June 7th-10th: Dodge City and Cherryvale Kansas

Friday-Sunday June 7-9 Dodge City Kansas

Friday-Very long drive today, about 8 hours counting stops.  Flat open plains and high desert landscape.  Not much to see or do, that is why we opted to make a long drive and just spend an extra night in Dodge City instead of adding a one night stop.  When we take off really early like today, we stop for breakfast along the way after driving a bit.  Today it was Charlie's Diner and Cafe in Las Vegas, New Mexico.  Had to travel a few miles off the highway to get to town but it was obviously a local hot spot.  Lots of people coming and going and super fast service.  The displays of homemade donuts and cinnamon rolls were divine and smelled delicious too.  The $5 long john filled with custard was huge but lasted two days.  You know your are still out west when you get a choice of toast or a tortilla with your breakfast. 

Back on the highway we could see snow still high in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado as we headed east through Oklahoma on our way to Kansas.  We passed through areas surrounding the National Grasslands (yep; that is a real thing), and soon found ourselves on the Cimarron Cutoff.  Seems there were two routes to Santa Fe.  This Cimarron cutoff was faster but notoriously drier with fewer reliable water sources for travelers and cattle.  Many of the oil derricks along the way were not pumping;  not sure if they were dry or idled due to depleted oil prices, but we did see one painted a hot pink color. 

Saturday- Boot Hill Museum  is the main well known tourist attraction in Dodge City.  Boot Hill Cemetery got its name from burying unknowns or destitute people literally with their boots on.  We spent several afternoon hours going through the replica town and exhibits detailing the history of the "Wickedest Little City in America" later called "Queen of the Cowtowns".  From early trade routes used by the conquistadors to settlers

eager to trade with residents and merchants in Santa Fe, to conflicts with local Indian nations, Dodge City has seen lots of activity.  The Santa Fe trail (Missouri to Santa Fe) passes right through town.  First foot traffic to wagon trains to a Fort protecting the supply wagons to the cattle drives, to a major stop on the rail line, Dodge city has a colorful and storied past.  There are sculptures around town paying homage to:  the cowboys and wranglers from the cattle drives, the long horn cattle themselves (over 4 million cattle were brought up the Chisolm or Great Western Trail from Texas to the rail head in Dodge), bronze figures of TV stars (such as James Arness) who capitalized on Dodge

City's storied wild west history in "Gunsmoke", chronologies of the Native peoples and conflicts with the US Government and actual people who helped settle the town.  I especially liked reading the replies of some of the Indian Chiefs to US Government proposed resettlement's.  They were very insightful!  The arrays of artifacts and antiques including guns, saddles, instruments, photography, and print shop equipment depicting and highlighting Wild West life and culture were numerous and amazing.  Later in the evening, we watched gunfight reenactments depicting the scuffles and skirmishes between lawmen and cowboys and outlaws and had a great dinner before the show.  In a replica of the

Longhorn Saloon, Ms. Kitty and her can-can dancers and Chalkley Beeson (saloon owner) and others entertained us with song, dance, and humor depicting and mood and lifestyle found in Dodge City in the 1872-6 time period.  Most of the gunfighters and dancers and staff are from the local high school (about 2,000 kids) arts, drama, choral and football and wrestling teams.  Our table
mates at the show were some of 13 graduates from the class of 1986 from a nearby town having a reunion.  One lady is a District Business Manager at ABS (the World Leader in Bovine Genetics).  We had a blast; hooting and hollering and singing along at the show. 

Sunday-We kept waiting to see the Wicked Witch of the West fly by on her broom or Dorothy's house swirling around us last night.  The wind was definitely whipping for sure.  The rain and wind have continued most of the day today.  We are glad we had not planned to continue our journey and are staying put for the day.  We did get to put our Kansas Sticker on our USA map and added a Route 66 sticker since we have been on parts of Route 66 in most of the states it passed through. 

Mass at 9 A.M. this morning was one of the only local chances for an English service.  The Mass APP on Tony's phone had the directions wrong so after checking with Google we were only a few minutes late for the Pentecost Service at Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral.  This newer Cathedral which replaced/ combined two other churches in the area was set in the round, with no religious pictures on the stained glass and very minimal artwork.  The stations of the cross sculptures blended in with the walls, the crucifix was on a back wall, and there were  two side chapels honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe and The Sacred Heart (the combined churches).  Stark contrasts to the ornate historical churches in Santa Fe.   

The message about receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit was interesting too.  Not like getting a new pair of shoes, not like getting a pay raise, and not like refilling a tank of gas.  You didn't wear out the gifts and have to get new, you are not adding extra to the gifts since you already have them, the gifts don't expire or run out and have to be refilled. Food for Thought!  Then real food - Sunday Breakfast:  the local Knights of Columbus were having a benefit breakfast, so we went there instead of Miss Kitty's in town.  Many people at church said it was usually good.  Well, this is the first time we should have opted for a regular business establishment instead.  The hall was big and the parking lot very full.  Consequently, the line was extremely long and moving so slowly we got a cup of coffee and finished it before it was our turn to get food.  By the time we got served they were low on gravy, out of sausage links and eggs, and they only had powdered cream for the coffee.  Guess we made a good donation considering what we ate.  Maybe with the lousy weather more people opted to go to breakfast or maybe there were more people in town because of the Shrine Bowl (National All Star Football game benefiting Shrine Hospitals) yesterday. 

