More Kansas

I have no classes this weekend, so I decided to do a bit of exploring rather than just sit and read in my room. I was originally planning to head south into the prairie, but decided to instead head north and explore the countryside.

I found a scenic highway, and then with the help of both my GPS and google maps, drove off into the countryside on some pretty rural roads.

On two different roads, the gravel disappeared and I was left with a dirt road. On more than one occasion, the road I thought I would take became a two-rut dirt road. For THOSE, I turned around and found a different way.

I drove north just over the Nebraska state line, and then headed back for some lunch and a leisurely return mostly along the Missouri river.

I have some laundry and homework to do - but that will all be done shortly. Next up - planning my Sunday excursion. Have a great day everybody!

Marc

Konza Prairie

I am in Kansas for course I need for my next job. Since everyone had to be tested for COVID, we had a couple of days on the front end to allow for testing. Well, mine came back about 9 am today, so I took a quick drive out into the prairie.

I found the Konza Prairie preserve, a joint venture between Kansas State University and The Nature Conservancy, about 90 miles away. Since the thought of hanging out in my hotel room all day wasn't appealing, I jumped into the rental and took a drive through the countryside.

It was a beautiful drive. A bit west of Topeka, I crested a hill and the wooded bottomlands gave way to the prairie of the flint hills. Some road construction added a solid 45 minutes to my drive on the front side of the trip, but it was still a pretty pleasant trip all things considered.

I took the 5 mile hiking loop. Good thing I brought sunscreen, since there wasn't much in the way of shade along the majority of the trail. A couple of other people were out there, but it was otherwise fairly desolate. Just what the doctor ordered.

Have a great week!

Marc

Cunningham Falls

We loaded up this past Saturday for a mini road trip here in Maryland.

First up was Roddy Road covered bridge, just north of Thurston. It was a nice little break from the drive, with the wonderful sound of the river.

From there, we made our way into Catoctin Mountain National Park and Cunningham Falls State Park, where we made the less-than-one-mile hike to Cunningham Falls. Along with 18 million of our closest friends. 

Okay, so I exaggerated a bit...but in the moment it felt like the rest of the state wanted to see the falls, too.

Catherine found a nice little diner where we ordered some take out, and then we found a fun little ice cream store on the way home.

Happy Labor Day!

Marc