2017 CROSS COUNTRY ROAD TRIP - 5-8-17 - GOODLAND, KANSAS TO LAWRENCE, KANSAS

Monday, May 8th, 2017

Our odometer reading today is 54762.  The distance we have traveled so far is 6,586 miles. 

We are leaving our hotel in Goodland, Kansas at 8.11 a.m. and we have 260 miles to go before reaching Abilene in Kansas. (There is also an Abilene in Texas if the name sounds familiar.)

8.27 am. I just saw a fox walking next to the fence line. It is always so cool these flashes of nature.  He stopped and stared across the field and was out of view in seconds. There are wire fences going on for miles. 

Fields as far as the eyes can see, in all directions. 

9.20 a.m.  Just saw a sign for Nicodemus Historical Site. 

8.50 a.m. Gregg is stopping to fill up the tank.  We are in Colby, described as the Oasis of the Plains. McDonalds next for breakfast. I am also getting a bit tired of McDonalds but, they have a Starbucks close by. I am going there next.  

10.09 a. m.  I couldn't help but overhear a conversation going on between three men in McDonalds, which makes me glad we went there after all because it was very entertaining. 

While I saved our seats and Gregg was at the counter getting our food, a few tables away there were raised voices from three men two in their mid 50s and an older gentleman.  I heard one say,  "I don't hunt anything I don't eat" and a few minutes later, "Well what do you expect?  That's because they got all those idiot women out there".  
I think the man who spouted forth about us women realized he had said that too loud, as his conversation turned quieter, but the conversation went on.  Eventually the higher decibels returned, something about politics and guns. But what do I know?  I am one of those idiot women out there.  

One of them looked at me a little suspiciously as he saw me stifling my chuckles.  I was actually trying to get control of them, shaking my head with my hand over my mouth when Gregg came back with our food.  I still had a wide grin on my face.  

I like Colby. Who couldn't like Colby?  They have fun conversations in McDonalds to eavesdrop on, and a Starbucks across the street. 

And Gregg drove across that street and very kindly popped in to get my coffee.  He saw a sign on the door that he wanted to show me, so took a photo.  It is very windy around here.

He also noticed that there were five women sitting around a table, each with a newspaper in their hands, all discussing today's news. I think those men in McDonalds should walk across the street and see this.  They couldn't possibly be talking about them could they?  I wonder!

Isn't people watching fun?  And I don't mean to eavesdrop but you can't help it with those loud conversations.

We are on our way with a latte in hand. 

Just passed a sign for Ogallah, Kansas.

We are seeing a lot of oil pumps, some with storage tanks nearby, some with none. Must have a pipe system with those.  When you are on a long journey, you seem to notice everything. 

Went through Hays, Kansas at 11.45 a.m. Gregg was curious. A large community. 

111 miles to Abilene, Kansas.

Historical Cathedral of the Plains. 

Just passed two very smart cows lying down in the shade of a billboard. 

12.18 p.m. Czech Museum up ahead.   Festival sign last week in July. This is where they have the World's Largest Czech Egg. 

12.23 p.m. We have been passing more wind turbines.  All turning around. I open the window to take a photo and it practically blew my iPad right out of my hands.  I didn't want to see it go flying so I didn't take any more photos until until we reached the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum.

Gregg saw a brochure yesterday at the hotel and was happy to see it was on our route.  I am very happy he suggested it, as I enjoyed it as much as he did.  

They had a lovely visitor center with two of the nicest ladies running it.  There was a gift shop too. I bought some souvenirs, postcards and greeting cards.  

We bought tickets for his boyhood home tour but missed it as we were walking and didn't realize the time. 

It was a very pretty home on the outside.

The museum was impressive and we were in there for a long time.  

I always enjoy the old photos of historical figures, I enjoy old photos of everyone no matter who they are.

Below is one of my favorites from inside, and is a very large painting that was entitled "The Dedication of the American Roll of Honor - St. Paul's Cathedral, 4th July, 1951."  The artist was Frank O. Salisbury.  I will do a post on the museum at a later time.

The photo below shows those wonderful sculptures we have been used to seeing on this part of our trip.  They were located near the steps of the museum.

The photo below was looking towards the Presidential Library from the museum. 

We walked over but when we asked the guard sitting at the front desk, it was explained to us that it is dedicated to professional scholars and most of the library is not open to the general public. 

I liked the wrought iron design of the buffalo in the window above the door, and the design could also be seen on the large oblong door nobs.

Across the way you can see the museum we had just visited.

We did get to see the foyer and it looked very nice with their highly polished marble walls.

We could have walked down the hallway to see another movie.  As we had watched a very good one of President Eisenhower's life over at the visitor center, we didn't bother.  It was getting late in the day and we wanted to see other things before everything was closed up.  

 

We wanted to go to the Place of Meditation where the President, his wife Mamie and their four year old son were laid to rest. 

Abilene is a very interesting and very pretty town.

3.33 p.m and we were on our way again.  

4.30 p.m. We stopped at a truck stop that had an A&W Rootbeer. Gregg was hankering for a Rootbeer Float.  We also ordered fish and chips for our late lunch/early dinner.  It will be nice to get home for so many reasons, but one of them is that I miss the plain, simple meals that we can cook at home.  

Some pretty scenes on our way to Lawrence, Kansas, where we booked our hotel room for the night earlier in the day.  

6.00 p.m. we are at the hotel.  It is always good to stop, even though our days have been very interesting driving through different terrain from state to state, and we especially enjoyed stopping at the Presidential Museum and Library. 

We will be home in two days.