We're Not In Kansas Anymore, Toto

On Thursday, June 29, we woke early and drove fast through Kansas City (both of them) and across Kansas. The landscape lacked trees and even the cornfields disappeared giving way to wheat and cattle as we moved further west. Instead of being totally flat, there were many gullies and washes that reminded me of the Badlands further north in South Dakota. These breaks were grassy, however and did not expose the soil. I spots, farmers were harvesting their wheat and then there were clouds of dust rising from the flatter fields and in one instance there was a dust devil that resembled a miniature tornado. No Dorothy or Toto were seen.

Since we had such an early start and made good time, we drove on past Oakley, KS to Goodland to stay at the Goodland KOA. Goodland is a real Midwest small town. As the teenage clerk said, “Everything in Goodland is within walking distance.” It apparently caters to the local farmers but is also the home of the area’s National Guard Armory. One thing I noticed is the softball complex on the edge of town. It has four fields, all with lights, and suggests there may be one heck of a tournament or two held here every year. The one tourist attraction they note on the signs approaching Goodland is the giant replica of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” which is appropriate for the state of Kansas.



Friday morning we were on the road again heading to our final destination of Monument, CO. Not only did we get an early start, we gained an hour crossing into Mountain Time. For some reason, four counties on the western Kansas border are in the Mountain Time Zone while the rest of the state is in the Central Time Zone. Go figure!
The last stretch across Kansas is ALL up hill as you head west. The rolling hills that had you going up and down from Kansas City disappear and it becomes one long haul up hill. A short distance south of where I-70 crosses into Colorado is Mt. Sunflower, elevation 4039, Kansas’ highest point. In contrast, the elevation of the Missouri River in Kansas City on the eastern edge of the state is only about 800 feet. It wasn’t a sudden change in elevation, it kind of snuck up on you but it did take its toll on the truck. Gas mileage went from a paltry 10 miles to a gallon (remember, I’m hauling a 27-foot trailer!) to an infinitesimal 4 miles to a gallon. Ouch!