during the Depression by the WPA and it's wonderful. I've also included a picture of the view from the top of the monument - the scene below is of the Spring wheat crop - it was being harvested while we were there:

Cozy Inn Hamburgers

If you go to Salina, you must include a visit to Cozy Inn for it's onion hamburgers. A clerk in the antique store around the corner (I got some great stuff - go there) was giving information to visitors and here it is:

1. Don't go inside - order from the window outside - you will smell like Cozy Inn for weeks.
2. Make sure you stand up-wind at the window (see above)
3. The grease is part of the charm of the place

Cozy Inn was my Dad's favorite so it has to be good. It's Kansas's 8th wonder.

Now, if onion burgers aren't your forte, try Scene across the street. It has the best Pizza I've ever eaten - try the Buffalo Pizza.

Another great place to visit is the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson. You need to go. They have WWII rocketry from Germany, and Apollo and the space capsules. It was like watching the moon walk all over again. It's fabulous. We didn't have time to do the Salt Mines, but will next time.The day ended with a sail on Milford Lake - how cool was that.

Thanks Cuzes (Kevin, Lynn and Kip) and Uncle Pete and Aunt Audrey. It's always wonderful seeing you. There's so much more to see!

We're in Columbia Missouri tonight and on to Casey Illinois tomorrow - visiting friends Friday. No new pictures and I don't know what's coming up next. We are on our way home.I still have some interesting blogs once we get home - the desert flowers, the Texas bathroom murals, favorite food places, etc.
The more we use our travel trailer, the more I love it! And this has been a great adventure. I hope you're planning your next adventure.

Now, this isn't the end of the blog - just near the end of this trip. Remember, we're going to Minnesota soon. And there's lots of life in between. Visit often.

California to Kansas

We left Anaheim with mixed emotions - great seeing family but California changed so much it didn't feel like home anymore. Guess Thomas Wolfe is right - "You can't go home again." Oh well guess we moved on too. We spent several nights near Barstow, California so we could visit Calico - an old mining ghost town. It's grown but it sill brought back great memories.


The bottle house  is a new building but rather cool - made out of bottles. The buildings and mountains are rather fun.









And the sheriff uses modern transportation






We also went rock hunting in the Calico Mountains and I found a couple pieces of Jasper. Wonderful evidence of the Calico Fault upheaval was in the parking lot. That's a prime example of what earthquakes can do.

We stopped at Kingman, Arizona for a night - home of Andy Devine - "Jingles" in the TV series Wild Bill Hickcock and an actor in many other westerns. It's also home of some Turquoise Mines.

From Kingman, we traveled on the Flagstaff, Arizona for a couple of nights. We met friends Amy and Jason for dinner at Cafe Ole and had a wonderful meal. I really miss working with Amy. Jason is a potter who spent some time at Penland and The Exhange near Spruce Pine, NC. Flagstaff is delightful with wonderful temperatures despite it being near 100 degrees everywhere else in Arizona.Flagstaff is almost at the Grand Canyon which we missed this trip. Another reason to return to the area.

And our next area to explore was in the Holbrook, Arizona area. We went to Ganado to the Hubble Trading Post - it's still active. While we were there, a Navajo Native American woman came in to sell a pictoral weaving. I enjoyed watching the exchange - didn't understand the conversation since it was in Navajo - but I ended up buying the piece. I'll show you all when we get home. It's very special. This is a reputable trading post not like the ones on the Interstate. Then we went on to the Painted Desert, the Petroglyphs, and the Petrified Forest. They were fabulous and here are pictures for you to enjoy:




















We spent Memorial Day weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We visited Santa Fe and old town Albuquerque. We saw statues of Coronado - he visited New Mexico on his way to Salina, Kansas. And so are we. That's our next stop and my next blog. I'll see you in a little bit to let you in on all the fun in Kansas.