When I left for Kansas, I had a few places in mind to visit, just off of I-70. I was previously unaware that there is so much to see in Kansas. Most of it is along US Route 56, which was unfortunately too far out of my way. I had really wanted to see the Liberty Bell made of wheat, being from Philadelphia and all. But it was not to be. Sad face.
Luckily, there was still plenty along I-70, and courtesy of Roadside America, and my fantastic host in Kansas City, MO (who is from Kansas), I planned to see 4 places:
1. Pillsbury Crossing
2. Rock City
3. The Garden of Eden
4. The World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things
So off I went. When I went searching for the first place, I exited the interstate at Tallgrass Road and found myself able to turn left or right onto a gravel road. I was a little surprised, but then remembered I was in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of Kansas.
And here I go. Crunch, crunch…
I took a left, went through a small underpass and listened to my car make a whole lot of noise while kicking up a whole lot of dust. Then I heard a gunshot. Having lived in cities for the past 8 years, and having the last time I heard a gunshot occur in the Bronx, I was scared out of my mind. Of course, it was nothing, just a few guys doing some shooting behind a short hill.
This, if my assumption is correct, was the start of their farm:
So far so good. I continued to follow my google map directions and stayed on Tallgrass road, even though it started to look suspiciously like a long driveway. By the time I got near the house I saw in the distance, I could see that it was, in fact, a dead end driveway. I also noticed a dog barking and beginning to run at my car. My response was to drive backwards as fast as I could. A hot pursuit:
At this point, with bad directions, I wondered if I would find Pillsbury Crossing. Between hearing a gun, possibly trespassing on someone’s property, being chased by a dog, and having no clue where to turn, I was a little reluctant to try. But I figured why not, and turned down this road:
I went further and further down this road, at a very slow speed, continuing to kick up a lot of dust, and with honestly no idea where I was headed. I don’t have a GPS, nor did I have a map detailed enough to point me in the right direction. Even the cows were questioning why I was there:
What are you doooooooooing?
Better to keep mooooooving along.
Yeah, get goooooing, away from here.
~~~~~
So I left and found my way back to the interstate hoping my directions to the other places would work out a little better.
