TRAVEL AWAITS: 10 Great Stops from Kansas to Colorado

The complete article was published in Travel Awaits 

The road from Pittsburg, Kansas, to Westminster, Colorado, is one we drive regularly because of family. The route takes us through four states: Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Colorado. On our last trip and visits to the twin national monuments on the North Platte River Valley in Nebraska, we stumbled upon four roadside attractions and another four after them. They made our last go-through slower (four days instead of two) but much more exciting.

The Blue Sky Sculpture in Newton, Kansas

About 30 minutes north of Wichita, Kansas on I-135 there is a stunning sculpture considered one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas Art. The Blue Sky Sculpture is at the Centennial Park in Newton, Kansas. Made of cobalt-glazed tiles, it is fluid and eye-catching, exhibiting unobstructed movement toward the natural sky.

Mennonite Heritage And Agricultural Museum in Goessel, Kansas

Less than 30 minutes north of the sculpture is a museum that tells the story of the Mennonites, Russian emigrants who settled near present-day Goessel, Kansas in 1874. They brought with them a winter wheat variety called Turkey Red that became the foundation of the Kansas and Great Plains agricultural economy because it produces flour containing more protein. The part of the museum called the Turkey Red Wheat PalaceMuseum showcases farming mechanization from the 1800s to the mid-1960s.

The World’s Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, Kansas

Cawker City, Kansas is two hours northwest, after I 135 turns into Highway 81 and then, further west, into Highway 24. That's where you will find the world’s largest ball of twine with a total length of more than 7 million feet. The tradition was started in 1953. When we stopped to admire the ball, a car pulled up and two ladies gave us 20 yards of twine to add to it. More length is added every August during a “Twine-a-thon.”

Giant Van Gogh Painting in Goodland, Kansas

Three hours later and further west, you will see, right from your car on Highway 24, a 24x32-foot reproduction of Van Gogh’s “Three Sunflowers in A Vase.” It rests on an 80-foot steel easel, much like a painting in Manitoba, Canada, and another in Emerald, Australia. The Giant Van Gogh painting is even more of a spectacle in the dark.

Scotts Bluff National Monument in Scottsbluff, Nebraska (please see headline photo) 

This was what took us off our direct route. From Goodland, Kansas, we went north to I- 80 and then northwest on 1-26 to visit the 3,000-acre national monument. It preserves overland trail remnants on mixed-grass prairie amid towering bluffs that were important landmarks to wagons that once carried over 250,000 emigrants westward between 1843 and 1869. "It was good to set foot on such historically significant land."

Chimney Rock National Historic Site in Bayard, Nebraska

Just 30 minutes northwest, also in the same North Platte River Valley, there is another prominent geological rock formation standing 4,228 feet high. It also served as an important landmark along the trails of those westward emigrants. Since we visited during the fall, both national monuments were lovelier with autumnal colors.

Big Boots in Cheyenne, Wyoming

Back on I 135, less than two hours southwest, is Cheyenne, Wyoming. There was a giant eight-foot-tall (from heel to top of the pull tabs) and eight-foot-long (from pointy toe to the back of the heel) boot at the small visitors' kiosk inside the railway station. And we found out that there were 19 others, painted by various artists in 2005 to showcase the history of the city. They are hosted by different businesses. We launched a hunt and felt a feeling of accomplishment after taking the photo of the 20th boot!

Downtown Fort Collins, Colorado

Less than an hour south of Cheyenne on Interstate 25 is Fort Collins, Colorado. When we walked the streets downtown, the buildings, especially the Old Firehouse Bookstore, looked so familiar, like deja vu. Understandably because it was Fort Collins’ Harper Goff who helped Walt Disney sketch up plans for Disney’s Main Street U.S.A. Old Town Square in Fort Collins served as his inspiration.

Pianos About Town in Fort Collins, Colorado

My husband noticed an artsy piano in Fort Collins’s Jazz Alley. Later, we saw a few more. They were all part of "Pianos About Town," a collaborative project hosted by the city and supported by a number of organizations that combine music and visual art. The pianos were painted at the Old Town Square, then distributed throughout the city. During winter, they are moved to several indoor locations. 

