Southwest Trip 2010 - Friday March 12/Saturday March 13

Our original plan had been to leave around 3 pm  for our trip to Chaco Canyon - but then we got invited to a private Storyhill "house concert" (thanks, Jim!).  There was no way that we could miss that....they are my recently discovered favorite band, and the bonus is the kids and Marc love them too.  So we had longer to pack and were at the concert at 7:20, ready to go.  The show was great...a house concert is a cool way to see a band you love...very intimate, laid back, casual.  I told Chris how much we all (even the kids) like his solo album.  At one point I turned to tell Jack to be quiet (the kids were sitting in an adjacent room) and realized he wasn't talking, he was singing.  He later informed me "I know the words to I-90 better than Chris and Johnny do!".    Jack made friends with a boy named Zach and they had a great time hanging out.  Jack asked if they could take a picture with the 4 of them and Chris and Johnny let the boys hold their guitars.

Chris Cunningham, Jack, Zack, and Johnny Hermanson

 The show ended and we talked to Chris and Johnny a little more about our trip and then hit the road.  The kids were very excited about driving all night...they thought that was a great adventure.  They were all up pretty late. I found out later Rosie and Logan were texting each other (!) until around midnight.  I drove until about 2 and then reached the point where I couldn't safely drive anymore, just before Des Moines, so I stopped and woke Marc up and he drove until Kansas City, where we got donuts and coffee.  We reached Topeka and called Marc's cousin Gwen and her husband to meet us for breakfast.  They had had a guest the night before and didn't get to the restaurant until we were done eating so it was a quick visit but very nice to see them. 

We drove for a while and stopped at a Wal-Mart somewhere in Kansas for groceries.  It was supposed to be a quick stop for sandwich supplies since we hadn't planned out all our camping meals but it ended up that we meal-planned as we shopped so it turned out to be a way, way too long stop. Jack and Logan race-walked around the store to burn off some energy.  We really liked these statues...you can have your own "outlaw" on your lawn, apparently.

We stopped at Pawnee Rock, a landmark on the Santa Fe Trail which we followed part of Saturday and Sunday. 


Logan, Marc, Jack, and Me on top of Pawnee Rock, KS



The Santa Fe Trail isn't as well known as the Oregon Traill; it was used more by merchants and traders. 

There are ruts visible in some spots. 


For Santa Fe Trail travelers, Pawnee Rock marked the halfway point of the trail and was one of the most prominent landmarks on the long journey. It was also used by Indians to spot bison herds and approaching wagon trains.  Jack's "Flat Stanley" was traveling with us on this trip.



The next stop was the very disappointing Dodge City. 

I figure I'm probably the only 42-year old mom in the country who loves "Gunsmoke" (thanks, Grandpa Harry, for passing on your love of all things Western!).  I was expecting something somewhat authentic.  Instead, the only real "old town" is a fenced off-admission only, recreated Western town.  We didn't pay to go in, we just walked along the main street a little. 

Jack in front of "Old" Dodge City

Dodge City was also an important part of the Chisholm and Western Trails.  5 million cattle were driven up these trail to Dodge City between 1875 and 1885.



Rosie, Logan and Jack at the Longhorn Statue



Wyatt Earp was the Deputy Marshal and Deputy Sheriff of Dodge City in the 1870's.



Wyatt Earp Satue



There was supposed to be a site just out of town where trail ruts were visible.  I stopped to ask directions and the clerk had no idea what I was talkng about (how is that possible?)...she asked if I meant the race track!  Hmmmmm.....Santa Fe Trail/Racetrack.  I don't get it.  Anyway, we found the site but we had a hard time seeing the remnants of the ruts.  In certain light you could barely discern what probably had been the ruts. 

We stopped for the night at a very remote campground in a national forest in extreme southwestern  Kansas.  There were only 2 other people camped there.


Cimarron National Forest Campsite - Elkheart, KS