Heading home to Kansas

We left the New Jerusalem Badlands and continued south to Scott City.  

I would love to know the stories of these earlier pioneers!

We had stopped here to see this one other time.  You can read about it here.

We turned west on 96. 

A Kansas wheat elevator.  This is where wheat is stored until it is sold.

 (I have a few people who do read my blog who live in countries where there is no such thing like this.)

Oil well country.

We found out that our family has mineral rights in Texas! - may we be so blessed if they find oil on our land!  (not holding our breath, but we can wish!)  

Allen's great-uncles had land in Texas, where the family sometimes wintered.  This was sold, although the property rights retained.  Having never married, the mineral rights were bequeathed to their sister, Al's grandma.  

The reason the family travelled to Texas was on doctor's orders for Grandma's headaches.  Many years later, when Grandma cut her long hair that had been rolled up in a "rat's tail", her headaches went away.  So, if we get rich, we can thank that doctor for his advice!

And we can thank Uncle Jonas and Uncle Chris if our ship ever comes in!  Ha!!

Al's grandparents are on the top left.  Uncle Jonas and Uncle Chris are on the front, Al's great-grandparents sandwiched between them.

Continuing on our journey after that little rabbit trail...

some old buildings in small Kansas towns.

Some interesting smells in Kansas...

Beautiful Kansas skies

The skies were looking dark to the west.

I checked the radar on my phone.  Hmmm.  We best turn south.  We kept watching the radar.

We pulled into Sylvia as we watched the storms go around us.

This is the church our friend has purchased.  

This new friend is from California.  We have a mutual friend who introduced us. 

Cathy served us tea and croissants at this table.  I urged her tell Allen her life story and her vision for this place.  We visited for a few very precious hours as we heard about God's work in her life!  About her parents' connections with Henrietta Mears, Billy Graham and Francis and Edith Schaeffer.  Amazing how God works in our lives, how He intersects our lives with others.

We didn't get home until close to midnight, but worth it!!  What a wonderful trip to Colorado.  We will be going back soon!  We have a precious child to see soon!

Going home through Monument Rocks and New Jerusalem Badlands

We left Denver.  It was a foggy morning and we drove through it for about an hour before it cleared up. 

A few years ago, we had driven through fog where there had been a fatal accident.  Al drove cautiously.

Hi friends from afar! Missing you in Kansas!

At Oakley in western Kansas, we turned south on 83.  We decided to stop to see the Monument Rocks and also the New Jerusalem Badlands.  

About 20 miles south on 83, you turn east toward Monument Rocks.  Follow the gravel road for 6 miles.  These are on private property.  The owner graciously allows people to come and enjoy the scenery during daylight hours.  There is no fee to go there.

Yes, this IS in Kansas!

On the backside of this chalk rock pyramid were nests of cliff swallows.  They were not too keen on us invading their spot.

Here are the mud nests they have built into the walls.

The limestone is quite soft and changes of the rock formations are seen from year to year.  They ask that you do not climb them (like you see on the historical picture).  You can see below that in a matter of time, some of these rocks will fall away.

The New Jerusalem Badlands were recently opened to the public.  We had never been there before so we knew we wanted to!  This time we took the dirt road south.  We had come in from the north.

 There were signs that the roads might not be passable if wet, but luckily we were able to get through.  The road turned west back to 83.  

We had to go a short ways back north on 83 and then there were signs to go to them.  I think we drove about 5 miles.

There was a gravel parking lot and visitors were required to purchase a daily vehicle permit for $5 or else have the annual Kansas state park vehicle pass.  There wasn't anyone there to check at the time, but evidently they do so at times.  Worth the $5!

There were a couple of trails you could take.  A short 1/4 mile trail or a longer one.  We chose the 1 1/2 mile trail.  There are also 2 hour naturalist guided hikes available but you need to arrange that ahead of time.  That would be fun!

The New Jerusale Badlands display a mile-long stretch of 100-foot-tall spires and cliffs of eroded Niobrara Chalk.

Fossils from the flood!  Just to think the world was covered with the ocean!  (You can read about it in Genesis 6-9 of the Bible.)

Well, the day was passing and we needed to get to Sylvia to visit a friend and then get home before midnight!  Al was scheduled to work the next day and he would need his beauty sleep!