Buffalo Bill’s Grave in Lookout Mountain Park, Colorado

Lookout Mountain Park, part of the Denver Mountain Parks system, is about one and a half hours south of Fort Collins. And there, you will find the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave where William F. Cody is buried. He was born in 1846 and nicknamed Buffalo Bill because of his skill as a buffalo hunter. It overlooks the Great Plains and the Rockies. 

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These Lovely Homes Are Where the 8 Best US Presidents Lived

George Washington/s Mount Vernon in Virginia, courtesy of Wikipedia

My husband and I have been to thirty of the forty-five American Presidents’ homes, tombs, and/or presidential libraries. We always sought them out while we RVed across the US. It’s too bad we didn’t get to all of them. In this post, I focus on the eight presidential homes which made the greatest impression on us. When I completed the list, I found out they also represent great times in our history.  And the Presidents that lived there are the Top 8 of the ranking of presidents from C-SPAN'S Presidential Historians Survey of 2017 where nearly 100 historians measured them according to 10 qualities of presidential leadership. 

Our Early Years

The first president of the US is George Washington (1789-1797). He was the general who led the country to victory in America’s War for Independence. Mt. Vernon is his historic home and estate. The land had been owned by his family since 1674 and the original house was built by his father in 1754. George Washington expanded it into a one and a half story mansion in the 1750s and 1770s.  A typical southern plantation with servants’ homes, carriage sheds, storage buildings, gardens, and a family tomb, it is now a National Historic Landmark, just 13 miles south of Washington DC. The back of the mansion dramatically looks out to the historic Potomac River.

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia, courtesy of Wikipedia

Our third president is Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809). He is remembered as a Founding Father and principal author of the Declaration of Independence. He inherited this estate in Charlottesville, Virginia when he was just 26 when he immediately started designing the plantation house in neoclassical design. He further improved it with French elements while he served as the nation’s MInister to France. This most impressive estate displays his brilliance in influencing a new architectural style with new and highly functional elements. Designated a National Historic Landmark, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the University of Virginia which he also designed. Located on an 850-ft high summit of Southwest Mountains, Monticello means “little mountain.”

The Civil War Years

the Lincoln family welcoming us into the Lincoln home in Springfield, Illinois

Our 16^th President, Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865), is frequently cited as the best president we have ever had because he ably led the country during its worst crisis. He was able to preserve the union and abolished slavery and his untimely assassination further glorified his presidency. His Greek revival style modest home is great to visit because it is he and his wife, Mary, played by actors, who welcome you to the tour in downtown Springfield, Illinois. Actually, we also visited the Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in Hodgenville, Kentucky. It exhibits his humble beginnings with the tiny cabin where he was born and the 56 steps representing his short life leading to it. But it is the Lincoln Presidential Library in the city that is the testament to his greatness. To me, it is the best presidential library and museum we have visited because he comes alive in holograms, in the Douglas-Lincoln debates using multiple TVs and other innovations.

The Conservation Years

the Maltese Cross Cabin at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, courtesy of the NPS

Our 26th President (1901-1909) is the youngest president we have ever had. He rose to the presidency at 42 after President McKinley was assassinated. But he made such a significant contribution to the country. He is known for his Square Deal and the start of the construction of the Panama Canal but he made conservation a top priority, establishing national parks, forests, and monuments to preserve the nations's natural resources. We were not able to visit his Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in New York but we were able to visit his birthplace in New York City. But it was seeing the Maltese Cross Cabin now on display at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park that gave us a better view of the man whose cabin experiences in North Dakota gave him his great interest in the outdoors. that shaped his conservationist views.

The WWII Years

Bill at Franklin Roosevelt's Springwood Estate in Hyde Park, New York

Franklin Roosevelt was our 32^nd President (1933-1945). He won a record four presidential elections, led the nation through the Great Depression and through WWII. His home, the Springwood Estate, in Hyde Park, New York is a National Historic Site. The last renovation he made doubled the size of the mansion and made it in Colonial revival style. Since it was owned by his mother, he built Top Cottage in Hyde Park as his own private home. His wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, redefined the role of the First Lady and became ninth of the Top 10 Most Widely Admired People of the 20^th Century. Her home, Val-Kill Cottage, just two miles from Springwood, has also been named a National Historic Site.

