A Trip to the Pyramids: Kansas Staycation

We took a trip to the Pyramids. And we didn't even have to pull our passports out of the safety deposit box. In fact, we didn't leave the state.

Contrary to those who think Kansas is a "flyover" state or who believe it is simply a boring, flat landscape on the way to Colorado, our state offers a diverse topography. Drive through the Flint Hills on a spring day and enjoy a rolling green carpet of native grasslands undulating over the gentle rises. Travel west of Medicine Lodge and experience the Gyp Hills, also known as the Red Hills, a nod to the iron oxide or rust in the red-tinged soil. They are the rolling hills, mesas, canyons and buttes of central Kansas.

The Chalk Pyramids -- or Monument Rocks -- rise out of the western Kansas prairie. On more than one occasion, I've longingly looked at the sign off of I-70, pointing south toward Monument Rocks. But we've always been on our way to somewhere else or hurrying to get home, so the big brown highway sign soon faded away in our rearview mirror.

The Kansas Master Farmer/Master Farm Homemaker group took a Discover Kansas trip to Scott County the final weekend of April. (More on that in this post.) But our hosts - Millie Dearden and Jim & Eilene Minnix - also included a trip to Monument Rocks. We traveled up US-83 and then bounced along gravel roads to the site in the middle of a pasture in western Gove County. 

 

I'm so glad our hosts made a little time in the schedule for us to travel to this hidden Kansas treasure. Seeing how these formations towered over us and up toward the clear blue Kansas sky filled me with awe of God's creative hand. 

In 2007, the Kansas Sampler Foundation named Monument Rocks as one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas. The 70-feet-tall sedimentary formation of Niobrara Chalk were created 80 million years ago when the area was part of a vast inland sea. The site was the first National Natural Landmark designated by the U.S. Department of Interior in 1968.

They were created during the Cretaceous Period of geologic history when the area was covered by the Niobrara seaway, which extended from the present day Gulf of Mexico north through Canada.
When the sea evaporated, it left behind fossilized sea organisms that became chalk deposits. Monument Rocks, as well as nearby Castle Rock, and numerous sandstone bluffs in the area are today collectively known as the “Badlands of Kansas.”

Many of the fossils discovered in Kansas have been unearthed from these chalk beds. The material was perfect for trapping and preserving the remains of animals that lived in that ocean, such as fish, turtles, sharks, swimming reptiles called mossasaurs and plesiosaurs, swimming birds, gliding reptiles called pterosaurs, as well as invertebrate animals such as giant clams. Probably the best-known fossil from these beds is the famous "fish-within-a-fish" on display at the Sternberg Museum in Hays. (More on the Sternberg Museum in an upcoming blog post.)

The site was first noted by explorers when John C. Fremont made his famous expeditions in the 1840’s. Later, when the Smoky Hill Trail was blazed through the area to the Colorado Gold fields in the 1860s, pioneers were also, no doubt, amazed by the towering formations sitting quietly on the mostly unbroken plains.

From the Legends of America website

One of the most photographed locations at Monument Rocks is the "Keyhole" or "Keyhole Arch."  Folklore has that this arch started to form many years ago after someone started shooting at the rocks and a bullet went through a thin part of the formations starting what would eventually erode to this  arch formation.

Seeing Monument Rocks has been on my bucket list. But I still want to make another trip and witness them at sunrise and sunset.

We've already been talking about how to make that happen.

The formation below is called the camel. Can you see it?

You can if you travel off of I-70 and along the back roads of this wonderful state I call home!

Even though it's been a few weeks since we toured Monument Rocks, it's a great idea for a summer Staycation in Kansas. See more ideas for Kansas Staycations in upcoming blog posts!

Kansas Staycation: Scott County

Our Kansas Master Farmer/Master Farm Homemaker group has made it a priority to Discover Kansas with a field trip each spring or summer. Even though many of us are lifelong Kansans, we haven't explored every nook and cranny of our home state. Discover Kansas gives us a chance to celebrate the beauty, history and industry of the Sunflower State.

