What DO Explorers do?

Explorers are always looking out the car window for the next treasure. And when they find it, they don't just point at it but they go to it, absorb it, sit on it, find out all they can.

In this case, Kansas Explorer #8 Von Rothenberger, KE #4214 Erika Nelson, #81 Connie Dougherty, and #3015 Laura McClure were driving through Marysville. They saw this tree stump at the city park and before they could emit the first "wow," their vehicles had stopped and they found themselves crawling all over the log seat carved by Glen Lojka.

Connie took this picture of Von and Erika discussing great matters -- like the most creative bathroom they had ever seen.



Earlier in the day they had all stopped at Mule Skinner Lodge in Denison (Jackson Co.). Designed as a tribute to son Tim Kern, MuleSkinner Lodge is a project from the heart of his mom, Caroline (Matthews) Kern. It engenders all the things Tim, a naturalist and outdoorsman, loved.



Von took a picture of the bathroom floor. He had not seen a floor quite like this before. A stone floor with water flowing among the stones.



More of the bathroom. Note the sink on the right.



A close-up of the hollow log sink! Isn't this the coolest thing?



A shower that makes you feel like you're in the forest. The shower comes at you like a waterfall.



A sink like no other.

(All pictures except the one by Von were taken by Connie Dougherty)

Please go to www.muleskinnerlodge.com to find out more about this one-of-a-kind getaway in Jackson County. These pictures only touch the visual surface.

OK. Now you know. The job of an Explorer is to find the niftiest spaces in little known places and share the discovery with the world. The journey that happens within yourself when you come upon these treasures might be the best of all.

I can't wait to go to MuleSkinner Lodge myself and "Get Kansas!" through Caroline's eyes. I hope you do, too.

KE #2 Marci Penner