Kansas Konnections – More Kansas Adventures

Larry is from Hays, Kansas, and he still has quite a bit of family that still lives in the area. We travel to Kansas quite often. It is only about a 4 1/2 drive from our house. But we go down I-70, and that’s about it. This time we were heading down to Pratt to visit with our nephew Jared and his family before going Ollie’s party. We got to see a lot more of Kansas too. Parts that Larry had never seen either.

We stopped in Oakley, and saw the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center.

A mural depicting things and people that helped shaped Kansas.

We went to Monument Rock, outside of Oakley, which was quite impressive. These magnificent large monoliths, rising as high as 70 feet, 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 receded, it left behind these magnificent marine sedimentary deposits that have eroded over time. Every inch represents 700 years of history! In 1968 Monument Rocks was designated as the first National Natural Landmark in Kansas and in 2006 was voted one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas.

We saw bats and bat nests, a “leaping deep” and a turtle.

At first we thought these were swallows’ nests, but it turns out they were bats.

“Leaping deer” became a running joke with Dennis and Lee during our travels. Lee had commented on the deer signs that all looked like they were leaping. The deer we saw in Kansas really was leaping. It was leaping through the tall grasses and was on the move.

This little guy was on the side of the road, just taking it slow and easy.

And we saw this beautiful bird flying too.

After leaving Monument Rock, we went into the fossil museum, which was nearby.

These were all fossils found in the area, dating back millions of years ago, when Kansas was buried under the sea. I am GLAD I don’t encounter these creatures when diving today! They look pretty scary!

From here, we went to Pratt, for a couple of nights with Jared and Lexi. These are just some of the sights we saw along the way.

The further south we went, the greener the pastures became.

This is very different from Hays. Hays is brown and dusty, and not nearly so lush. I like southern Kansas much better than Hays. But Hays is where we have to go to visit with Larry’s family.

Make everyday an adventure. Even if you are going to places you always go, challenge yourself to find something new about every place you go. 🙂 Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.