We slept pretty good! I was up very early when you go to bed at sunset you normally get up at sunrise. I don't mind those hours at all...We made breakfast in our site, the dogs got another good run and we packed up and pulled out. Drove South and crossed into Kansas. It's harvest time...
Saw many buildings that have seen better days...
This is really cool, I think I'd have gone with the "windmill" pattern....
If you're looking for lots of empty space Kansas is the place for you. This is the typical downtown in small towns...
Gove, KS.
and the typical intersection...
You can ride for miles and not see another human literally...
3 past souls...
I turned made a turn into a cornfield....and then down this lonely stretch of road...it went on and on and on...
This is a really beautiful area for sure...not like the rest of Kansas..
Wilma tried to direct me but a few of those "left" turns were closed off with barbed wire! I finally stopped listening to her and just used my instincts and finally I found it. The reason I was in this area in the first place...
Monument Rock, aka the Chalk Pyramids..
This was Kansas's First Natural Landmark. It is on Private Land, the Pyramid Ranch and Cattle Company, and they allow access across their ranch. I came in the back way...there is an easier approach south of Oakley. (off hwy 83) I had a feeling Wilma was wrong from the get go but I humored her...
It started to spit a little rain about the minute I arrived...but it didn't last long so I was able to get out and make a few photos...
The signs say that these chalk pyramids were created when an ancient inland sea drained 80 million yrs ago.! One monument fell in 1986 so if you want to see this better go soon...there is "pyramids" on each side of the dirt road...the van is there for scale...as you can see it's huge!
looking through the hole of the needle across the road to part 2 of the "pyramids"
Pyramid Ranch with Pyramids in the distance
On the way out I saw this dead coot in the road it was close to a very small pool of water...can't believe it was hit by a car?? No cars were around...I was amazed by the feet...how often do you get to see the feet of a coot??
On the fence I saw Horned Lark...
And now back on the Eastern side of the Rockies we have Yellow Shafted Flickers...(one is immature)
a very rural cemetery with a beautiful view...
I felt tired so we stayed at LAKE SCOTT SP not too far South of this location..
I took only a few photos there one of a Belted Kingfisher near my campsite by the boat ramp..
And the lake,
Clouds moved in ....they cleared out the next day and before we left we visited this landmark within the park...
the ancient ruins...El Cuartelejo, from 1696
The pueblo ruins
History here goes way back!!
OHHH some Wild Turkey showed up just as I was leaving the park..
Me, -Hello!-Them -Goodbye--!
In the morning we intersected Highway 4 a Scenic Byway and headed East ..
PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.
The house looks like a really rough wind came in and just stripped the place how sad. The salt pyramids are something else how interesting. The ruins of old Indian grounds are small and wonder if there were more scattered around and not found or just wasn't enough left to find. I never have seen a coots feet before and man they are ugly and look like Edward scissor hands. You sure did make the rounds and I don't bother using my GPS system just rely on my phone and a paper map. Glad you did it your way.
ReplyDeleteI would be lost for sure without my paper maps, I still use my 1998 Road Atlas, and I have 3 of about that same age...they are in pretty awful shape, I really want to find an old atlas that is spiral bound so if I leave it open it doesn't get all out of shape as mine are..these are big like 14 x 22! Kinda tough to handle without pulling over. I have one that has even the rest areas along a route marked. Hard to beat that. I don't think I've ever seen a coot out of water so it was exciting to see those Green legs and big feet although I hate he was dead!
DeleteThe pyramids are beautiful, very much worth a visit! What a shame about the Coot, I always think their feet are a touch comical!
ReplyDeletethe chartreuse green legs are amazing! It really saddened me he was dead, I should have taken him with me to bury him I was on private land, and it didn't dawn on me to take him with me to dig a hole and put him to rest.
DeleteI've never seen a Coot out of the water either... too bad this one didn't stay in it, but how very interesting to learn what those feet look like. The pyramids are quite amazing; glad you found them.... your descriptions of Kansas are spot on.... although we did find a few interesting places, they are few and far between unless sunflowers and soybeans are your favorite things to see (actually the sunflower fields were beautiful).
ReplyDeleteThat's why I was determined to get off the well beaten I-70 path and find some jewels in the cornfield so to speak!
DeleteGreat shot of the van in the arch. If I'm cycling and come across a dead bird I stop and have a good luck as unfortunately its a rare chance to have a really close look. Those feet are amazing and help them run effortlessly across the water and weeds.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures show how autumn and winter are fast approaching and the farming year is coming to an end.
Not good luck but should be good look. Its certainly not good luck for the poor bird.
DeleteI knew it was just a typo...but is it not weird how sawing off the foot of a rabbit is supposed to be good luck? Yuk. Since I totally didn't figure how I should have handled it, taking it someplace else to bury, I hope it at least became food for a hungry coyote or a vulture or some other creature who could benefit from the demise.
DeleteSnow has already began to cover the high mountains near my sisters home and most of the leaves are already fallen how fast it happens!! Here a wee bit of color is beginning to show. Our typical fall pattern is for gloomy fog and clouds both of which depress me.