Road Trip: …Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado

Friday, July 11:  After more overnight thunderstorms and a few trains blowing their whistles, I packed up my wet tent and left Mahoney State Park, headed for Lincoln, NE, to add another state capitol visit to my list. Omaha was the initial territorial capital of Nebraska, but it was moved to Lincoln upon statehood in 1867. Originally called Lancaster, the new capital city was renamed in honor of Abraham Lincoln. The unique design of the current capitol building, with its 400-foot central tower, was the product of a 1920 nationwide architectural contest, and was the first in the nation to radically depart from the typical domed capitol appearance. Nebraska’s state government is the only unicameral legislature in the country, adopting it’s current one-house system in 1937. The first Arbor Day was held in Lincoln in 1872. Map link: Lincoln, NE

Next I visited the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and was able to enter Memorial Stadium through an open gate. One of college football’s hallowed grounds, this 90,000 seat facility holds the NCAA record (in any sport) for the most consecutive sellouts, currently at 403 games and dating back to 1962. Full disclosure: The Cornhuskers have had some forgettable losing seasons during this period, when donors and sponsors purchased unsold tickets to preserve the streak. Fun fact: The university invented the “restructured meat process,” a method of binding and molding pork scraps that was instrumental in creating the McDonald’s McRib sandwich. 

Next it was south to Topeka, KS, population 125,000, to log another state capitol and set a personal record of two in one day! The name Topeka is derived from the Kansa-Osage language and translates to “a place to dig potatoes.” The town was first established in the 1840s when a ferry crossing the Kansas River became a part of the Oregon Trail. Topeka was the birthplace of Charles Curtis, our 31st Vice President (under Herbert Hoover) and the only Native American to hold that office. The current capitol building was completed in 1903 after 37 years of construction and was renovated in the early 2000s, including refurbishing the  beautiful copper dome.

I next visited the Brown vs. Board of Education National Historical Park, located in the former Monroe Elementary School and honoring the end of segregation in American public schools. In early 1950 Topeka, all African American elementary school students were assigned to one of four schools. For most children that meant long bus rides, even if white schools were nearby. Thirteen Topeka families filed suit, and the unanimous 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that school segregation was unconstitutional ended “separate but equal” educational facilities for students of color. Map link: Topeka, KS

My last stop was Old Prairie Town, an attractive replica of a 19th-century Oregon Trail settlement adjacent to a pretty botanical garden, but the heat, humidity and a passing shower cut my stay short. 

Just west of Topeka is an eight-mile stretch of I-70 built in 1956 that is considered to be the first section of the Interstate Highway System, and this was the route to my next campground. Milford State Park is on 15,700-acre Milford Lake, the largest body of water in Kansas and was created by damming the Republican River. My lake-view campsite was private and peaceful, after the noisy jet ski on the water left at sundown and the neighboring RV shut off their gas-powered generator. Map Link: Milford State Park, KS

The view from my tent

Saturday, July 12: I was awake at 6:00 AM, and spent a peaceful morning in my campsite until fishing boats hit the lake and their full-throttle movements signaled that it was time to leave. It was all good, since I had places to go and things to see. My first stop was Abilene, KS, home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the location of his presidential library, museum, boyhood home and grave. Our 34th president, Eisenhower was the third of seven boys and credited his humble Kansas roots for the gentle manner, integrity and decency that made him one of the country’s most beloved military leaders and an effective president. 

Eisenhower fun facts:

• He wanted to attend the Naval Academy, but was too old, and went to West Point instead, where he graduated in the middle of his class.
• Ike was a skilled poker player. Aided by his calm demeanor and strategic thinking, he was often owed money by West Point classmates and fellow military officers.
• He was an avid golfer, even playing in winter snow with balls painted black.
• His favorite reading material was Zane Gray western novels.
• He was recruited by both the Democratic and Republican parties for the 1948 presidential election, but declined, and became President of Columbia University.
• In the 1952 presidential election, “I Like Ike” became one of the best known political slogans ever. He defeated Adlai Stevenson in a landslide, with an electoral college margin of 442 to 89. He defeated Stevensen again in 1956, also in a landslide (457 to 73)
• He was the last U.S. President born in the 19th century (1890).
• Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, was named after his father and grandson, both called David. The original name was Shangri-La, given by FDR.
• He loved painting and created more than 260 oils in his last 20 years of life.
• His administration is best known for the creation of the Interstate Highway System, but he also championed civil rights, school integration, expanding social security, the creation of NASA, and covertly helped bring down senator Joseph McCarthy. 
• He was the first Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Bonus Questions: How many countries were originally in NATO? How many are in the alliance today? (Answers at end of post)

Hometown Heroes in Kansas

Abilene began as a stage coach stop in 1857 and later became part of the Chisolm Trail, used to move Texas cattle north to Kansas railroads. It is also the home of the world’s largest belt buckle (I am a sucker for the world’s largest anything!). Map Link: Abilene, KS

My next stop was Ellis, KS, to see the Walter Chrysler boyhood home. I was the only guest there and got a private tour of the 1889-built family home and museum of the famous auto magnate. Chrysler worked on the railroad until he was hired by Buick in 1911, where he rose to president and general manager. He left Buick to start his own company, and the Chrysler Corporation’s first car was produced in 1924. Fun fact: After his death in 1940, Chrysler’s estate on Long Island, NY, was purchased by the War Department and became the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Map link: Ellis, KS

A 1924 Chrysler, the first year they were produced

The volunteer at the Chrysler home suggested that I check out the Buffalo Bill Cody Cultural Center and statue in nearby Oakley, KS. Originally from Iowa, William Cody was employed as a bison hunter to feed the workers of the Kansas Pacific Railroad and went by the nickname of “Buffalo Bill.” In nearby Fort Wallace, a fellow hunter, Bill Comstock, claimed the same moniker. In 1868, it was decided to settle the matter with a hunting contest outside of Oakley, with the winner earning a $500 prize and the right to be called Buffalo Bill. Cody won the contest, bringing down 69 animals to Comstock’s 46, and went on to lasting fame as Buffalo Bill, with his popular wild west shows touring the U.S. and Europe. Map Link: Oakley, KS

Lastly, I visited Goodland, KS, population 4,400 and the seat of Sherman County. Originally planned as just a gas stop, I had some extra time and went inside the town’s small history museum. We’ve been to dozens of local museums around the country over the past two years, and most are pretty similar. The first exhibit is usually some basic photos, drawings or plaques with a caption along the lines of “native people lived here for thousands of years.” The rest of the museum is then devoted to the 150-200 years of European settlement. The Goodland museum’s first exhibit was particularly bleak (see below), although there was a very interesting display about two local machinists who built a helicopter in 1910. 

The museum’s friendly staff directed me to another “world’s largest” that I couldn’t miss. Erected in 2001, a 24 x 32 foot reproduction of Vincent Van Gogh’s Three Sunflowers in a Vase on an 80-foot easel is proudly displayed in a local park. This is one of three such oversized paintings in the world, and Goodland was selected due to its importance in sunflower agriculture. Map link: Goodland, KS

It was still hot and humid, with air quality alerts and there were no camping options besides highway-adjacent KOAs, so I stopped for the night at a cheap motel in Byers, CO, (population 1,320). I had dinner at Los Tres Garcias next door, where the Mexican food was excellent, the people friendly, and every television tuned to rodeo competitions. Map link: Byers, CO

Bonus Question Answer:  The NATO alliance was formed in 1949 with 12 founding members: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. There are 32 countries currently in NATO: 30 European and 2 North American. The most recent additions were Finland in 2023 and Sweden in 2024.