August 5, 2021
After a productive half day, it was obvious that a change in Jane and my roles this morning was having a major impact on our ability to cover more miles and check out more sites. For the first two days, I drove and tried to navigate and plan stops and was struggling to keep us moving, while Jane had been content to ride shotgun and offer frequent advice that customarily comes from the “back seat”.
So, we switched seats for the reminder of our 6,000 miles trip and I was free to give her navigational directions and check my cell phone continuously for needed info to help choose our stops and she was free to not have to give driving advice. A win-win for both of us. The net results: a smooth trip and maybe a saved marriage!
10. Tony’s Pizza Events Center, Salina, KS – Sports Mecca hosts roller derby and indoor football
Once in a while, I like to mention a sports venue like the 7,500-seat Tony’s Pizza Events Center and occasionally I do take time to attend a game.
In Salina, the former Bicentenniel Center goes the extra mile by hosting a variety of events including: circuses, concerts, basketball, wrestling and 4-Wheel-Drive trucks. I have exhibited in farm shows there, but recently found out it is also the home field of the Salina Liberty indoor football team and the Salina Sirens women’s roller derby team. Both are good reasons for me to head to the Tony Center. Surely, they will have pizza by the slice at the concession stands.
11. Cargill Ag Horizons, Salina, KS – Largest grain elevator in Kansas
Heading west out of Salina on I-70, look the south and you will see Cargill Ag Horizons, the largest grain elevator in the state of Kansas. Up until this part of the state, grain farming has taken second seat to cattle, but that changes abruptly once you get west of the Flint Hills. Noticeable on the city’s skyline are a half dozen large elevators, silent sentinels to the fact that this is one of the key wheat producing areas of the world.
The elevator was built from 1953-56 and has 182 round bins and 92 inter bins between them. The facility is licensed to handle 32 million bushels of grain a year.
The numerous grain terminals in and around Salina make for a good bit of train watching. Three lines: the Union Pacific, the BNSF, and the Kansas & Oklahoma RR all load large unit-trainloads here.
Oklahomans can sing about “the waving wheat that sure smells sweet” but Kansas and North Dakota battle each year over which state will produce the most total bushels.
12. Rolling Hills Zoo, Salina, KS-449 critters wait for you
As if military museums and elaborate gardens aren’t enough in one day, further west of Salina you will find animals and habitats at the Rolling Hills Zoo, which also includes a 64,000 sq. ft. museum. One hundred thirty-one species and 449 “residents” reside in the Zoo.
Take exit 244 off of I-70 and head south for a few miles until you see a large complex on the west side of the road. Naturally, you will pay to take these tours and visit their gift shop and other facilities.
13. Largest Czech egg in Kansas’ Czech capital, Wilson, KS – Proud of Czech heritage
I’m an easy foil for any town that has the world’s largest “anything” or claims to be the capital of an ethnic group and Wilson, KS can produce on both counts. Take exit 206 off of I-70 and go south a couple of miles and you will find this small town (Population 741) which sits along what is now the “old” highway that parallels I-70.
Jane raises chickens and they produce multi-colored eggs, so if you brag that you have the largest egg, we simply have to see if it came from the “largest” hen. In the case of Wilson, it did not. It is man-made but brother is it large.
Actually, Wilson-ites claim that it is the “World’s Largest Czech Egg”! Who’s to argue? It is 20’ tall, 15’ wide, weighs 8,000 lbs. and is beautiful. I’ll leave it to the Guinness folks to settle arguments about “biggest”. The egg is symbolic and smaller versions are exchanged around Easter as a symbol of new beginnings, love, friendship and good things to come.
Czechs migrated to the Wilson area in the 1870’s and have maintained many of their traditions so well that, the state of Kansas declared the village the “Czech Capital of Kansas” back in 1967.
Don’t be in a hurry to leave town before you go up town a block and visit Grandma’s Soda Shop & Diner. It’s open seven days a week and you can opt for homemade bierock or play it safe and tackle an orange float, like this sugar-craving Swede.
14. Switchgrass Epic Mountain Bike Trail, Lake Wilson, KS – 25 miles of adventurous riding
This is the only EPIC (according to the International Mountain Bicycling Association) bike trail from the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri to the Rockies and from the Badlands of South Dakota to the Big Bend on the Rio Grande. If you are tired of sitting and happen to have your bikes along, here’s a good spot to tackle 25 miles of well-groomed loops with shorter rides available. There is something here for every level of rider.
Access can be gained off I-70 at the Wilson exit 206 and going north about 10 miles. You will have fees to pay but expect 2-5 hours of thrilling riding along Lake Wilson, a 9,000 acre wonder with 100 miles of beautiful and rugged shoreline.
15. Oil Patch Museum-Russell, KS – Center of oil industry
As you drive past Russell on I-70 at exit 184, you may be thinking about the fact that only two days earlier you learned that former Presidential candidate Robert Dole was born here, but that thought disappears quickly as you see a small oil field with derricks and other oil field equipment on display right beside the interstate.
If you are quick enough, you need to jam on your brakes and pull over and visit the Oil Patch Museum.
Besides being one of the better bargains as museums go ($2 admission fee), this museum tells the story of the development of the oil industry in Kansas, since the first well “came in” in Russell County in 1923. An outdoor walking tour introduces you to some of the machinery that did the “heavy lifting” and after a couple of days of non-stop cattle, prairie grass and row crops, this was a pleasant diversion.
16. Cathedral of the Plains, Victoria, KS – The Basilica of St. Fidelis
At the end of each day, it’s nice to finish with a bang. That is exactly what we got in Victoria, KS (population 1,214) at exit 168 off of I-70 and two miles south. From many miles away, you begin to see two spires piercing the sky. They are the 140’ tall twin towers of the Basilica of St. Fidelis and they even tower over the grain silos.
English immigrants first settled in this area but were replaced by Catholics from southern Russia a little later on. After building some early churches, the locals decided to really display their faith by building the current ornate structure between 1908 -11.
William Jennings Bryan, during his 1912 Presidential campaign, visited Victoria and called the church, the “Cathedral of the Plains”, a moniker that has stuck.
The church was built in the shape of a cross and is 220’ long and 110’ wide. It seats 1,100 and at the time of its dedication was the largest church west of the Mississippi. The Cathedral has undergone constant upgrades and in 1971 was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
17. Thirsty’s Brew Pub & Grill, Hays, KS-Great spot to replenish
If you end up staying the night in Hays, they have every food choice you could need, but on the recommendation of a friend, we sought out “Thirsty’s”, which was just a few blocks south of I-70 exit 159. It is a car-themed, “sports” bar with an ample choice of menu items, including a dandy Jumbo Shrimp dinner. Try it!
Travel data
Miles driven: 174
Gas price: $2.98 per gallon
Motel cost: $65.97 (Baymont Inn)
Preview of Day 4
Dinosaurs, rock formations that stand as monuments, Buffalo Bill and the state’s biggest barn are on the agenda for tomorrow.
