Traveling west through Kansas * Day One 08-19-08

This is the first time I have seen wind towers and these are located at Beaumont, KS. just east of Wichita.

Sign at St. Fidelis Church in Victoria, KS. http://www.stfidelischurch.com/

St. Fidelis was the largest church west of the Mississippi when it was completed in 1911 with a seating capacity of 1,100.

The stone for this massive Romanesque structure was hauled in from a quarry seven miles south, and its granite pillars were shipped in from Vermont. The twin bell towers rise majestically above the plains and the church was named "Cathedral of the Plains."

The tower at Hays advertising the Sternberg Museum of Natural History.

We drove on K-247, which is Kansas’ shortest state highway running a little over 417 feet. After arriving in town we found a huge sunflower painted in the middle of every brick-street intersection.

Yes, these are in Kansas. These Monument Rocks are in Gove County just south of Oakley on I-70. These vertical rock sentinels appear suddenly on the broad, flat plains. "The Kansas Guidebook for explorers" written by Marci Penner, says they are A National Natural Landmark that stands along the old Butterfield Overland Despatch route (Smoky Hill Trail) and travelers once passed by here on their way to the Colorado gold fields.. These rock formations, buried for millions of years, are part of the amazing geological diversity of Kansas. They continue to gradually crumble and have a flaky texture. http://www.naturalkansas.org/castle.htm

These rocks are also known as the Chalk Pyramids. Is this where chalk rock comes from that became the famous ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK chant?

Bet you didn’t know Kansas had these! Do you see me?

I climbed on this one. See me?

This are on the west side of the road.

The sunflower is the state flower of Kansas.

We stopped in Oakley to see Buffalo Bill Cody shoot a buffalo. This Charlie Norton sculpture is a double-life sized bronze of this famous western scout, hunter, and showman. Legend has it that in 1886 Cody was hunting buffalo to feed the Kansas Pacific Railroad construction crew. Ironically, Fort Wallace soldiers had commissioned army scout Bill Comstock to do the same thing. A contest between the two men (both nicknamed "Buffalo Bill") was staged near today’s town of Monument to see who could shoot the most buffalo in one day. Cody won, 69 to 46. On that spring day in 1886 the legend of Buffalo Bill Cody was born! (Information from "The Kansas Guidebook for explorers." By Marci Penner.

Thought I would ride along with my friend Buffalo Bill.

I hope the buffalo doesn’t put his foot down.

Oh no! How did I get here?

Rotary sign telling about Van Gogh Painting in Goodland, KS. We are now in the Mountain Time Zone.

Canadian artist Cameron Cross painted an enlarged reproduction of one of Vincent Van Gogh’s seven sunflower paintings and has displayed them in seven countries. The 24 X 32-foot painting, completed in 2001, rest on an 80-foot-high easel and weighs 40,000 pounds. Canada, Australia, The Netherlands, Japan, South Africa, and Argentina are the other countries with the giant easels and paints. (Thanks Marci for the info.)

I had to get a closer look.

Eating picnic supper with Papa Ken. I am in heaven. Look at these delicious peanut butter cookies that Mama Bev made.

Leaving Kansas and it will be many, many days before we return.

Entering Colorado on I-70. Colorado is the Centennial State and ranks 8th in land area and 22nd in population with Denver being the capital and largest city.

The United State and Colorado flags.

A Colorado license plate.

Finally, after such an educational day I am ready for bed in my special bed that Mama Bev made just for me. We had driven 538 miles and stayed in Burlington, CO.