Thursday, November 11, 2021

Flint Hills on way home

After dropping Mindy and Tenley off at the lake house, we tootled into Council Grove, stopping at the Hays House.  The picture below is Seth Hays, great-grandson of Daniel Boone.


He came to Council Grove in 1847 and traded with the Kaw (Kansa) Indians.   He was the first white settler to this town.  It was already a place where wagon trains rendezvoused on the Santa Fe Trail.  

Hays built a log cabin and began to serve food and traded goods to those heading west.  He built the Hays House Tavern and Restaurant in 1857.  The Hays House is one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants west of the Mississippi River. Its customers included Jesse James and George Armstrong Custer.



Looking at the Santa Fe Trail map.  We had a little bite to eat then drove around.


The Last Chance store - just think...  pioneers stopped here to pick up supplies before heading out in their covered wagons!
"The Last Chance Store was built in 1857 along the Santa Fe Trail at Council Grove, Kansas. Located where the trail crossed the Neosho River, it was the last store in the settlement before the river. It was operated by Tom Hill as a trading post, as well as a post office and a polling place." 


There really is a lot of history in this town and would be worth a day or overnight.  We noticed it has a nice river walk also.  We didn't take the time to spend there this day.  We wanted to explore the area between here and home.

To the west of town -




We went south and tried out several different roads.  Should we turn this way - or that way?


We should have brought our pickup.  We talked to a rancher who told us not to go on one road as there was a big drop off.  Good to know that.


My friend, Sheryl, grew up out here in the Flint Hills east of Lincolnville.  A newer house has been built there, but her brother lives on the homestead.








We swung by Hillsboro to drive by the kids' old place.  Wish they still lived close by, but the Lord had other plans for them.  We noticed the tree that Sophia fell out of was chopped down.




Monday, November 8, 2021

Sweet company!

Tenley and Mindy came for a few days.  Jason had a golf  tournament fund-raiser with his brothers and Dad in Manhattan so he didn't stay.


What pure joy to have them come!





"Booziee, boozie, boozie"
I have no idea what that means, only that Al has said this with all the kids.


One of my favorite restaurants is closing, so we went out to eat there.  We will miss you, Lupe's!!

Tenley is not up for tacos or enchiladas yet....

She makes the funniest expressions!                                                                       (Are we talking about Nana or Tenley?)


Tenley made her first trip to Druber's.


Forgive them for overindulgance!


Picking up a pie for Mindy's in-laws.




Doesn't Tenley look like her mommy did as a baby?




This child is so smiley!!
She has such loving and attentive parents!



Too soon, it was time to take Mindy and Tenley to the other grandparents, about an hour and a half away.  We have to share, of course!!  Tenley was meeting her cousins for the first time!!





How we love our six little Punkins!!