Kansas - Just What We Thought, and Completely Different

 April 28 - May 1, 2022

Scott City, Kansas 

Knowing we'll be traveling through the flat of the country doesn't mean we don't comment on how flat and treeless it is all the way into Kansas. A new state for us! 

Leaving Lamar, Colorado, we end up on a road called a highway, but lacks basics like a center line. Eventually we find our way to a wider road that takes us to Scott City, Kansas. None of these roads have pull-overs, passing lanes, or turn-outs, with ditches on both sides. Make it very clear to your RV/truck when you head out that this is not the route to have any issues!

Just 13 miles north on Highway (a real one) 83 we turn off to Scott Lake State Park. After miles and miles of flat, this is a lovely surprise. Site 2 in Circle Drive Campground is in the trees (satellite connects but the winds limit watchability), level dirt with 50 amp and water, very nice picnic table and large space. Glad to see no fire rings and fires-prohibited signage as high winds are expected for the weekend.

Knowing we would be traveling into Kansas I was excited when I read Debbie's post about this area, and reserved a few days to see the unique places they discovered here.

Passing oncoming trucks is very exciting.

About the time we find green, we also find bugs.

 

After a late lunch we take a drive around the little lake.

Tessa is convinced that grass in our yard no longer exists.

Lovely to have a site near the water and no wind so we can enjoy being outside for a few hours.

Top of the list to see is Monument Rocks. Although this was the first place in Kansas added as a National Natural Landmark, the chalk formations are on private property. The cattle ranch allows public access, and when visiting it is especially important to respect their generosity so that access continues.

Pulling out of the state park we notice a bison herd relaxing along the fence line. A white herd! Very sacred in most Native American spirituality, these are powerful animals. It's a blessing to have this opportunity.

The white bull is magnificent.

The herd includes a few brown bison. Also beautiful.

A white calf is very good medicine.

From a distance on our way to the monument I think I'm seeing more silos, but Bill notes it's the monument! And then they're there - the road goes right through them. It's very cool being able to walk all around with just the distant lowing of cattle and twittering swallows overhead.

Tessa again questioning our destination choices.

Swallow condos

Thanks to Bill for having me back up to capture this shot.

Throughout the area are more interesting formations, both the white chalk and some golden cliffs. So unexpected here. 

From the monument we head to nearby Little Jerusalem Badlands, the second smallest state park we've visited. 250 acres of niobrara chalk canyons. The lack of an open restroom shortens our visit, but from one of the two available trails we're able to appreciate the uniqueness of this natural beauty found below the plains. 

Even though I've seen pics of the cool monuments, Kansas is still very different from my expectations. Especially after eastern Colorado. Before crossing into Kansas we saw a lot of trashy yards, homes in need of repair, unmaintained small towns. Here everything is neat, clean, well-maintained. Even abandoned homes and businesses aren't broken or surrounded by weeds. 

The wide open plains support a diversity of life styles, cattle ranching, agriculture, oil production, etc. The state parks protect the surprising natural beauty. It's an interesting combination that grows on me during our short visit. 

So many trucks travel two-lane Hwy 83 - visible across 6 miles of fields.

Neither side is crops, but are so different!

Back home our quiet lunch turns into a cacophony of hail, thunder, lightening, and hard rain. The size of pellets, the hail sounds like it's coming through the roof and windows. Although still 75 degrees, the hail remains on the ground for over an hour. 

A river runs through it.....

A couple hours later, and 300 miles to the east, the same storm drops tornadoes, destroying property. Traveling in the spring is not for the timid!

We enjoy a calm and dry night, but wake to the return of high winds. Another thunder storm is forecast for our Monday travels so we again plan an early exit. About mid-day friends start checking on us, and I realize maybe we should be more concerned about weather than we are!!

The only other thing on my list is the nearby Punished Woman Battle Fork historic site. The wind nearly knocks us off our feet while we check out the location of the last Indian battle in Kansas. 

The cable around the monument comes in handy for holding on to in the high wind!!

September 9, 1878, over 300 Northern Cheyenne warriors, women and children left their camp (escaped their captivity) in Reno, Oklahoma. Scouts discovered them crossing the plains in Kansas, and Lt Lewis was dispatched to return them. On September 27, the fleeing tribe and the military came together in this small canyon. No information is provided on wounded or killed natives, but Lewis was shot in the leg and died on his way to the nearest fort. Under the cover of darkness the tribe escaped to Nebraska.

Signage is positioned perfectly for seeing historic locations in the canyon.

Sunday morning we continue northeast to another new state, Nebraska!