We left Wichita, Kansas yesterday morning headed for our summer job at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We headed out US 54 West, and stayed on that road all day.
I don’t know what exactly I expected Kansas to be like, I found that there was quite a bit about this state that I didn’t know.
First, I did not know that Wichita’s biggest industry is aviation and aerospace. Cessna, Boeing, Beechcraft, and several other aircraft manufacturers have offices in the area.
I did not know there were oil wells in Kansas. After passing by many of those little mechanical wells that look like prehistoric replicas dotting the landscape, I found out that oil has been an important part of the Kansas economy since the first well was dug there in the 1860’s. If you have time, stop in the Kansas Oil Museum in Eldorado.
I also didn’t know that Kansas’s nickname is The Wheat State. I knew that they produced some wheat there, but this gluten-free girl did not know until this week that they are the wheat producing capital of the United States. When we weren’t gawking at the oil wells, we were looking at the many wheat and grain elevators. There was one in every town we went through. That’s a lot of wheat!
Last of all, I did not know that there was a museum dedicated to the movie, The Wizard of Oz! Dorothy’s House Museum is in Liberal, Kansas, which is the last town in Kansas before you cross over into Oklahoma. We stopped to go inside because I have been watching that movie since I was a little girl.
The museum has 3 main buildings. The Coronado Museum has several exhibits of Victorian era furniture, an antique doctor’s office, a Native American room, and several other interesting exhibits. Dorothy’s House is an old Kansas farmhouse set up as a replica of the house used in the movie. There is even a pair of ruby slippers in Dorothy’s bedroom! The Land of Oz features the winged monkeys, the munchkins, and Glinda the Good Witch. I even got to walk down the Yellow Brick Road!
The museum is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day Monday thru Saturday 9 a.m. til 6 p.m and on Sundays from 1-5 p.m. Between Labor Day and Memorial Day they are open from Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m. til 5 p.m and on Sunday 1-5 p.m. and closed on Mondays. We took a guided tour that cost $5 per person for adults.
I really enjoyed the gift shop, too. I got myself a lunch box that has a picture of Dorothy and Toto on it, with Dorothy saying “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.” And we aren’t …
RV Camping In Dalhart, TX
We are in Dalhart, Texas for the night, staying at the Corral RV Park. It is on US Highway 54 just inside the city limits of Dalhart.
The campsites here are level and gravelled. The pull-through site we got is big enough to park the largest rig out there, has full hook ups with cable TV, and cost us a whopping $19 per night. They don’t take credit cards, but will take a check if you don’t have cash. It is a very nice park to stay the night on the way to somewhere else.
In the morning, we’ll be back on the road. We’re hoping to be in Albequerque by tomorrow night. I am looking forward to whatever we may see by the roadside tomorrow.
My hubby and I have been living in a travel trailer and working at campgrounds and resorts for the past several years. We decide where we want to go, and look for a job there.
