Blogs from Kansas, United States, North America - page 3

Erin AGH! It's the day before we leave for the BIG TRIP!! I can't believe we have waited and anctipiated tomorrow for so long, and it is finally here!. We just finished our final goodbyes in KC with some good friends, and are now in Wichita tying up our lose ends. Jeff and I have laughed to ourselves, because we feel like we are just going on a regular ol' vacation. The reality has not set in of what we are really going to be doing when we board the plane at 6:25 in the morning. It is such a surreal feeling!! It is so hard to think that by tomorrow afternoon we will be in Leon. Nicaragua... and in 90 degree weather! Quite the opposite of the 28 degrees we are leaving in Wichita/KC. I ... read more

The holidays always bring a flurry of activity to Kansas City. The colder weather does not seem to slow anyone down as they journey to The Plaza to witness the annual Christmas lights being turned on, or the lighting of the Mayor’s Christmas tree. There are theatrical shows, such as “A Spectacular Christmas Concert” and “The Salvation of Iggy Scrooge.” On Friday, November 25, The Mayor’s Christmas Tree was lit up by R &... read more

Tell people here that you are going to take a run through Texas and they tend to smile a little, nod, mention San Antonio, and perhaps Austin, but, other than that, well ... I didn't believe them. After all, discerning people on both sides of our family have lived in Texas. New Mexico gets slightly better reviews but then you mention Kansas and your credibility as a discerning traveller is shot. The trouble is that Texas is the second largest state in the USA and there really is a lot to it so we decided that it deserved a bit of a look. I will explain about Kansas a little later. There isn't a lot of interest between Louisiana and San Antonio, except the 4th largest city in the US. We had seen a little of ... read more

This was the first Saturday in a long time that we slept in as we were not looking at a three plus hour drive to wherever we want to go. Instead this destination was less than an hour away and promised to hold a trove of historical and the occasional haunted experience. Atchison, KS was originally plotted in July 1854 by men from Missouri who named it after a well known Missouri senator, David Rice Atchison. The most informative way to see and learn about the history of Atchison is to stop by the Santa Fe Depot building which also is home to the Chamber of Commerce, Visitors Center, and the Historical Society Museum. The museum has displays ranging from the days that Native Americans called the area home to how the Missouri River helped bring ... read more

Boy, do I feel stupid. Disregard my rant about the right combination switch. At least until it's warranted. Tiim and I went out to see if the bike would start this morning. I turned the key and hit the starter button and, of course, nothing happened. I turned the key off and on and pushed the button and nothing happened. "Where's your neutral light?" Tim inquired. Doh! It was parked on a slight incline and I'd left it in gear. It won't start with the clutch engaged and the transmission in gear. I put it into neutral, pushed the button and it started. Beware of feebs on bikes. Oddly enough, the expression "FINE-C" popped into my head while I was in the shower about an hour ago. That's the Motorcycle Safety Foundation key to starting a ... read more

8/22-11 to 8/24/11 Abilene, Kansas Colby, Kansas When I told my friends about my drive across the country, most of them thought it was a pretty cool idea. Some had mixed reviews about the meditation retreat, but generally, most everyone supported my desire to hangout with friends while visiting major cities and history spots across the nation. This enthusiasm waned a bit regarding my two major stopovers in Kansas (with the exception of Leslie, who is as much of a self-proclaimed history dork as I am). I almost considered making a third stop in Dodge City, to visit a Wild West and cattle-range town, but I was unable on this trip. Next time. We really are dorks, Leslie. lol The 158 mile drive from Independence to Abilene wasn't much to write home about, except that I ... read more

Today was kind of a strange day. After getting in to WaKeeney after midnight and carrying the sleeping boys into the camper, we decided sleeping in was a good thing. We think they were awake by 7:30, after which they pulled out almost all of the toys in their room and created a multi-vehicle accident scene, complete with tipped over light pole. It was an interesting start. The day was a mix of somewhat odd attractions/sites of interest/weirdness and caching. This vacation, to date, has mostly been about seeing the real attractions--Zion, Rocky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, but that's not really who we are. Jeff and I are more about seeing the Mt Horeb Mustard Museum (in Wisconsin) and the Beecher Bible and Rifle Church (in Kansas, not a long way from where we are now). ... read more