Harry Truman's Little White House in Key West, Florida, courtesy of Wikipedia

When Roosevelt died, his vice-president, Harry Truman became our 33^rd president. He authorized the first and only use of nuclear weapons that ended WWII, led the rebuilding of Europe after WWII through the Marshall Plan, and established the Truman doctrine and NATO. He also established the Little White House in Key West, Florida where he spent the winters when his doctor ordered him to stay in warmer places. It was originally the first officers’ quarters of a submarine naval station later converted into the base commandant’s home. The House would later be the site of many historic agreements and meetings.

Post-WWII Years

Dwight Eisenhower's Boyhood Home and Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas 

Dwight Eisenhower became our 34^th president (1953-1961). A 5-star general, he was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe and was directly responsible for the success of Operation Normandy that led to the end of WWII. He authorized the creation of NASA, contributed to the end of McCarthyism, and built the Interstate Highway System. His terms saw widespread economic prosperity. The Eisenhower National Historic Site is near Gettysburg in Pennsylvania but it was his boyhood home in Abilene, Kansas which we visited, my husband being a native of Kansas, too. It is a two-story wood-frame house in an acre of land. It also houses his Presidential Library and Museum and his final resting place. 

John Kennedy's Hyannis Memorial and Museum in Hyannis, Massachusetts

After Eisenhower, John Kennedy was elected to become our 35^th president (1961-1963). It may have been a short presidency but it was a beloved one. The majority of his work was done during the height of the Cold War and his speeches inspired the nation. The whole world mourned his assassination. We visited the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Kennedy used it as a base for his presidential campaign and later as a summer White House. There are three buildings: the Main House owned by the patriarch Joseph Kennedy and where Edward Kennedy lived until his death, John Kennedy’s smaller home on Irving Avenue, and Robert Kennedy’s home on Marchant Avenue. None of these places are open to the public. Instead, we visited the JFK Hyannis Museum nearby.

We are still hoping to see the other fifteen homes of the presidents we were not able to see. Visiting presidential homes has been truly instructive for us. They show us how great men were influenced to be the men they eventually became and how, in turn, they influenced the country by the way they lived and governed.

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6 Cities in 7 Weeks, on the Way Home from Melbourne to Phoenix

rainbow trees in the Ayala Triangle

My three months in Melbourne have been covered in about ten posts, my few days in New Zealand in two, and my five-day tour of KL, Vientiane, Bangkok, and Brunei in another two. In this article, let me take you on a sweep of six cities that I visited over the seven weeks between leaving Melbourne and Auckland and finally being home in Phoenix, USA.                                                                                                                                   
Manila, Philippines

The thing that drew me to Manila, other than to visit my BFF Jingjing, was to sell my Makati condo. My daughter April had migrated to Australia so I no longer have a daughter who can take care of my properties there. I accomplished that mission the day I left for Guangzhou. Before I left, I still got to enjoy the condo’s “comforts”, especially since my BFF Ann brought me pillows, linens, and towels for me to use. It is sad that I didn't get to visit many places.

Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay, Philippines

Except for these four. Ayala Triangle. I had looked for rainbow trees all over the world after I saw a picture in a glossy mag and I was pleasantly surprised to find them right at the heart of Makati, the financial district where I used to work! Sonya's Garden in cool Tagaytay, the city on the ridge of a volcano crater in the middle of whose lake sits the world's smallest.volcano. It was just under an hour from Metro Manila. Enderun Colleges, the upscale culinary and hotel management school in the newest urban center, Bonifacio Global City where Lydia, another BFF, is Chairman of its Technology Management Department. International School Manila where I was given a tour before I gave an informal talk to the current Filipino scholars there (I was part of the very first batch, 50 years ago.

Enderun Colleges in Metro Manila, Philippines

Which brings me to the real reason “it’s more fun in the Philippines!”  Metro Manila is the world’s most densely populated city with about 12 M people. If we include surrounding towns, the number swells to 21 M. I had a total of 35 meet-ups while I was there, an average of one a day! You see the Filipino, like his half ancestor Spaniard, is a warm, clannish, and social animal. People just think of all reasons to meet, have coffee, discover a new restaurant, check out a new shop, watch the latest movie, or go out of town. I miss all the people and all the fun!!

