American Road Trip: Kansas

FRIDAY, JULY 31, OVERLAND PARK, KAN. � Denver daybreak was cool � in the 50s and wet with dew � and I was up and on the road by 8:30, which is 9:30 Central time. I listened to Denver morning radio until it was out of range as I hurtled down from the city�s mile-high perch. Colorado opens up here and continues on into Kansas. It was a gray, overcast and cool day � good for driving. Kansas turned out to be a lot more hilly than I thought � quite layered with rolling peaks not unlike southern/mid-Indiana � but not near Pennsylvania. I was expecting nothing but flat wheat fields into Topeka. The most amazing thing was a large stretch of field covered with sunflowers � an acceptable replacement for the Kansas scenery I�d wanted. Kansas rolled on and I tried Greg from Salina � no answer. In Topeka, I made one slight wrong turn � actually exited I-70 at the wrong place, onto US 75 and then 24, where I called Greg again. But following 24, I saw the Kansas scenery the way I wouldn�t have on the interstate (see Steinbeck) and I avoided the Kansas Turnpike tolls. 24 took me to 59 and through Lawrence and past Kansas U. in an area not much unlike South Bend/Mishawaka. Kansas 10 took me into I-435 and Overland Park, where I had to stay at the rather nice Drury Inn because the White Haven was booked. I did get in touch with Joe, though, and will meet up with him in Elizabeth, Illinois, tomorrow.

Sunflowers stretch out
For miles a floral sea �
Or so it seems here