I remember when we were in Kansas (2012) how surprised I was with all of the little quirky points of interest there were! Here’s a (almost too) long post about some of the sights to be found in the center of our great country!
October 7, 2012 – Ready for Some More?
So – are you ready for a little more Kansas? The cold front that had us pulling out scarves and gloves did not deter us from tracking down some more Roadside Treasures in our little section of Kansas. We set out Friday morning with a short list of goodies to check out, and found some unexpected treasures along the way! This time we pointed north – here’s what 200 miles on the odometer and 200+ pictures later brought –

First Stop –


The Walronds Stockade Marker. This was not on the list – but I think it deserved a stop (and a picture!).
Next up – a miniature replica of the Statue of Liberty.


The plaque reads:
With the faith and courage of their forefathers who made possible the freedom of these United States: The Boy Scouts of America dedicated this replica of the Statue of Liberty as a pledge of everlasting fidelity and loyalty.
Donated by C.A. Kalbfleisch and Daughters 1951

I like it.

Remember the map that I posted where I said we were about in the middle of the Continuous USA? Well, turns out we are only about 40 miles from that exact spot. It was next on our list, but before we got there, Gary made me take a picture of This Guy –

Oh yeah, he was pretty interested in us too…..

Back on the road…….
Hey, here’s an interesting sign – did you know that Smith Center, KS is

? Now you do!
But on to

Needless to say, they aren’t building any Walmarts nearby, anytime soon!

Here we are – we’ve been North and South and East and West. And now we’ve officially been Center(ed).

Along with a couple of benches and a defunct hotel (which I think is currently owned by a group of hunters so it wasn’t terribly derelict, just empty looking) was this cute little chapel –

It was a four seater – so I don’t think they have regular services!
Although the little rest area where the marker sits is quite official, it’s fun to see that the locals are working along with them to bolster their town’s economy.

“Lebanon has Souvenirs” 🙂
It seemed the perfect spot for a geocache, and even though we haven’t done one in a great long while, I fired up my smart phone to see if one was nearby. Well, there wasn’t one actually at the center spot, but there was one just a bit down the road that we even managed to find (rusty though we are!).


Loved that the container was a grasshopper!

Next stop was a very sweet fabric shop in Downs (OK, so the day wasn’t all about Kansas Goodness),

where I also learned that Downs was the setting for the book “Sod and Stubble” which sounds like a book I need to put on my reading list.

OK, next on the All Things Kansas list came

Who wouldn’t want to stop there?

All dressed up in its October finery!


And across the street, hidden in the trees, more local marketing….

From Cawker City we headed to Glen Elder, where we were in search of another tiny church. Sure enough, right on the town square….

I have no idea of the purpose of said tiny church…..
As we left Glen Elder, I noticed this barn –

So if you’re looking for gilt – you can get it here.

We were such tourists that we even stopped to photograph the wild turkeys which were grazing near the side of the road.

We were closing in on our final destination, the town of Lucas, when I saw a turn-off sign for a Double Arched Limestone Bridge – 8 Miles. What’s an extra 16 miles, right?
While it wasn’t spectacular, I was still glad we stopped!

(It’s no longer used – just goes from field to field at this point!)

Ok, Lucas.

The Grassroots Art Capital.
First stop in Lucas was at the Garden of Eden, built in the early 1900 by S.P. Dinsmoore.

Ol’ S.P. was a Civil War Veteran who built this “Cabin Home” not only for his family, but also so people would come and see it.(If you build it, they will come…..) The house is interesting in its construction (no two window or doors are the same size), but it’s the grounds that seem to tell the S.P. Dinsmoore story.



The yard is full of his sculpture (everything from Adam and Eve to political commentary) and even includes a mausoleum where he and his wife are entombed.

Talk about Folk Art! Phew!
But Lucas had more to offer. We had to postpone the Grassroots Art Center (it was closed by the time we got to town), but we did stop at a highly recommended meat market –


Oh yeah, baby. We went home with some of that goodness!
And the meat market guy directed us to the newest Lucas attraction – The Bowl Plaza. Probably the fanciest, most whimsical public restrooms on the planet!

It’s fancy on the outside, but oh, my goodness, the INSIDE was AMAZING!!!!

These Kansas folks will do just about anything to bring folks to their town!

So that was the day. Even though the day was cold and damp, it was still tons of fun exploring Kansas. We saw more beautiful countryside

and drove on more Kansas roads

and had an all together great day.
We even managed to find a Dairy Queen!

(I know this has been long (who knew there was so much to see in Central Kansas!), but if you’d like to see more pictures, including the ones that were in the collages, check them out HERE!)

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