It's Kansas Day!

I love this day. Love concentrating on the great state we live in.

To me, it's the little things that make it great. Things like...

...putting my foot on the brass rail at Brant's Meat Market and chatting with Doug before I buy some sausage

...shouting my name at Echo Cliff (near Dover) and hear it come bouncing back

...sticking my toes in the clear waters at Shoal Creek at Schermerhorn Park and closing my eyes to imagine early-day Route 66 travelers stopping here to do the same

...climbing to the crest of Point of Rocks at Cimarron National Grassland and imagining Santa Fe Trail wagons coming in to view

...standing beside the Brewster Higley cabin north of Athol and running my fingers over the words to his poem (now state song) etched on the side of the cabin

...tracing the outline of home plate at Walter Johnson's country birth site near Humboldt

...climbing the steep path to the top of the bluff on the Kansas/Nebraska line near White Cloud to find the survey marker

...staring in awe at the Father Kapaun memorial near the church at Pilsen and thinking of the love and compassion he gave his fellow POW's

...walking inside the St. Mary's Church at St. Benedict for the predictable jaw-dropping view

...having a picnic at the base of the Monument Rocks

...swinging on the tree swings at the Hays city cemetery

...taking the trail below the iron truss bridge at Elk Falls to splash around on the big flat stones

...going in to any small town and just talking to the people.

I adore what this state offers in its architecture, art, commerce, cuisine, customs, geography, history, and people. It's the total package. It's won my heart a million times and I look forward to enjoy every step of the journey yet to come.

Where do you want explore this year?

To explore the state is to "get" her, is to love her.

Happy Kansas Day.

KE #2 Marci Penner

Symbols of Kansas

Feel free to cut and paste this and use it as you wish
to help celebrate Kansas Day, January 29

KANSAS BECAME A STATE JANUARY 29, 1861
On January 29, 186, President James Buchanan signed the bill that admitted Kansas as the 34th state. This was one of the precipitating events that led to the Civil War. Three months after Kansas became a state, the first shots of the Civil War broke out at Fort Sumter, South Carolina.

It was a painstaking process for Kansas to become a state. In 1858, James Buchanan recommended that the Lecompton Constitution be adopted for Kansas, which would have allowed slavery in the state. Congress voted it down. Battles, massacres, deception, angst, fiery speeches, arson, and passionate pleas are just a few of the events that occurred to gain statehood as a free state. Kansas state seal, adopted 1861. On May 25, 1861, the Kansas State Legislature adopted the state's seal.

Kansas state flower: Wild Native Sunflower, adopted 1903.
Nearly 3,000 years ago, the sunflower was domesticated for food production by the Native Americans.

Kansas state bird: Western Meadowlark, adopted Kansas Day 1925.
The Western Meadowlark was selected the state bird after a vote by over 121,000 school children. Western Meadowlarks are ground nesters and ground feeders.

Kansas state flag, adopted 1927.
First flown at Fort Riley by Governor Ben Paulin for the troops at Fort Riley and for the Kansas National Guard and officially adopted by the Kansas State Legislature on May 21, 1927.

Kansas state march: The Kansas March, adopted 1935 and Here’s Kansas, adopted 1992.
Duff Middleton wrote the music for “The Kansas March” and it was adopted by the legislature in 1935. Bill Post of Geuda Springs wrote the words and music for “Here’s Kansas” which was adopted as a second Kansas state March in 1992.

Kansas state tree: Eastern Cottonwood, adopted 1937.
Cottonwoods can be either male or female. It is the fluffy white seeds produced by the females during early summer that give the tree its name.

Kansas state song: Home on the Range, adopted 1947.
Dr. Brewster M. Higley originally wrote the words in a poem called "My Western Home" in the early 1870s in Smith County. The music was written by a friend of Higley's named Daniel E. Kelley.

Kansas state animal: American Bison, adopted 1955.
A single herd of bison in 1871 located southwest of what is now Dodge City was carefully estimated to have over 4 million members! Bison bulls may weigh a ton, cows top out around 1,100 pounds. They can run 35 MPH for long distances.
Source: gpnc.org/kansas1.htm

Kansas state insect: Honeybee, adopted 1976.
There is only one queen in a hive and her main purpose in life is to make more bees.

Kansas state reptile: Ornate Box Turtle, adopted 1986.
The word "ornate" means elaborately decorated. The 1985-86 6th grade class in Caldwell, Kansas did a massive campaign to get the ornate box turtle named state reptile.

