Kansas Flint Hills

There is a region of Kansas referred to as the "Flint Hills."  Some of the locals have explained that when settlers from the east first arrived and sought to clear fields for planting, they pulled countless rocks and boulders from the ground - many left from the glaciers of the last ice age. Those rocks were used to build homes, barns, and fences - many of which are still standing today.

Not sure what this was, but was certainly startling to come upon. Looks like a Knight, or maybe Don Quixote, made from lots of scrap metal welded together. A unique mailbox post!

Kansas Ghost Towns, continued

Just up the road from Voldrich, I found a couple of old, uninhabited buildings. As I snapped the photos, I wondered about the people who once lived there . . . . were they farmers? Ranchers? Did they have the prerequisite dozen children from that era? Did they take the buckboard to town to stock up on supplies at the now abandoned general store? Did they catch the train from the depot? Where did they go? What happened to them?

Kansas Ghost Town

I took to the backroads of Kansas for a weekend, looking for interesting photo ops - old barns, abandoned houses, etc. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a real, genuine ghost town in what I believe was a county called Waubansee.  If I remember correctly, the town was called Voldrich.

I couldn't tell if this was an old school or an old hotel. There is an abandoned rail line right behind the building, so maybe it was a combination hotel/depot? If I blurred my focus a little, I could almost see the hustle and bustle of people of a century ago - maybe longer. Here's another view of the same building:

Across the tracks and just up the road a bit, is what looks like it might have been an old general store once upon a time:

Hard to see in the photos, but there is a remnant of an old boardwalk in front of the building. I wonder what was the purpose of the false fronts on the second floor? A lot of the old buildings from back then had those fronts on them.

Rural Estates

Rambling across Kansas, I saw a lot of interesting properties. This one had a huge yard, both front and back, and a tree lined driveway. Modest looking home, but beautiful landscaping.

The Real Shady Rest!

This is the view from my room in a little roadside motel in South Dakota. It was nearly sundown and way too far to the next big city. The rooms were tiny, but clean and comfortable.  I imagine it was used more by deer hunters than casual tourists. Another view along the porch from my room:

Couch Surfing

I found out about a website for putting travelers together with people who have a room (a couch) to share for a night or two. Low cost travel housing plus you get to meet people from all over (it's an international site). Just out of curiosity, I posted for a couch in Nebraska.  Met the nicest family! Turns out they moved to Nebraska about 8 years ago, and from just up the road from my home in Long Beach, Mississippi! What a small world! I stayed with them for two nights.

The first night, I was treated to fried okra and catfish! The next night, they let me cook for them - a vegetarian burrito type meal:

They cook exclusively with old fashioned cast iron - which is what I use back home. All the veggies came from their garden (tomatoes, onions, garlic, every kind of pepper you can imagine, even the sunflower seeds), and I picked up some baby portobellos to add in. I sauteed it all in a bit of olive oil. Red beans and brown rice in a soft tortilla shell, topped with the veggies and rolled into a monster burrito made for a fun meal. We topped it with some of their home canned salsa and enjoyed a Nebraska fiesta.

This couch surfing may be a really fabulous way to meet new people everywhere!

A Tale of Two Diners

Many years ago, in the various Union Stations across the country, one could always find a good meal waiting for them at The Harvey House, served by a Harvey Girl. There are very few left, but the one in Kansas City has wonderful service, atmosphere, and cuisine.

Even as large and, dare I say opulent, as the Harvey House is, there was a diner in St. Louis that could hold its own both with service and cuisine. Sadly, the photo with the name of the little place did not turn out, and my memory sucks, so all I can show you is a photo of our waitress:

The eggs were perfect, the coffee rich and flavorful - served in old fashioned, white, thick, heavy mugs. This was a tiny little diner, within walking distance of the stadium.

Kansas City Union Station

I'm not sure if this was St. Louis Union Station or Kansas City Union Station. I believe it was KC. The ceilings and floors are from an era long gone, but still just as impressive. 

LOST MY CAMERA!

I lost my camera in North Dakota. Well, actually I broke it to smithereens while running to try to catch a train. So I have no photos from North Dakota back to Omaha and then to St. Louis. But I had a long enough layover to be able to track down a camera shop. I've never traveled by train before, but I have to say, this is the life! I'm thinking Amtrak may be my new best friend! The architecture in the various Union Stations makes me think of old movies.

RV is with a friend in Omaha until gas prices come down or until I'm ready to take it back to Mississippi. Traded it to a good friend for the summer - he paid for an Amtrak pass for me and in return will be using my RV for weekend vacations with his family. Win/win!

Nebraska Rose Gardens

Well, I'm on the road again, this time traveling south, on my way east! From the road not far from Valentine, I saw the most gorgeous roses in bloom. Unable to contain myself, I detoured up the lane, redolent with the fragrance of roses, and introduced myself to the elderly couple who came out of the house to investigate this total stranger. I explained I'm on a 60 day (or so) sabatical, making a journey across America to just see where it is that I live. I asked permission to snap some shots of their roses. They shook their heads at this crazy guy from Long Beach, Mississippi who was so enthralled with flowers, but gave me permission to take all the photos I wanted. They must have thought the early springtime sun had gotten to me, because they came back out with a glass of cold water, advising me to drink up!

NORTH DAKOTA SKIES

The most awesome skies I saw on my recent RV trip north to the Bakken oil fields were the ones in North Dakota. The blues were so vivid - with no pollution filters hiding the colors. I wonder if the new industry created by the oil boom will make this beauty merely a memory?