International School of Manila in the Philippines

Guangzhou, China

The cheapest flight I found for the Phoenix-Melbourne-Manila-Phoenix trip featured long layovers, including in Guangzhou, population 15 M, a Chinese city I had not seen. The layover on the way home was long, made longer by the fact that there is no Facebook in China! I had already booked the flight when I found out that the city proper is two hours from the airport. I dropped the idea of touring the city and suffered silently on the way to Melbourne.

Guangzhou, China

But, on the way back, when I was going through the transit officer, she asked if I wanted to see Guangzhou. Of course, I said, in utmost joy! She said if I can find the specific immigration section, I will be able to get a free 23-hour visa. Of course, I did! There they directed me to another place, where, if I could find it, I could get free transportation and free lodging. Of course, I found both and off I went to the Oubon International Hotel on a free shuttle van ride!

It was a frustrating side trip. Nobody spoke English, except for the Hotel Manager who finally had to be called. As a result, I frittered my hours away. Afraid I would only get lost and not make my flight, I gave up the notion of going to the heart of Guangzhou. I settled on just walking around the stores of the small mall around the hotel and inspecting the hotel’s unusual amenities like the Mahjong room. Then it was time for the free authentic Chinese dinner. It was good and it was free! 

 Santa Monica, California

LA/Santa Monica, California

I used the long layover in Los Angeles, a large spread-out city of about 19 million, to visit my First Apo (first grandkid), Krishna. She had just transferred to a new flat in Santa Monica, just 20minutes from the airport. It was in a neat 1920s landmark building just two blocks from the Bombshell Salon where she works as a hairstylist. The next day, walking to her Salon, I got fascinated with the trees that lined Main Street. Krishna treated me to a haircut so I treated her to Jinya Ramen across the street. Then I took an Uber to the airport.

Albuquerque, New Mexico and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Two days after I landed in Phoenix but it didn't feel like going home. Bill and I put our brand new Hyundai Elantra to good use. We embarked on a road trip to go to his 55^th HS Reunion in Pittsburg, Kansas. On the way there and back, our two stops were Albuquerque, New Mexico and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. While Phoenix has a population of 6 M, Albuquerque and Oklahoma City are both just over 600,000. It was quite a shift from the three chaotic megacities I had just been through.

Musical Road, Sky City, and Enchanted Mesa, Albuquerque, New Mexico

We stayed longer in Albuquerque to do a bit of sightseeing. On the way to Kansas, we visited the Sky City in Acoma, standing atop a 350-foot-high sandstone mesa which had been inhabited since AD 1150. The views out across the plains are unforgettable, especially toward Enchanted Mesa which is just under half the size of Uluru in Australia's Outback. On the way back, we drove on the Musical Road, on Old Historic Route 66. One of five musical roads in the world. This one plays America the Beautiful if you drive at 45mph! Two years ago, we had visited the one in Lancaster, California which plays the William Tell Overture. 

the Will Rogers statue that is inside the travel center built over the Will Rogers Turnpike

We didn't have much time in Oklahoma City. From Phoenix, we were hurrying to get to Pittsburg. On the way back to Phoenix, we even took the Oklahoma turnpike which reduces the time by an hour. This brought us back to the travel mega plaza built over and across the Will Rogers Turnpike which we visited six years ago. A statue of Will Rogers, the famous Oklahoma son who was a stage and motion picture actor, vaudeville performer, American cowboy, humorist, newspaper columnist, and social commentator.  

Pittsburg, Kansas

From megacities of 21, 15, and 19 M to those that don’t even reach 1 M, we finally found ourselves in Pittsburg, Kansas whose population is just over 20,000. This is the town where Bill was born and grew up. You can visit the whole town in a day and you will surely bump into someone you know while going around. And we felt right at home at his sister Rosemary and brother-in-law Jack’s home.

Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas

Sadly, Bill was not able to attend most of his Reunion. The day after the Welcome Dinner at Jim’s Steak House for early arrivals, Bill played golf with some of the men. That was when his Phoenix cardiologist called me and said: “Check him into a hospital right away!” The online heart monitor he had to wear after he reported passing out in Auckland, had been recording stoppages and irregularities in his heartbeat. At first, Bill was hesitant to have this procedure done in such a small town. But he had no choice. As it turned out, Pittsburg’s Via Christi Hospital did the job well.

These five cities in a span of 7 weeks were very disparate destinations, not just in terms of population, layout, and facilities. If I had stayed in each of them as much as I stayed in Manila, I would have also found the disparity in culture and the way people lived. Undoubtedly, I would also have discovered the unique beauty of each one. But now we need some rest from traveling!.