Staycations" are a growing trend - a way to have a little holiday without spending a lot of time and money. After visiting Scott County with Discover Kansas, it could be one summer destination for a staycation. 

As I wrote in my last blog post, Scott County residents are investing in themselves. They've found ways to survive - and even thrive - in a volatile agricultural economy by thinking outside the proverbial box. They could be among the success stories found by authors James and Deborah Fallows in their recently-released book, "Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America."

Agriculture is still Scott County's "bread and butter," so to speak. It's 2nd in Kansas in total production agriculture and 32nd in the nation (2012 figures). It's a place with quality farm ground and also is a hub for animal agriculture, with 17 commercial cattle feeders, six commercial swine operations and one dairy.

But they've also found some value-added components to agriculture, including NuLife Market.

NuLife Market Founder and President Earl Roemer gave us a tour. Earl’s family has farmed in the western Kansas for four generations. For years, his family grew grain sorghum – also called milo – as a feed grain crop for livestock. But then Earl began exploring how sorghum could be a human food source, especially as more and more consumers wanted gluten-free products. Sorghum has no gluten.

He admits that the early grain sorghum products “tasted like cardboard and the texture was like sand.” In 2007, Earl founded NuLife Market in Scott City to produce and market sorghum-based products and sell sorghum ingredients to other food companies.

NuLife uses sorghum grown in the region, providing value-added opportunities for area farmers. And now NuLife supplies sorghum and sorghum products for companies like Kashi, Bear Naked, Go Lean and Annie's Organic, just to name a few. Their sorghum products can be found in more than a thousand products, such as gluten-free baked goods, cereal bars and snacks, represented by some 80 brands. Nu Life Market is shipping its products coast to coast and beyond.

Another business with a reach far beyond the county is the Spencer Flight Center, a pilot training center created as a memorial to Scott City residents Dylan and Amy Spencer ad their daughters, Chase and Ansley, who died in a crash of their private plane in 2011. It's equipped with the only full-motion flight simulator between Denver and Salina. The simulator gives pilots a chance to train on a Beechcraft A36, Beechcraft BE58, Cessna 172 and a Cessna 206 under varying weather conditions.

That evening, we had a prime rib dinner at the Majestic Theater Restaurant in downtown Scott City.  The theater was built in 1922 and was a theater until 1966. The restaurant features original interior components including a decorative ceiling, wall lighting and large wall tapestries.

Next stop was the  El Quartelejo Museum. It traces the history of the region through fossil discoveries to present day. Displays feature both Native American and pioneer history. Attached to the museum is the Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection. The Scott City native now lives in Manhattan, but he opened the gallery in his hometown. His art and collection focus on Native American, Civil War, Indian War, cowboys and wildlife.

The next morning, we actually saw some of the history we first learned about at the El Quartelejo Museum when we toured Battle Canyon. It's where the last Indian battle in Kansas was fought in September 1878.

Punished Woman's Fork includes a monument which overlooks the cave, canyon and the bluffs where the Northern Cheyenne hid, waiting to ambush the Cavalry.

As usual, Randy had to explore the cave a little more closely. The cave sheltered the Cheyenne women and children during the battle.

The draw to the northwest was the escape route for the Cheyenne after the battle.

More Native American history was found at Lake Scott State Park. The El Cuartelejo Indian Pueblo is the 1664 reconstructed pueblo ruins of the Taos Indians, who were fleeing Spanish rule.

 

It was later used by the Picurie Indians in 1701. The ruins were discovered by Herbert Steele in the mid-1890s. In 1970, the Kansas Historical Society began excavation and restoration.

Lake Scott State Park includes natural springs, wooded canyons and bluffs.

 

The 1,020-acre park surrounds a 100-acre, spring-fed lake.

There's a building where some groceries are available, along with rental of canoes, paddle boats and some fishing and camping supplies.

