Been There, Done That

My wife and I over this past summer took a week long trip what we call our, Western Kansas Tour.  Being from the southwest corner of Kansas I never really realized how truely wonderful it was to see the sites of western Kansas.  Some of the sites I had been to and seen before, Cimmeron National Grasslands, Scott Lake, and Fort Larned.  Course it had been atleast 7 years since I had seen any of those sites.  But seeing them for for the first time as an adult was completely different.

Fort Larned for example took on new meaning when I could actually take my time and read and take on the beauty of this historic site.  I had been there as a kid for school trips and such, however over time you start to lose those memories.  I had never had taken a moment while I was a kid to truely understand how remote the fort is from anything.  You can see for miles and miles and not see a town.  The only things that surround it is farmland.  Even from the parking lot which is off the nearest highway you have to walk a quarter mile and over the Pawnee River to get to the site.  It makes you appreciate what the soldiers of this fort dealt with during that time.  Be prepared to walk and remember the water.  As mentioned you will have to walk a quarter mile to get to the site from the parking lot and you have to walk to the different buildings at the fort.

Fort Larned is 6 miles west of Larned on Hwy 156.



I had camped at both Scott Lake and the Cimmeron National Grasslands as a boy scout.  Scott Lake was always something that amazed me even to this day. Scott Lake is a beautiful and pristene lake that is out in the middle of western Kansas.  You wouldn't think that there would be something like this when you drive up on it but its there.  I always enjoyed and still do climbing the cliffs and rock around the lake and hiking around on the trails.  Sometime I will go more in-depth of Lake Scott.  There are lots of things to do and see and deserves a post all by itself.  If you go be sure to take lots of water.  Western Kansas is very dry and hot. 

Lake Scott is North of Scott City on US 83.



The Cimmeron National Grasslands doesn't look much different then the surrounding area but it to is alot like Scott Lake.  There are cliffs and rocks that you can climb and hike around.  Also the Santa Fe Trail also went through this area and to this day you can still see some of the ruts from the wagons the went through the area.  There are camp grounds and even hiking and biking trails.  My wife and I have mentioned that the next time we are out that way we are going to go down to the grasslands and bike some of the trails that they have.  There are not very many places to get water in the grasslands so again take your water and drinks lots of it.

The grasslands are 10 miles north of Elkhart, Ks on Hwy 27.



These were just a few of the places that I had been to that I think are really cool and make you think of Western Kansas alittle bit differently.  There are many other places I had been to like Wagon Bed Springs, Wilson Lake, Dorthy's House from the Wizard of Oz, the Cottonwood Ranch, and the Sternberg Museum.  We also visited plenty of places I had not been to that I will blog about coming up.

Again being from far Southwest Kansas I never thought the area was beautiful, "cool", or fun.  I always thought it was dull and boring.  Going to visit as an adult however my mind changed.  If you are interested in the history of america, or kansas, a trip like this is well worth it.