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12 Interesting Finds on American Roads, Going West from Kansas to Washington

A Wagon in the US Midwest

In my last post, I wrote about six of nature’s best spots that we were lucky to see on our road trip west to Washington from Kansas. In this sequel, I focus on the twelve interesting finds on the same 7-state, 10-day trip. They are works of art, unusual creations, and one-of-a-kind historical sites.

Blue Sky Sculpture

 

Blue Sky

About two hours from Kansas City, this Sculpture at the Centennial Park in Newton, Kansas is one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas Art. Designed through the joint efforts of artists Phil Epp, painter, and Terry Corbett and Conrad Snider, ceramists, it is made of cobalt-glazed tiles. The artwork seems to have eye-catching, unobstructed movement towards the natural sky which is the artists’ goal.

                  

Mennonite Heritage and Agricultural Museum

Mennonite Museum and Agricultural Museum

Less than thirty minutes north of Blue Sky is a Museum that tells the story of Mennonites who emigrated from Russia in 1874 and settled near present-day Goessel in Kansas. The Agricultural part showcases the progression of farming mechanization from the 1800s to the mid-1960s in the Turkey Red Wheat Palace. These immigrants brought Turkey Red, a winter wheat variety, to Kansas and the US.

The World’s Largest Ball of Twine

World's Largest Ball of Twine

Two hours further north, in Cawker City, Kansas, a ball with total twine length that has surpassed 7 million feet is kept growing by the city. In 1953, Frank Stoeber started it and then donated it to the town in 1961 when it had grown to 1.6 million feet of twine. Every August, there is a "Twine-a-thon" to add more. When we were there, a car pulled up and two ladies also gave us some to add!  

Giant Van Gogh’s Painting  

Van Gogh's Giant Painting

Three hours to the east, there is a visually unique attraction. It’s a 24’ by 32’ reproduction of Van Gogh's "3 Sunflowers in A Vase." It rests on an 80-foot steel easel. There are three such Big Easels erected by Cameron Cross: the first in Manitoba, Canada, in 1996, the second in Emerald, Australia in 1999 and this one in Goodland, Kansas in 2001. We returned to see it glisten at night, braving light showers and high winds!

Cheyenne Big Boots  

Big Boots in Cheyenne

It took us one whole afternoon to hunt down all 20 giant boots around Cheyenne, Wyoming. Each one is 8 feet tall from heel to the top of the pull tabs and 8 feet long from the pointy toe to the back of the heel. Painted by various artists in 2005 to showcase Wyoming's and Cheyenne's history, they were later purchased by civic-minded businesses to display at their locations. An excellent way to spend an afternoon!

Old Town Fort Collins 

Old Town Square Fort Collins

Less than an hour south of Cheyenne is Fort Collins, Colorado. When you walk the streets of Old Town Square, the buildings, especially the Old Firehouse Bookstore, will make you think the place looks so familiar; déjà vu! Fort Collins’ Harper Goff helped Walt Disney sketch up plans for Disney’s Main Street USA. And that is why you will Old Town Square such a charming place to stroll around on a lazy day.

Jazz Alley  

Some of the Pianos

A lover of jazz, Bill noticed an artsy piano in Old Town Square Fort Collins. Later, we saw a few more.  “Pianos about Town” is a collaborative project between the city and some organizations. The pianos are painted from May-October right in the Square and at several indoor locations during winter months. The completed pianos are distributed throughout the city, inviting people to enjoy the art and play a tune.

Buffalo Bill’s Grave

at the Grave of Buffalo Bill

About one 1/2ours south of Fort Collins is Lookout Mountain Park, part of the Mountain Parks System of Denver, Colorado. You will find the one and only grave of William F. Cody there. It is one with a view as it overlooks the natural beauty of the Great Plains and the Rockies. Born 1846, his skill as a buffalo hunter gained him the nickname "Buffalo Bill." And all of you know I love the name, Bill!

JC Penney’s Mother Store

JC Penney Mother Store

We were driving from Fossil Butte National Monument to our hotel when we chanced upon the JC Penney Mother Store. On a corner of the main street of Kemmerer, Wyoming (population, 2,600), the first store of the department store giant (with almost 1,100 stores in 49 states) was built in 1902.  We later learned that JC Penney’s tiny home had become a museum and was just down the road.

