Wizards, and Bryant's, and Farms, Oh My.....

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August 1st 2015

Published: August 2nd 2015

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Doc Wood

We Don't Need No Stinkin' GPS

After logging 700 miles yesterday we headed out early this morning…almost in the wrong direction. Despite a blinding sunrise from, obviously, the east, I headed straight into it—until Marcia stopped me (on the entrance ramp to the highway) and pointed out I was headed home. Clearly underfed, she handed me the last donut from yesterday, insisted I guzzle some more coffee, and got me turned 180 degrees. Thank goodness she relies on maps, not gps, and a good sense of which way is which—as in, the sun rises in the east. (OK, I cannot help myself...she does not need no stinkin' GPS,

).

We were back on MO36, a great road I highly recommend as it rolls through the driftless region from Hannibal and Cameron and covers some nice rolling terrain. (By the way, the NPR station on this road is found at 91.3, same as back home in Athens.)

This is also a highway for the ‘birthers’ amongst you—you can see General John Pershing’s birthplace (https://mostateparks.com/park/gen-john-j-pershing-boyhood-home-state-historic-site), J. C. Penny’s birthplace (http://www.caldwellcountymissouri.com/jcp/museum.htm), and Jessie James’ birthplace (https://www.claycountymo.gov/Historic_Sites/Jesse_James_Farm).

We left MO36 and headed south to Kansas City, humming along with Fats Domino (

), check out the ‘walking base line

Negro League Museum

on this tune. (You might also enjoy the live version by Muddy Waters:

). There we met old friend David Woodruff, just leaving the Gem Theater where the mayor and city council were being sworn in (David managed the winning campaigns for three council members, http://www.kansascity.com/news/government-politics/article29740252.html). He joined us for a stroll through the Negro Baseball League Museum—which every baseball fan should see (https://www.nlbm.com/). The collection of old uniforms, memorabilia, and videos is terrific...and, as you can see from the photo, you can hang out with the players on the field. This is an informational museum, you could spend a few days here reading all the information plaques and watching the films …..but…

Arthur Bryant’s (http://www.arthurbryantsbbq.com/) original barbeque joint on Brooklyn and 18th, about six blocks away, was calling our names. I had the ribs and burnt ends sandwich with fries, there was pulled pork, and slaw…heaven.

Full and happy we headed west and celebrated the 59^th year of the Interstate Highway system by driving the first 8 miles of it to be built (http://ksdot1.ksdot.org/interstate50th/KsStory_I70b.asp). Don’t blink…you now travel it at 75 mph on the way to Topeka where you can see the Brown vs. Board of Education

BBQ!!!

national historic site (http://www.nps.gov/brvb/index.htm). Unfortunately, the clock has turned back on ‘Brown’ with schools more segregated than at any time in the past forty years (http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/05/brown_v_board_of_education_60th_anniversary_america_s_schools_are_segregating.html).

Past Topeka we headed north off I70 to Wamego—why, well we were off to see the Wizard, at the OZ Museum (http://ozmuseum.com/)! Honestly, you have to go if you are ever near here. What a collection of OZ kitsch, from original books, props from the movie, statues of the film characters, cookie jars, and great short films on the book and the movie. This collection holds over 25,000 Oz artifacts on permanent loan from Friar Johnpaul Cafiero and was founded in April, 2004. In this little town the museum has fostered an "Oz Cluster" including, Oz Winery and, ready for this, Toto's Tacos, if we could only click our heels three times and end up back at our final destination.

Instead, we headed on to the town of Wabaunsee, Kansas to see the Beecher Rifle and Bible Church. For those of you who really believe the jokers that claim the Civil War was NOT about slavery, stop by one of the places were the battle over slavery did start conflict

Can't Go Wrong on this Road

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beecher_Bible_and_Rifle_Church). Kansas was allowed to enter the union and vote on where it would be free or slave. So many folks from the east (and south) moved in, in order to vote on the issue. Thugs from the slave states would raid and attempt to drive out or kill anti-slavery settlers, and so, well, they armed themselves. In the case of this group, they had rifles shipped to them in crates labeled Bibles—awesome, Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition. I wish we would have had time to also visit Lecompton, KS, whose motto is “Civil War Birthplace, Where Slavery Began to Die” (http://www.lecomptonkansas.com/) but that will have to wait for another trip. Hey, why didn’t you learn about this stuff in school?????

Back on I70 to Salina where Emma Hauser, of Athens, Ohio, was our host at a visit to the Land Institute. Founded by Wes Jackson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wes_Jackson), the Land Institute (https://landinstitute.org/) is devoted to finding ways to move to perennial crops on the prairie so as to reduce the damage of cultivation and fertilization. What a surprise when Jackson himself showed up to swap stories and share the comments he was working on for an upcoming speech.

Beecher Bible and Rifle Church

Tomorrow we make the last run to Colorado, but tonight I have to admit to being surprised as how much Kansas showed us today. I almost want to say…wait for it—“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more.”

Additional photos below

Photos: 13, Displayed: 13

Wes Jackson at the Land Institute

Jersey Collection, Negro League Museum

Test plots.

Marcia, Emma, and Wes

We can't come back, we don't know how it works

3rd August 2015

David
non-member comment

Walt Disney!
George, was just reading this to my father, and he said you drove by Walt Disney's birthplace on 36 in Missouri too! www.waltdisneymuseum.com Great to see you all! Glad you're all enjoying the midwest!

3rd August 2015

David
non-member comment

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Wizards, and Bryant's, and Farms, Oh My.....

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