Kansas
We
were warned the journey from Colorado to Kansas could
be boring…...we can confirm this is true.
Add hot, dry and dusty weather and the fact that Kansas is in the middle of a serious
drought, just about sums it up.
The
landscape consisted of wheat fields, a couple of thousand grain silos and hundreds of
huge Cattle Feeding Yards.
Our
first night was spent in Garden City, Finney County
but it was nothing like our Garden City back home. I was disappointed as I was dying to hit the
shops but it was like so many other towns we’ve travelled through, a shadow of
their former self due to the financial downturn.
On the other hand Dodge City was buzzing and heaps of fun. Lots of old cowboys still re-living the days of Gunsmoke with pictures of Marshall Matt Dillon posted around town.
Boot Hill Museum was packed with artifacts portraying the culture of the real wild west. .
Front Street was an excellent replica of downtown Dodge City in 1876
The spirit of gunfighters and cattle rustlers still live on in this little town.
On three consecutive days the temperature reached 97˚F/36˚C but we had apparently missed the really hot weather. WHAT!
We
booked a 2 hour tour on the famous Trolley Bus, it took us to all the places of
interest and then without warning a big dust storm blew up.
The driver
pulled over to the side of the road and waited for it to settle. It
rocked the bus for about 5 minutes and then disappeared. Locals say the weather is quite unpredictable
in these parts. They have real tornadoes
here, ever seen Twister??
The next day we went to an authentic Cattle Auction at Winter Livestock. This was the real McCoy…..real cattle, real auctioneers, real smell……OK you get 3 million cattle in one place on a scorching hot day, the aroma wafting downwind was unbelievable. Trust me, even Clint Eastwood would have gagged on the stench!!
 |
| The Boots! |
Our plan was to try and blend in with the locals so we wore our cowboy hats and pretended to walk like John Wayne! Unfortunately we stood out like dogs balls…..we should have worn our blue jeans (if only I could get into mine!!) Sadly we had ‘Tourist’ stamped across our forehead.
Allen was able to record the amazing Auctioneer in high speed mode. How can anybody talk that fast?
 |
| Real Cowboys |
I managed to stop retching long enough to enjoy the Auction and I somehow managed to eat Lunch in the Cafeteria. I noticed there was a Gent’s Restroom but NO Ladies Restroom. Good job I wasn’t busting!! Hey girls, it’s a man’s world out here!
Dodge City lies on the 100th Meridian west of Greenwich, England and although an imaginary line on the surface of the earth, it has long symbolized the end of East and the beginning of West in the US.
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| Real Cowgirls! |
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| Outside Kitty's Saloon |
We
went into the Catholic Church in town and spent some time at the holy grotto (by
now I WAS busting and praying for a Ladies Restroom).  |
| Remember Matt Dillon? |
We stayed 3 nights at Watersports RV Park, the name was slightly exaggerated as there was not a single drop of water in the Lake.
Have you seen birds walk across the bottom of a Lake and not get wet?
Black Jacks Liquor Store - you are the best, even though you serve Kinky stuff(!) we’ll forgive you. The pretty girl who served us was a slim, 23 year old, and we asked her if it was a dangerous job working in the Liquor Store?
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| Wyatt Earp |
She
replied, “Oh No. Most of the shootings
happen outside the Store. It’s fine in
here!” And then she produced a baseball
bat from behind the counter……..OK, we’re going peacefully.
We absolutely loved Dodge City. People, place, atmosphere, everything. Top Marks.
Spent
one night at Fall River Lake in Greenwood County. The Dam in the photograph was constructed in
1946 for flood control purposes. It was
designed and built by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The spillway is a gravity type and flood
waters are controlled by 8 swinging steel gates. Normal flows are controlled by seven sluice
gates, one through each spillway pier.
Due
to the droughts they have been experiencing in the past few years the dam is only at 20% capacity, so it’s hard to imagine there ever being a flood again.
Everywhere is becoming a dustbowl - Sad to see.
Everywhere is becoming a dustbowl - Sad to see.
End of 16th Post
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