Bruce and Brandon Lee’s Grave 

Bruce and Brandon Lee's Graves

In the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington is an unusual attraction that has become a national and global pilgrimage site. In Lake View Cemetery, halfway up a hill with unobstructed views of Lake Washington, one space is marked by evergreen shrubs.It is the final resting place of Bruce Lee, legendary Chinese American martial artist and film star. His son, Brandon's tomb, lies beside his father’s.

The Market Theater Gum Wall

Gum Wall

The Gum Wall, made of brick, is covered in used chewing gum in Post Alley under Pike Place Market in Seattle. Parts of the wall are covered several inches thick, 15 feet high for about 50 feet. The tradition began around 1993 when patrons of the Market Theater Box Office nearby stuck gum to the wall. Theater workers scraped the gum away twice but eventually gave up around 1999. Too bad we didn’t have gum to add!

The Fremont Troll

The Fremont Troll

The Fremont Troll is a colossal statue under the north end of the George Washington Memorial Bridge in Seattle, Washington. It is clutching an actual Volkswagen Beetle as if it had just swiped it from the roadway above. 18-feet high and 13,000 lbs. in weight, it is made of steel rebar, wire, and concrete. His right eye is a hubcap. It is hard to find a place to park and to wait our turn to get pictures.

The area under the bridge was becoming a dumping ground and haven for drug dealers. In 1990, the Fremont Arts Council launched an art competition to rehabilitate it. The Troll was sculpted by four local artists: Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter, and Ross Whitehead. They borrowed the idea of a troll living under a bridge from the Norwegian fairy tale “Three Billy Goats Gruff.”

Our road trips are always made more precious by the natural landmarks we get to see along the way. But interesting finds like these intriguing works of art, unusual creations, and one-of-a-kind historical sites add exotic spices to an already flavorful dish!

6 of Nature's Best on American Roads, Westward from Kansas to Washington

Scotts Bluff in Western Nebraska

We began our westward road trip from Kansas on the last week of August 2016. I had joined Bill for our 8^th wedding anniversary in Kansas City and visited his sister and hometown in Pittsburg, Kansas. We had to drive back to Seattle, Washington to take a flight to Alaska in the first week of September.

We crossed Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, and Oregon in ten days leaving no time for either relaxation or boredom. And, just as we expected, the six Nature Spots that shaped our itinerary gave us so much about which to write. Here comes another dose of America, the Beautiful!

The Lovely Sunflowers of Kansas

Sunflowers in Kansas~

Kansas is known as the Sunflower State which has been its official floral emblem since the late 1800’s. But it was in 1903 when the Wild Sunflower became the official state flower of Kansas. Lawmakers praised the Sunflower as a symbol of the state’s “frontier days, winding trails, (and) pathless prairies.”

August is just the right time; wild ones spring up all along the roadsides in western Kansas. The plants reach up to nine feet high and feature leggy stalks and broad round flower heads with bright yellow faces. They are a photographer’s dream, and mine, yellow being my favorite color!

We stopped in Goodland, Kansas where they farm the large industrial varieties for seeds and oils, used for cooking and as an alternative to biodiesel fuel. I was ecstatic to have my pictures taken with them those large dinner plate-varieties!

Natural Landmarks on the 19^th Century Westward Migration Trails

the Louisiana Purchase, 1803

Most of the Midwest was added to the US in 1803 with Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase of $15M from the French. That began the western migration of eastern settlers and the expansion of the US as we now know it. It was exciting to trace their footsteps and to see these landmarks as they saw them.

One natural landmark they encountered is Chimney Rock in western Nebraska. It rises above the plains to a peak of 4,226 feet above sea level. By the middle of the 19th century, it had become a stunning sight for those on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails, visible for many miles along US Route 26.

Chimney Rock in Western Nebraska

Based on sketches, paintings, and written accounts, Chimney Rock was taller when it was first seen, but it has since become shorter due to erosion and lightning. Chimney Rock, rising 286 feet above its surroundings, is a National Historic Site operated by the Nebraska State Historical Society.