Kansas state soil: Harney Silt Loam, adopted 1990.
Harney soils are recognized as prime farmland and have excellent properties for producing food and fiber crops. These soils occur on about 4 million acres in west-central Kansas.

Kansas state amphibian: Barred Tiger Salamander, adopted 1994.
The Barred Tiger Salamander are the largest terrestrial salamanders in the world – up to 14 inches in length.

Knowing our Kansas symbols help us "Get Kansas!"

KE #2 Marci Penner

Do you know all the words to "Home on the Range"?

Happy Kansas Day Week!

In 1947 the state legislature adopted "Home on the Range" as our state song. The words were written by Brewster Higley in his cabin in 1871 or 1872 and the music was composed by Dan Kelly, who lived in southern Smith County for awhile.

If you are looking for a perfect way to commemorate Kansas Day you might travel to Smith County to Mr. Higley's cabin on Beaver Creek. The cabin is located on private property but we all have permission to walk around the (deteriorating) cabin and read the words to the song on the side of the building. Hopefully you can pick up a brochure which tells the whole fascinating story about how the song came to be. The cabin is located 8 miles north of Athol on K-8, then 1 mile west. Follow the mile-long, narrow driveway to the 1872 cabin and former home of Brewster Higley.

When you stand by his cabin you'll understand why he wrote the words.

He didn't know he was writing words to "Home on the Range" but rather a poem called "My Western Home."

  VERSE 1
   Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam,
   where the deer and the antelope play,
   Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
   And the sky is not clouded all day.

  CHORUS
   A home, a home where the deer and the antelope play,
   Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
   And the sky is not clouded all day.

  VERSE 2
   Oh, give me the gale of the Solomon vale,
   Where life streams with buoyancy flow,
   On the banks of the Beaver, where seldom if ever
   Any poisonous herbage doth grow.

  VERSE 3
   Oh, give me the land where the bright diamond sand
   Throws its light from the glittering stream
   Where glideth along the graceful white swan,
   Like a maid in a heavenly dream.

  VERSE 4
   I love the wild flowers in this bright land of ours;
   I love too the wild curley's scream,
   The bluffs and white rocks and antelope flocks
   That graze on the hillsides so green.

  VERSE 5
   How often at night, when the heavens are bright
   With the light of the glittering stars,
   Have I stood here amazed and asked as I gazed
   If their glory exceeds this of ours.

  VERSE 6
   The air is so pure, the breezes so free,
   The zephyrs so balmy and light,
   I would not exchange my home here to range
   Forever in azure so bright.

To stand here and softly sing the song to yourself is to "Get Kansas."

KE #2 Marci Penner

The 24 Geography finalists according to physiographic region

Greetings to the World!

Today I am going to share with you 24 of the most unique geographical sites in Kansas -- in fact, they are the 24 finalists for the 8 Wonders of Kansas Geography! And, indeed, they are a fine representation of the diversity of Kansas.

In fact, raise your hand if you've heard of the eleven physiographic regions of Kansas. Ah, I don't see many hands up. The Sci-Tec online dictionary defines a physiographic region as "a landform considered with regard to its origin, cause, or history."

So, here's your geography lesson for today. I'll list the 24 finalists under descriptions of the physiographic regions. Note that some finalists fit into more than one region. Region descriptions come from information on the Kansas State (KDOT) map and the hyperlink takes you to more detailed information at the Kansas Geological Survey site.

ARKANSAS RIVER LOWLANDS: The river that produced the Royal Gorge 240 miles to the west cuts the High Plains of southwest Kansas, leaving sand and gravel deposits, irregular hills, and sand dunes over a wide area.

• *Bartlett Arboretum, Belle Plaine
• Brenham Meteorites (the meteorites happened to fall hear), near Haviland

CHAUTAUQUA HILLS: A sandstone-capped rolling upland that extends into the Osage Cuestas from the southern Kansas border. Approximately 10 miles wide.

• Cross Timbers State Park, near Toronto

CHEROKEE LOWLANDS: Bituminous coal veins are near the surface in this region where thousands of acres have been strip-mined.

• Mined Land Wildlife Area, Cherokee, Crawford & Labette counties

FLINT HILLS: Stretching north and south across the state, this is an area of beautiful scenery and unexcelled pasture land. Elevation differences vary from 100-400 feet. The area is named for the chert or flint rock that covers the bluestem slopes.