 

 Its arches provided a perfect frame for photos of the lake. 

We also stopped at a new business in Scott County, the Bellwether Barn. Owner Susan Griffith told us that her daughters used to ask their dad to build them a barn for their weddings. Dad wasn't convinced, but it sparked an idea with mom. She finally convinced him and Bellwether Barn was built. And, yes, they have had a daughter get married there. So have a bunch of other couples from the area. It's also been a revue for meetings and conventions and has become another cog in the tourism of Scott County.

We also took a trip to Monument Rocks. More on that next time.  I'm planning to share several ideas for Kansas Staycations in upcoming blog posts. 

Ah Kansas!

Ah Kansas! Even if your vacation budget doesn't allow a trip out of state this year, there are plenty of hidden treasures to explore in the Sunflower State.

Our Discover Kansas event for Master Farmer-Master Farm Homemaker took us to north central Kansas in May. We explored Cloud County the first day and then went to neighboring Republic County the next.

Our first stop in Republic County was the Boyer Museum of Animated Carvings. He may not have "engineer" in his title, but Paul Boyer's ability to put carve figures or combine wire and gears and make them move is amazing.

We didn't get to meet Paul Boyer, but his two daughters, Annie and Candy, manage and operate the museum in Belleville. Paul doesn't make blueprints for his designs. He says if he can see it in his head, he can build it, though he has only an 8th grade education. He made his first carving at age 12. But it wasn't until 1965 that Paul began carving and creating in earnest. At that time, he was in an accident and lost his leg. Then, he contracted Hepatitis C through a blood transfusion.

He made the majority of the 65 carvings featured at the museum since that time. His animated, hand-carved figurines include people, animals, farm machinery and other vehicles. He hand paints each figurine. His largest animated sculpture is a lady on a bicycle outside the museum. During the summer, the Boyer Museum is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 1 to 5 PM and other times by appointment.

Our next stop was the Belleville Highbanks Museum. The highbanks is called the world's fastest half-mile dirt track and is the oldest continuously used dirt track in the U.S. The track was built in 1910 for racing everything from horses to motorcycles.

Photo from the Belleville Highbanks website - Photo credit - Kenneth Naysmith

In the 1930s, a limestone grandstand with banked oval was built at the Republic County Fairgrounds as a Works Progress Administration project.

With the exception of the war years, 1942-45, the track has operated continuously. Every summer, racers from across the nation come to compete at the Belleville Midget Nationals car race. The Belleville Highbanks has launched many racing careers.

Photo by G.T. Miller from the website

Racing names such as Andretti, Unser and Foyt raced there 50 years ago. More recently, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer have raced on the Kansas track. This year, the 39th Midget Nationals will be on August 5 and 6.

The museum has some of the cars which have made their mark on the highbanks clay track, which has a 23-degree bank is is 80 feet wide.

Our final stop in Republic County was the Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site.

The Pawnee were the dominant power on the Central Plains. The Kitkehahki or Republican band of Pawnee settled along the Republican River about 1820.

Trees line the banks of the Republican River today (about at the mid-point in the photo).

The walled Indian community, which had more than 40 large earth lodges, had a winter population of 1,000 Native Americans. By 1830,the village was abandoned and the band of Pawnee moved north, closer to other Pawnee bands.

In 1901 about half of the area of the village was given to the State of Kansas for preservation and portions of the site were excavated by archeologists in the 1940s and 1960. In 1967, a museum building was built around the excavated floor of one of the largest earth lodges.

If you have a day for a short trip, Republic County offers several options for sightseeing. If you combine it with the attractions in Cloud County, it could easily provide a weekend getaway on a tank of gas.

A Different Side of World War II: Camp Concordia

On this Memorial Day, amidst the images of flags and celebrations, I've remembered a lonely tower in the middle of a Kansas field.