Twenty miles north of it is another landmark, especially for settlers on the Oregon and Mormon Trails. The Scotts Bluff National Monument (operated by the National Park Service) is a collection of bluffs, the first large rock formations where the Great Plains start giving way to the foothills of the Rockies.

Scotts Bluff National Monument, Western Nebraska

Scotts Bluff, which rises over 800 feet above the plains, is the most prominent, but there are five other rock formations: Crown Rock, Dome Rock, Eagle Rock, Saddle Rock, and Sentinel Rock. Wagon trains used the bluff as a major landmark for navigating through Mitchell Pass before going deep into the Rockies. For Bill and me, it was travel to the past, at the time of the settlers.

Fossil Beds of the Eocene and Miocene Periods

After these historic landmarks, we visited two national monuments that preserve plant and animal life from millions of years ago in the fossil beds of Wyoming and Oregon. They were not only educational visits, they were also spectacular Nature spots.

Fossil Butte National Monument in Wyoming

The Fossil Butte National Monument, also managed by the National Park Service, is located 15 miles west of Kemmerer, Wyoming. It centers on possibly the world’s best collection of Eocene Epoch (56 to 34 million years ago) fossils found in Fossil Lake, the smallest of three great lakes at that time.

When the fossils were discovered, miners dug them up to sell to collectors. Commercial fossil collecting is not allowed within the National Monument, though. The Visitor Center features over 80 fossils, incredibly found intact, not merely broken pieces that need to be assembled, including those of fish, crocodile, turtle, and palm frond.

John Day Sheep Rock Unit, Oregon

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument lies in east-central Oregon. Located within the John Day River basin,{ it is} also managed by the National Park Service. Fossil plants and mammals lived there between the late Eocene, about 45 million years ago, and the late Miocene, about 5 million years ago, later than those found in the Fossil Butte National Monument.

There are three geographically separate units: Sheep Rock, Painted Hills, and Clarno. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to visit Clarno. The Sheep Rock Unit is near the town of Kimberly. It is composed of the James Cant Ranch Historic District with the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center, Cathedral Rock, and other areas. Both the Park Headquarters and Visitor Center are in this Unit.

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Painted Hills Unit

But it was getting late so we hurried on to the Painted Hills Unit where we wanted to spend more time.  Halfway between the other two Units, it is about 9 miles northwest of the town of Mitchell. I was complaining that the hills were not quite as colorful as I expected them to be when, suddenly, one by one the scenic beauties appeared, art works of Nature that seem fragile and may soon disappear.

Lava Hot Springs of Idaho

Between Fossil Butte and John Day lies Lava Hot Springs, a small town with a population of less than 500, part of the Pocatello Metropolitan Statistical Area of Idaho. It is a popular weekend resort location because of its numerous hot springs for bathing. There is also a mildly turbulent river running through part of the town that is perfect for tubing with those large yellow tubes so radiantly bright!

Lava Hot Springs, Idaho

These six nature spots were each a sight to behold, and we were glad we got to see all of them on our
westward drive from Kansas to Washington. On my next post, I will detail 13 interesting finds on these American roads, each adding spice to this 10-day nature road trip of August 2016.

12 Interesting Finds around Pittsburg without the H

Big Brutus, World's Largest Steam Shovel

There are 27 towns (in 27 states!) named Pittsburg in the US, all without the H (please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburg), but it’s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that is famous, so people tend to spell it that way. Even she spelled it without the H from 1890 until 1911.

There is one of the 27 that is more special to me than the others. It is Bill’s hometown in southeastern Kansas. His only sibling, elder sister Rosemary, lives there with her husband, Jack. Bill went to St. Mary’s Grade School, Lakeside Junior High, Pittsburg High School, and Pittsburg State University (PSU) where he was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. The PSU mascot is the yellow and red gorilla, and I found it everywhere! This time was my third visit, but we still found new day trips. In fact, this time, we did seven towns and found 12 interesting things!

2 World Record Holders

World's Largest Fork

West Mineral, Kansas is just 25 minutes from Rosemary’s home. The area was known for coal strip mining since the coal seams were relatively shallow. Big Brutus was the second largest electric shovel in operation in the 1960s and 1970s. But, since the biggest was scrapped in 1992, it is now the largest in existence. Big Brutus was designed to dig from up to 69 feet deep. It weighs 11 million pounds, and its bucket holds up to 90 cubic yards. When they shipped it for assembly in Kansas, they needed 150 railroad cars. Environmental laws, however, led to its demise. The state of Kansas came forward to preserve it.