• Konza Prairie, Manhattan
• Native Stone Scenic Byway, Wabaunsee & Shawnee counties
• *Pillsbury Crossing Wildlife Area, near Manhattan

HIGH PLAINS: This region comprises almost all of the western one-third of the state. It is an area of vast flatlands and gently rolling hills, with topographic relief largely restricted to streams and river valleys.

• Arikaree Breaks, Cheyenne County
• *Big Basin Prairie Preserve, Clark County
• Cimarron National Grassland, Morton County
• Lake Scott State Park, Scott County
• Mount Sunflower, Wallace County

GLACIATED REGION: This area is bounded by the Kansas and Blue rivers. There are rounded hills and broad valleys with glacial deposits of quartzite on some of the hills.

• Alcove Spring, near Blue Rapids
• Four-State Lookout, White Cloud
• Kaw Point Park, Kansas City

OSAGE QUESTAS: This is a hill-plain or broad-terrace panorama with the eastern slopes of the hills steeper than the western slopes. These is a plentiful limestone supply here.

• Elk River Hiking Trail, western Montgomery County
• Native Stone Scenic Byway, Wabaunsee & Shawnee counties
• *Pillsbury Crossing Wildlife Area, near Manhattan

OZARK PLATEAU: The Ozark region begins in the extreme southeast corner of Kansas. Crinoids, trilobites, and other fossils may be found in this area.

• Schermerhorn Park, near Galena

RED HILLS: Located along the state's south central boundary, this province has sandstone and shale stained red. Also included are areas of rugged hills, buttes, and mesas.

• *Big Basin Prairie Preserve Preserve, Clark County
• Gyp Hills Scenic Drive & Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway, Barber & Comanche counties

SMOKY HILLS: There are three hill ranges. Dakota sandstone makes up the first hill range. Greenhorn limestone makes up the middle hill range, an area known as Post Rock Country. The third range, chalk bluffs in the Smoky Hill River valley, produced some astonishing rock formations in Logan and Gove counties. A large sea once covered the area. Fossils found in the rock made the area famous for paleontology studies.

• Coronado Heights, near Lindsborg
  
• Geographic Center of the Contiguous United States, Lebanon
  
• Maxwell Wildlife Refuge, near Canton
• Mushroom Rock, Ellsworth County and Rock City, Minneapolis
• Post Rock Scenic Byway, Ellsworth, Lincoln & Russell counties
• Sternberg Natural History Museum, Hays

WELLINGTON-MCPHERSON LOWLANDS: Permeable sand and gravel and a large quantity of high-quality water in the Equus beds underlie some of this area. Salt mines and marshes are nearby.

• *Bartlett Arboretum, Belle Plaine

*on the cusp of a region

I'm not sure about Kaw Point Park. Should it be in the Glacial Hills region or Osage Cuestas?

If you're lucky enough to have a 2003-2004 Kansas State (KDOT) map, the whole state will be color coded showing the regions. In more recent years, there is a small section on the map that shows these color coded regions.

Have fun getting to know the diversity of Kansas geography!

And, make sure to vote for the 8 Wonders of Kansas Geography.

The contests are designed to help you "Get Kansas!"

KE #2 Marci Penner

Make it a Kansas Christmas!

A friend had the question. What to give the son-in-law? He lives in another state and will be back from Afghanistan by the time he gets the holiday goods.

Here was her great solution which was prompted by an article Crawford County Convention & Visitors Bureau director Craig Hull wrote in his Pittsburg Morning Sun column.

So far her gift basket of Kansas products includes:
Grannie's Homemade Mustard, Hillsboro grannieshomemademustard.com
Knackie's Bear-B-Cue, Inman bear-b-cue.com
Art & Mary's Potato Chips, Cheney artsandmarys.com
Voran-Goertzen Peppernuts, Goessel peppernuts.net
Circle's Pecans, McCune circlespecans.com
Helmuth Bakery Homemade Noodles, Hutchinson helmuthfoods.com
Blacksmith Roastery Coffee, Lindsborg blacksmithcoffee.com

He'll just love this!

She could add:
A Caramel Apple MarCon pie or any other delicious flavor, Washington marconpies.com
A bottle of Kansas wine winesofkansas.com
Schlaegel's Homegrown Popcorn, Whiting popcorngifts.net
Buffalo meat, Smoky Hill Bison, Assaria bisonfarm.com
Muffin mixes, dried soup mixes, Louisburg rabbitcreekgourmet.com

ONE-STOP SHOPPING!
You could go to one-stop shopping and order most of these from Kansas Originals Market near Wilson! Click here, then under the catalog, click food products. Or, go visit them at the Wilson exit, just north of I-70.