Earlier this month, Randy and I participated in the Discover Kansas trip with the Kansas Master Farmer-Homemaker group. One of our stops was at Camp Concordia. Before the tour, I didn't realize that Kansas had a number of POW camps during World War II. One of them was Camp Concordia, located 2 miles north and 1 mile east of the Cloud County town.

From May 1, 1943 through November 8, 1945, more than 4,000 German soldiers were transported to the north central Kansas camp, located on 157.5 acres just outside Concordia. The camp was built at a cost of $1.8 million and consisted of 313 buildings, including a hospital, post, restaurants, fire department, and barracks.

Of course, some 815 of our U.S. military personnel were stationed at Camp Concordia during World War II, guarding the prisoners and interacting with them.

Photo from the Camp Concordia website. This picture of Camp Concordia was taken from the water tower in the fall of 1945.

Since Camp Concordia was strategically located in the heartland of America, many of the prisoners were employed on local farms.

Army trucks transported the POWs to the surrounding farms, where they earned a small wage from the farmers for their work.

From www.powcampconcordia.org
Though some local citizens were against prisoners being awarded freedom beyond the confines of the camp, farmers were thankful to have additional help, especially with so many young locals away in service to their country. With the passage of time, warm bonds formed between farm families and prisoners. The "education" both "sides" forged in the course of these working relationships was perhaps more enduring than any college curriculum could offer.

This picture is of an army truck with a POW work detail and their guards passing through Concordia. Photo from the Camp Concordia website.

While most of the old Camp Concordia has been returned back to farmland, a few of the original buildings still remain, including one of the stone guard towers, the water tower base, a Main Gate Guard post and officers club. In July 2015, Camp Concordia's warehouse building - called T-9 - opened as a museum.

During World War II,  nearly every state in the nation had at least one POW camp. An estimated 360,000 POWs were held on U.S. territory during the war. Camp Concordia was the largest of 16 camps in Kansas. It mainly housed German prisoners who'd been captured in battles in North Africa.

 

Camp Concordia was built as a model POW camp, but because approximately 50 of the first prisoners at the compound were Nazi officers, the atmosphere quickly turned oppressive and threatening. After a number of violent episodes, the Army transferred 44 Nazi leaders away from Concordia. As measures of restoring order to the camp, the library removed Nazi reading material and instituted college coursework for prisoners under the jurisdiction of the University of Kansas.

POWs were housed, fed, clothed, allowed mail and paid for work. The camp was run by the rules set forth in the Geneva Convention of July 1929, which required the humane treatment of prisoners.

The POWs at Camp Concordia had several bands and orchestras, among them the 47th Grenadier Band. The POW dance band played for USO dances.

 Photo from the Camp Concordia website.

During its two years of operation, the camp saw only two escapes and eight POW deaths.

On May 7, 1945, the German officially surrendered. The last prisoners departed Camp Concordia on October 31, 1945, and the camp closed for good on November 8, 1945.

Camp Concordia is open by appointment only. Contact Cloud County Tourism for guided tours: 785-243-4303.

Camp Concordia was just one stop of several in Cloud County. My favorite was the historic Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia. I love stained glass windows and their chapel was full of them.

Their gardens were nearly as colorful as the stained glass windows.

The Whole Wall Mural is also impressive. It's the longest sculpted brick mural in the U.S. It was on the eastern wall of the Cloud County Historical Society Museum, which was packed to the brim with artifacts from the county and region.

Bob's Toy Barn in Clyde had aisles and aisles of farm toys and other well-displayed vehicles from Bob Condray, who has been named to the National Farm Toy Hall of Fame.

Besides collecting ready-made toys, Bob makes his own in an attached workshop. I would challenge anyone to figure out which are which.

And we ate supper that night at the LCL Buffalo Ranch.

The Discover Kansas events are a good reminder that we have plenty of tourist-worthy attractions in our own backyard. Summer vacation doesn't have to mean leaving the state. It could be as close as a tank of gas and a little time.

More later on the Republic County portion of our Discover Kansas tour!