It is too cold and windy and rainy to go into town to do the walking tour which is too bad because there is a retired Dodge City Marshall who will lead you among and around the points of interest for free.  There is a great booklet that you can get at the visitor center and do the walk around your self also.  Some of the points of interest pay homage with stars in the cement like the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  The walking tour booklet makes for interesting reading too, with things like that James Arness was a decorated war hero, AND his stunt double for several years for Gunsmoke was also the real life cowboy who was the "Marlboro Man".  Also in its heyday Dodge City boasted 19 establishments licensed to sell liquor.  They all wanted some of that silver from the cowboy pockets that they had earned in three months driving cattle up to Dodge.  I had also wanted to see the 100th Meridian marker "Where East Meets West".  The city capitalizes on an old saying "Get the Heck out of Dodge" where "OUT" is crossed out and "INTO" is added.  Though Dodge City is known as the manure capital of Kansas there were only a few places as we passed active farms coming into town where the aroma was pungent.  Dodge City's radio station moniker is "The Marshall" which is quite fitting.

Monday June 10-Travel to Cherryvale Kansas

As we continued through Kansas (aka Sunflower state, Wheat state, Jayhawk state) grasslands, prairies and wind turbines and sights along Highway 400, I saw a New Mexico license plate and was reminded of the history behind their state symbol.  That sun motif with four arms protruding from four spots around the diameter is called a ZIA SUN or often just the ZIA.  The symbol was found long ago on a water jug from an ancient ZIA pueblo.  The four lines marking each quadrant of the circle are thought to represent the four directions, the four seasons, the four stages of life and the four parts of each day all centered around the life giving sun.  Pretty interesting I thought, not just pretty art work.

We had been told that we should stop in Greensburg, Kansas.  It is not far off the highway so we timed our arrival for just after the visitor center opened not being sure of the parking for a 36 ft. RV.  Greensburg is a small town with several claims to fame:

 -The Big Well - One of the 8 wonders of Kansas (2008) - The World's Largest Hand Dug Well.  It is 109 ft. deep and 32 ft across.  Completed in 1888 and served as the city's water supply until 1932.  It has been a historic attraction since 1937 and is also an American Water Landmark (1974).  The restrooms are clean, the coffee fresh with real creamers, and you can descend a circular staircase close to the bottom.  It is an amazing engineering marvel especially considering it was dug by hand and the structure is free standing inside the well. 

-You can also see the 1000 pound pallasite meteorite, named "Space Wanderer", from nearby Kiowa County, one of the largest found to date.  It has been on display at the Big Well museum since 1949.

-After the EF5 tornado in 2007 (the largest ever recorded) destroyed 95% of the town including homes and businesses, Greensburg has been rebuilding, focusing on energy efficiency and sustainable living.  One of the guys at our table for the show in Dodge City worked doing search and rescue after that tornado and says it was awful. There are many sculptures, plaques and even a lone set of stairs  from a school, commemorating the horror, but also the courage, fortitude and foresight of the townspeople and its leaders.  A roadside sign in Kansas reminded people, "If Thunder Roars, Go Indoors".

As you wander past the well gift shop with tornados imprinted on everything you take in the numerous displays of the history of the well and the town.  The devastation in the aftermath of the tornado, the pictures, the remnants of the tornado siren, signs, etc. are heartbreaking enough.  Add to that the recorded testimony of the survivors and it is very uplifting to see how far they have come in the ensuing years.  I remember watching some of the news coverage and thinking how awful but seeing it in person is like a slap in the face of reality.  Just like driving through some of the fire ravaged towns was last summer.  What makes you feel bad about the state of America is the way we

cover so many tragedies but not the follow up success stories.  Who knew Greensburg has the most LEED certified buildings per capita in the world.  All electricity in the city is generated with wind energy. (They only use a third and sell the rest to the electric company.)  Several of the new buildings incorporate reclaimed wood and bricks and it is the first city in the USA to use all LED street lights.  The John Deere dealership was one of the first buildings in town to rebuild with all of the energy efficient bells and whistles.  Granted it is a small town, population 800 but you have to start somewhere, right?!

Well,...hahaha... like the pun? After an hour and a half we were back on the road heading towards our first experience at Army Corp of Engineer run campground.  At Cherryvale Campground, the price was right, $20 for water, sewer and electric hook ups and it was a pretty, quiet, virtually empty campground.  Now it could have been that it was a weekday or the fact that it was pretty hard to find even with their printed directions from the internet.  And being it was booked on line through the government website,  no where to call,  even when looking on the internet.  There is more than one campground section on the lake and the roadside signage did not match the internet naming.  Another camper pulled over as we sat on the road muddling the next step and we followed them to the camp check in which was in the wrong section for us.  Eventually we got there and found that our extra long (60ft) site was not extra level.  We made do for the evening vowing that next time we use a COE camp we need to figure out a way to pick a more level site.  The solitude and treed areas of the camp were refreshing after so many nights being close to the highway or train tracks.  The hike along a wooded path at the edge of Big Hill Lake and the deer sightings was fun, until we came to a downed tree that had been there for a while with no way around so we had to back track to the road.  Oh, the adventures we find.  Anyway for the price it was great!  The electric only sites were $17 but for three dollars more might as well take the full hook up ones.