COLORADO for a brief visit

     After the long drive across the heartland of the U.S., we entered Colorado and headed into Comanche National Grasslands south of La Junta. We were pleasantly surprised by Vogel Canyon.  After a great night of sleep in the van, we set off at sunrise with the intention of hiking just to the overlook.  What an inviting sight and easy access to the valley floor!  Off we went to explore some pictographs and find a well-hidden geocache. 

We just love how the early morning sunrise lights up the rock formations.

    We met up with my sister and her son and his family at Trinidad State Park to pay tribute to her husband, Perry, who passed away in January.  Trinidad SP was a special place to him and we launched a geocaching travel bug in his honor.  We hope fellow geocachers will help it reach its goal of Maine, his final resting place.

The "travel bug" was released in this geocache at the overlook above beautiful Lake Trinidad.

Perry and his beloved Casita trailer.

    We enjoyed a few days in the Trinidad area and drove the scenic "Highway of Legends" around the Spanish Peaks.   A visit to the Farley Wildflower Memorial near Cuchara Pass was very serene and a great place to reflect on our gratitude to have the opportunity to visit such beautiful places.  

Many geologic features of interest along the route as well.

igneous dikes that radiate out from the Spanish Peaks

A look back at the Spanish Peaks from La Veta:

     We hiked on the Long's Canyon Trail and saw one of the exposures of the K-T Boundary Layer that demarcates a layer of iridium from a massive meteor strike that likely doomed the dinosaurs.  It was a great hike in a more remote section of Trinidad State Park.  (K-T refers to Cretaceous - Tertiary)

More sights along the trail, including a beaver dam...

... a wildlife viewing blind

We found this cute little thing parked next to us in the church parking lot in Trinidad:

As we ventured westward deeper into Colorado, our route took us within 20 miles of Great Sand Dunes National Park.  We couldn't resist a quick two-hour visit.  This park was a favorite with the Kissell Kids many years ago.

Intriguing view of the dune field and clouds over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains

You might be able to make out the specks that are people at the crest of High Dune.  We have hiked to the top twice in our younger days.  Now, we are content to be observers from a distance.  Due to recent rains, the dunes had patterns of dark and light sand - a national park ranger referred to them as "tiger stripes."

    We had reserved a campsite in the Rio Grande National Forest with the intention of riding the Cumbres and Toltec Historic Railroad between Chama, NM, and Antonito, CO.  The excursion was canceled due to wildfires in New Mexico so we stayed only one night and moved on.  The hummingbirds were quite active in the campground.

Seen while geocaching:

building in Lamar, CO made out of petrified wood

Ruins of San Isador Church near Antonito, CO

"Reilly Reststop" geocache along Reilly Canyon Trail in Trinidad State Park

Off the Beaten Path on the High Plains

 June 20, 2022

Since leaving Springfield, Illinois, we drove across Missouri and Kansas.  Our route through Missouri took us the same way we traveled last summer.  We couldn't visit the covered bridge then because of flooding, so we made a point to visit it this time.

 

A stop near Kansas City to have breakfast with a former student of Brian's, Leah, was a nice diversion.

Hamilton, Missouri boasts of being the "Quilting Capital of the World and we learned it is the hometown of J.C. Penney.

World's largest spool of thread in front of the Missouri Quilt Museum.

The museum was closed so we didn't get to visit.

Half of the local library was devoted to James Cash Penney.

Wamego, Kansas is the home of the Oz Museum so we walked around a bit and took a stroll down an alley with scenes from the book and a yellow-painted brick walkway.

"Dorothy's House" with striped legs sticking out under the right side

For the past several years, Kris has kept a "Points of Interest" notebook by her chair in our den and when she comes across places she wants to visit while looking at social media posts and printed material, she jots them down.  At times, this notebook helps us to decide which route to take through a state.  Here is her page for Kansas:

This is how we ended up stopping in Wilson, Kansas and driving the Post Rock Scenic Byway to Lucas, Kansas.

World's largest Czech egg in Wilson

Also in Wilson, historic round jailhouse constructed of limestone:

Seen along the Post Rock Scenic Byway:

Pioneers quarried local limestone to use for fenceposts because wood was scarce

on the treeless plains.

Some posts had carvings

    As we entered Lucas, we saw signs claiming it to be the "Grassroots Art Center of Kansas."  We stopped to see the "World's Largest Collection of World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things." We were surprised to learn that we have visited some of the things in person.  Another unique place in town is "Garden of Eden"  created by Samuel Dinsmoor using concrete to depict Biblical scenes.

The quirkiest attraction in Lucas even won an award - the public restroom built in the shape of a toilet, honest!

concrete roll of TP

Mosaics inside and out

On the restroom wall

A few years ago, we came across the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum only to find it closed.  We routed ourselves through the town of La Crosse and found it open.  Next door, the Post Rock Museum that we didn't even notice before.  Knowledgeable docents on site were great.

A sampling of the 2,400 different kinds of wire labeled with patent numbers.

Bird nest made from barbed wire

On a more reflective note, we are early risers and typically get up before sunrise and are on the road after making coffee.  We really enjoy cruising back roads in the cool of the morning with the van windows down.  One morning, we ventured a mile down a gravel road and found the site of St. Patrick's Mission Church which was demolished by tornado in 2008.  This open air chapel was so serene that we lingered for a while before moving on.