Eastern Kansas; not as flat as it is made out to be, but almost.

After several months with the ORV in storage, we decided it was time to dust off the rig and launch our first western adventure of 2025. We were so eager to get rolling that we left Illinois four days ahead of schedule—partly to break up the long haul to Denver, and partly to poke around the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas.

For all of you guys that fly over this part of the country, Kansas is not all flat. There are quite a few cattle operations in the hill country on the eastern side of the state.  Interspersed are significant segments of the native tall grass prairie that once covered a third of the continental United States.

While in the Flint Hills, the Princess and I walked a few miles through the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve close to Strong City, KS.  This Preserve is owned by The Nature Conservancy and managed by the National Park Service. The preserve encompasses approximately 10,894 acres of the Flint Hills region, one of the last remaining expanses of tallgrass prairie in the country. The centerpiece of the preserve is the historic Spring Hill Ranch, established in 1878 by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. The ranch’s limestone Second Empire-style house, barn, and other structures reflect the region’s ranching heritage.

I planned to take a dark sky photograph of a one-room stone schoolhouse while in the area. All day long, the sky was clear blue without a cloud in sight. In an earlier life, I may have been able to make a living as a “rain-maker” back when there was a call for that profession.  As the sun set that day, the clouds rolled in, dark and wet.  As it turns out, this exact scenario of sunny days and rainy nights would be with us most of the trip.

Not far away from the Tall Grass Preserve is the Kanza Prairie. This 8,600-acre area is also owned by The Nature Conservancy and used by Kansas State University as a field research area. When we were hiking there, some wildflowers were starting to bloom along the pathways through the six-foot-tall dried grass from the previous year.

One of the highlights of our short stay in eastern Kansas was a visit to the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene. Upon entering the visitor center, we were greeted by a very enthusiastic host who seemed slightly overwhelmed by the modest crowd. She explained to the two people ahead of us that the site includes several buildings—the two most significant being the museum and the library, as well as a chapel and Eisenhower’s boyhood home. We listened politely, again, as she repeated the same information verbatim to us when we stepped up to her desk. Efficiency is key, I suppose.

When Sherrie asked about exhibits, we were told, rather oddly, that the library building had nothing in it. That seemed… unlikely. So when we entered the museum, we asked the staff member at the front desk why the massive building across the way—roughly the size of two football fields—was apparently empty.

He gave us a look that said, “Bless your hearts,” and clarified that the library houses over 26 million pages of historical documents, 335,000 photographs, and 38,000 sound recordings. However, all of that requires academic credentials and an appointment to access.

But not to worry—there was a 15-minute film available in the library lobby for the rest of us.

After that, we spent about an hour in the museum, which was excellent, and another 45 minutes wandering the grounds. As with other Presidential Libraries, we came away moved by the history and dedication of the former President. A stop here is well worth the time.

I liked being in the Flint Hills, but the Colorado mountains were calling. After a couple of days, it was time to move on.

Dennis

It takes The Princess quite a while every morning to style her hair just right for our adventures.

Notes:

• We used Harvest Host sites while in Eastern Kansas. There aren’t many options to choose from, but we found a nice place to spend the night. Flint Hills Metal Detectors was a reasonable distance from the Tall Grass Preserve. The parking was easy, and the night sky was beautiful until the clouds rolled in. We arrived late, but the host provided all the necessary information to get situated.

• We also stayed at the Rowantree Farm outside of Abilene, where Sherrie got acquainted with some new friends.

• If you’re passing by Hayes in search of a cup of coffee, the Breathe Coffee House is a recommended stop. Try a scone served with a side of whipped cream. You will not be sorry.