THERE'S MORE!
Add Kansas art or photographs!
Add Kansas music! Ann Zimmerman, Kelly Hunt, Diamond W Wranglers, and so, so many more!
Add Kansas books!

For more ideas, here's an online Christmas shopping guide!

Giving Kansas is a meaningful gift. So instead of "Get Kansas" we're suggesting "Give Kansas!"

KE #2 Marci Penner

What I loved about the Outhouse Festival in Elk Falls

I love EVERYTHING about the Elk Falls Outhouse Festival.

It's a highly clever event that involves the community and is very fun for the public. That it happens in a small town of 112 is just a super bonus.

Aside from the main feature, there is an arts-and-crafts fair in the auditorium, rummage sales around town, 4-H sells goodies, there are activities for kids, and the senior citizen center, the cafe, and the the Mills' from Moline sell food. A quilt show is located in a small wooden church -- near the apple dumplings!

I felt good about buying $157 worth of stamps at the small post office and was glad for the post master's response that that would make her monthly report look good.


We got to help Dorothy -- sort of. She has run the "front desk" for so many years that you don't really want to mess up her system. It's a dollar for a button and a judging ballot. Then she checks to see if the number on the back of your button gives you a shot at the door prize table. Or, you can buy a jar of gravel from the front desk and then deposit it in the pot hole of your choice.






This is the outhouse at the headquarters and where you come later to turn in your ballot -- either at the drive through window or inside.



People come dressed for the theme.

I think there were 11 outhouses this year. The public votes for their favorites. Here are just a few:


The Greenhouse where you can get a view from the loo. The energy efficient system has the fish do the recycling.


The post office used some items laying around.


Gilligan's Island got in on the act, too.


This was the "Social Movement" venue.


And, the Dog Pound stop.


Part of the requirement is that the outhouse designers write a story to go along with their theme. The possibilities for a play on words with this subject is endless and, you can be sure, they are all used.

How such a crappy topic can provide so much relief from the hum drum world is a testament to the citizens of Elk Falls. Attendance was well over 1,000 people. Not bad for this town of just over 100.

If you want to be privvy to where small towns get their will to succeed come to next year's Elk Falls Outhouse Festival. It's held the Friday and Saturday before Thanksgiving each year.

KE #2 Marci Penner

Explorery things help you "Get Wetmore!"

This blog serves as an example of what exploring is all about. Warning: If you prefer obvious commercial attractions, this isn't for you.

Explorers need to keep their eyes open and look for nuances that might be about architecture, art, commerce, cuisine, customs, geography, history or people. Interacting with the locals will help you find Explorery places or get your questions answered. Remember, don't judge a small town! If you do, you'll miss out on outstanding things behind the facade.

#1 What is this?
This 1925 service station is a clue.

The answer is that it was an outdoor oil pan! Drive your vehicle into the wheel troughs (my words) and the mechanic can drain the oil from there. (By the way, Robert Carson has a restored 1940s, 1950s mechanic garage available for tour. Many spit-and-polished antique autos and trucks are also on the showroom floor of the former car dealership that houses it all. It's located next to this restored filling station).

#2 This garage door is on main street in Wetmore. An Explorer would notice the door and would ask questions until they found out that Katie is a nurse in the clinic. She must be pretty important. Some people get their names written on the curb or a sign. Katie gets a whole garage door!

#3 Have you ever sign an 18-box hopscotch board? This one is permanently-etched onto the middle school sidewalk!


Look closely at this bar and grill. Notice the two doors? Above one it says "Dining" and above the other it says "Bar". Go in, have a beer, and ask the owner of Retingers why they did this. By the way, the food is great!

The last "big" nuance to notice near Wetmore is the Shoe Tree. Click here for directions and more information. The Shoe Tree was a finalist for the 8 Wonders of Kansas Customs.

Well, those are just a few Explorery things to see and do in Wetmore. There are more, like the calaboose, the Pony Express rider's grave, and the giant stone art northeast of town.

The point of this blog is that almost every town has something unusual to see if you open your eyes and your mind. Do that and you'll Get Kansas!

KE #2 Marci Penner