Springfield, Missouri is about one ¾ hour drive east of Pittsburg. What drew me to the town was the World’s Largest Fork. It is 35 feet tall and weighs 11 tons, standing at an angle, leaning against a three-story building occupied by Noble & Associates, a Springfield ad agency. It had eclipsed a Milan, New York fork that measures 31 feet long. But just this year, a 40-foot long fork was built in Creede, Colorado.

3 Unusual Places

Another find in Springfield was the Pythian Castle originally built in 1913 by the Knights of Pythias and later owned by the US Army. It is believed to be haunted and held German and Italian prisoners-of-war during WWII. Later it was found out that they were patients at the Army hospital at the back of the castle. Now privately owned, the building is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places.

Cheese, Hearing, and Castle

Just like the Deaf Cultural Center in Olathe, Kansas I wrote about in my last post, the History of Hearing Museum caught my attention because my mother dedicated her entire life to the education of the deaf and hard of hearing.  It was the deaf and blind Helen Keller who said, "Deafness is a much worse misfortune.” We found that technologies have advanced from the crude beginnings to the "transistor hearing aids" of the 1950s, to the tiny in-the-ear hearing devices, and to today’s cochlear implants. Even a picture of the first and only deaf Miss America was at the Museum. She once came to dance ballet for the benefit of The Philippine Institute for the Deaf, the school we founded in honor
of our mother. 

Then there is cheese-a-plenty in Osceola, Kansas, about 1 hour and 45 minutes away. Established in 1944, Osceola Cheese Company has grown and now has a retail store with over 250 varieties of cheese, most of which can be sampled, ranging from mild cheddar, chocolate, to “hot ghost pepper,” including smoked varieties in real hickory and applewood flavors. In addition to cheeses, the outlet has snack sticks, summer sausages, beef jerky, Vidalia onion dressings, meat marinades, steak sauces, hot sauces, jams, jellies, honey, and pure sorghum. “It was a filling stop that didn’t cost a cent!”

4 Foodie Places

chicken and burgers

And cheese brings us to other foodie places. Yale, Kansas boasts of two chicken places sitting only a quarter of a mile apart, just 20 minutes from Pittsburg: Chicken Annie’s and Chicken Mary’s. Born out of the difficulties of the mining years, they were started by wives of injured coal miners to augment their family income. Now run by descendants, they were both featured on the Food Channel in a Battle of Chickens. The variety of sides that come with your fried chicken in both places is unbelievable! They make for great chicken meals.

For all of you burger lovers, there is such a thing as steakburgers, and we went to try them in Joplin, Missouri, about 45 minutes away.  Freddy’s Steakburgers began in eastern Kansas, Steak n Shake in Illinois. They fry the burgers thin, so they resemble fried steaks, and the accompaniments are fresh and plenty. Also Freddy’s features frozen custards, and Steak n Shake, milkshakes, for desserts. They are both full hefty meals for not that much more than McDonalds and very much less than Red Robins. I wouldn’t have my burger any other way from now on. I just wish they were more available than the others.

3 Historical Places

Truman, Fort Knox, and Miners

Harry S. Truman was the 33^rd President of the US and was known for ordering the historic use of atomic bombs in WWII. He was born in Lamar, Missouri, only 35 minutes away.  It gave us a good idea of his humble beginnings and his meteoric rise from a county judge,   a seat in Congress, and to the Vice-Presidency that led him to the presidency after the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Fort Scott National Historic Site operates under the US National Park Service, just 35 minutes away. It served as one of the military bases for the US Army that protected the edge of settlement in the 1850s. For the next quarter century, it became a supply base and to provide security in turbulent areas during the opening of the West for settlement, a period which included Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War. Only the base in Leavenworth has remained active, now a training venue for top brass.

It is worthwhile to note that a Miners’ Memorial is in downtown Pittsburg to honor all those who contributed to the growth of the coal mining industry of southeastern Kansas. A diamond mark is attached to those who died in a mining accident. Bill’s grandfather was a coal miner, which means his mom is a coal miner’s daughter, not just Loretta Lynn!  As you can see, it was an extraordinary visit this time. Even our day trips were many and meaningful!