Kansas is flat. This is not much of a revelation. However, knowing something and seeing something is very different. There is a particular beauty to the wide open spaces of the high plains. For one thing it affords a much fuller view of rainbows than can usually be observed. It is, however, a bit monotonous. We crossed Kansas in one day, spending one night on either end of this sprawling place. The first night was spent at a KOA just across the boarder from Colorado on 70. We had left the Denver area late Sunday afternoon after enjoying a weekend visiting. We knew we wouldn't get too far before night so we decided to aim close and save most of the driving for the next day. Ry had been our primary driver for multiple reasons but mostly because he hates to navigate. Usually we use google maps on my phone, any interaction between him and technology usually ends with swearing. However, there are time when I take the wheel so he can work on the blog or rest his eyes. Kansas was one of the times we switched. Before taking the wheel I had determined we would take a break midway through the state. A google search of "What to do off of I-70 in Kansas" revealed a wealth of information. One entry caught my eye, S.P. Dinsmoor's Garden of Eden. I checked out their website and quickly decided this was a must see. After driving a few hours on 70 I happily steered us in the direction of Lucas, to check out this "garden." Odd doesn't begin to explain such a place as Lucas. It's a small town far from anything with very few inhabitants but a lot of character. The"Garden of Eden" is definitely it's claim to fame, though it had a few other aces up it's sleeve. The house was built by Mr. Dinsmoor in 1904 when he retired at the age of 64. He bought the land in town and decided he would build a tourist attraction. The "Log Cabin" is built from locally quarried limestone, and is as unique as they come. You pay a few dollars to get a tour of the house and garden and get the whole history of the place. It was fascinating. Dinsmoor was a Populist and his politics come through in his art. We purchased a small book that explains his work in his own words. Definitely worth the $3. He explains all of the pieces he has created. He goes from the biblical with Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel then switches to the modern with Liberty and Anti-Trust sculptures. There's a great quote from his book that explains his art work, "Now this side is modern civilization as I see it. If it is not right then I am to blame, but if the Garden of Eden is not right Moses is to blame. He wrote it up and I built it." To top it all off he and his first wife are buried in his back yard mausoleum. He built it for his wife but the town told him he had to bury her in the town cemetery, which he did, and then gathered a few friends to go dig her up a few days later and cemented her in his mausoleum. The town let it go. He created a special coffin for himself that is glass on the top half. He writes about this as well in his book. He states "I have a will that none except my widow, my descendants, their husbands and wives, shall go in to see me for less than a $1.00." And so after you have paid your fee for the tour you can go look at Dinsmoor in his coffin. The girls opted out of this portion of the tour.
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| Dinsmoor's house. Modern civilization on the left side and the biblical to the right. |
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| Adam and Eve |
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| Abel's dog |
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| Abel slain and discovered by his wife. |
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| The trusts (meaning corporations) represented by an octopus with it's tentacles into everything |
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| A girl chasing a soldier who is aiming at an Indian. |
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| The Indian is aiming at a dog who is in turn chasing a fox who is chasing a bird who is after a worm who is eating a leaf. |
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| The Goddess of Liberty slaying the trusts |
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| The Crucifixion of Labor (he died before he completed this one) |
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| His mausoleum |
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| Stairs to the basement |
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| Every door and window was different |
As we left we were told we should check out the neighbors "Biggest Collection of the Smallest Big Things in the World" and the public toilet. We chose to checkout the toilet and skip the biggest small big stuff. I've got to say that if you ever find yourself in Lucas Kansas, visit the public restroom.
We ended our day in Clinton State Park on the Eastern edge of Kansas. There was a reservoir which the girls disappeared to explore upon our arrival. After a half hour of so of not hearing from them and some squawks on the walkie-talkie that might be out of range attempts at communication we decided to go see where they were. We were greeted by a maze of trails that wound down the forested hill to the reservoir. After fighting our way through spider webs and clouds of mayflies we finally located them a ways down the shore fossil hunting.
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| Kinsey found this great fern fossil |
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| The campground was a pretty spot with more bugs than any place we've been yet. |
In the morning we woke to find ourselves webbed in by a plethora of industrious spiders. We dewebbed and headed out determined to get through Missouri into Illinois by the evening.
