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24 April 2006 -
Monday
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This would be the day
where our eastern return route would be the closest to our western route of earlier
in the month. As such, we had originally planned this day for a return to
Woodward, Oklahoma for the purpose of completing some unfinished research at
the courthouse. Prior to our
departure we thought to check the Family Search online catalogue, which
showed that deed records from 1893-1913 were available on microfilm. As a result we opted not to return to
Woodward. This decision allowed us to
spend a few more precious moments with our family because we would not have
to travel the additional 200 miles of our route east. Around 8:00 am we
left Colorado Springs heading east on U.S. Highway 24. Eventually we hooked up with Interstate
70 at Limon, Colorado where we also took time for breakfast. Here we met a 75-year-old Korean War
veteran sporting a hat containing 3 purple hearts. It seemed that the establishment was a family affair as his son
and daughter-in-law were also working there. He described himself as the
dishwasher but it was quite evident that he enjoyed cleaning tables and handing
out menus so he could spend time talking to the customers. When he found out that we were also vets
he stopped by our table to chat from time to time. During our easy banter he related that after finishing with his
full-time job he would return home to repair automobile transmissions and
engines! It was clear to us that this was a man who certainly thrived on
keeping busy. |
Driving through western Kansas on Interstate 70 was probably the most boring experience of
the trip. The land was flat and
generally featureless, and the straight as an arrow road was slick due to the
constant misty rain that fell. This
topped with fairly strong crosswinds made for miserable driving conditions
that we were glad to leave behind.
Eventually the skies cleared and the road dried out. Still the sporadic wind gusts kept the
driver on edge, so much so that for most of the day we switched driving about
every hour or so. In eastern Kansas
the land became greener with rolling hills.
Occasionally we would pass by pastures with black cows and their new
young calves. Weather predictions
were calling for thunderstorms and hale the size of softballs and we began to
reconsider our plan to stay at a Corps of Engineers* campground near Junction
City, Kansas. After inquiring at
several sold-out motels we finally landed a room at an EconoLodge just off
the interstate. So for the first time on our trip we actually paid for an
overnight stay in a motel. We
welcomed the opportunity to watch television and not have to walk out to a
bathhouse for our showers. * The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the nation’s leading federal
provider in out-door recreation opportunities for the public. The Corps operates more than 2,500
recreation areas and leases an additional 1,800 sites. The Corps hosts 360 million visits a year
at its lakes, beaches and other similar areas. |
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