5/1/15 - Fort Larned NHS

Not coming from New Mexico, I didn't know a lot about the Santa Fe Trail. I remembered it went to Santa Fe, but I didn't know Kansas had a vested interest. I'd only learned (or do I mean "relearned"?) in the last couple weeks that it wasn't an emigrant trail, but a commercial trade route. The Plains Indians figured that part out quicker than I did, and they made a practice of attacking the travelers and mail shipments on the Trail.

Fort Larned National Historic Site is a complete and authentic frontier army post from the Indian Wars era of the 1860s-1870s. Ir was one of a series of military posts set up for Santa Fe Trail protection and escort duty for mail stages and wagon trains. They called it "Guardian of the Santa Fe Trail." There were no walls surrounding it. (I read why but don't remember now. If you're interested, check it out and let me know.)

The Visitor Center is in one end of one of the Infantry Barracks where we watched the video, got passport stamps and checked out the museum.

It's also one of the host sites for "Kansas Kids for Fitness Day", held on the first Friday in May. (We didn't know that part until we got there.) There were 3rd graders everywhere! Park employees and volunteers, with the help of older kids from Larned High School, set up all sorts of games and programs for them to do. I think the adults sneaked in a bit of history while they were playing games like pull-the-cannon and build-a-teepee; they certainly didn't get much when they whirled through the buildings like tornadoes.

We did a bit of a do-si-do with them most of the day. When kids in matching t-shirts came out of a building, we'd go into it. We usually managed to stay a bit ahead or behind most of them most of the time. They were noisy and they were rowdy, but they were having a lot of fun. They made us laugh--and the best part was that none of them came home with us. (Been there, done that!)

There are 9 original buildings restored to their original appearance. Many of the buildings have been furnished just like they would have been 150 years ago. There are living history interpreters in period costume who will answer questions and explain what it was like while the fort was in operation. First stop was the Infantry Barracks. (I didn't realize soldiers had such nice big beds. Turns out they're made for FOUR people, two top and two bottom, head to toe. I think I'd opt for Officer candidate school.)

The other half of the building is the Post Hospital. I'm guessing that since there's only one pillow they don't have to share beds here.

This is an interesting stretcher, but I don't quite get the hood. As windy as it is in southwestern Kansas, I'd think that if you put it up to protect the poor soldier from the rain, the wind would catch it and he'd go flying like Mary Poppins.

The Shops Building included the bakery and blacksmith shops. The smithy was busy making something to hand out to the kids before they left.

There is one reconstructed building at the fort. The original Blockhouse was dismantled in 1900, but they rebuilt it with historical accuracy.

The Commissary is set up with authentic supplies. They're probably empty boxes, but it's fun to check out what they had in stores. Some of this stuff looks like governmental excess spending, but maybe it's just governmental surplus. (Or is that the same thing?)

The Quartermaster Storehouse had everything needed for frontier military operations, including clothing and bedding for the soldiers. They had a Clothing Allowance List posted, which was pretty interesting. They were allotted 7 Caps in a 5-year period--and 11 Flannel Drawers--which I assume is underwear. (And whoever said the Army doesn't have their priorities straight!)

Then it was on to the Officer's Quarters--the Commandant's wife was there to great us.

If you were a lieutenant, you got one room--even if you had to share it with a wife and a child. More rank = more rooms.

Many of the sandstone blocks used to build the fort have names and dates carved into them. Since the soldiers could get into big trouble defacing government property, there aren't many from that period. But lots of visitors to the area while it was a ranch left their marks.  People must have been crawling all over the place because almost every chunk of rock front, sides and back of the buildings belongs to someone.

While we were in the neighborhood, we drove a few miles down the road to the Santa Fe Trail Center. I expected it to be a history of the Santa Fe Trail. Mostly it wasn't. Mostly it was a history of the area with a bit about the Trail in the corner. Nice place if you're into antiques.

I did like the sod house they've built out back (and one really cool windmill!). It would have been bad enough living in a house with a dirt floor--but to have the walls and roof made of dirt blocks too? Ugh! 

 

More pictures here: Fort Larned NHS   And here: Santa Fe Trail Center 

4/29/15 - Monument Rocks NNL

I read in one of the many brochures I pick up along the way that there are "8 Wonders of Kansas". (Unless you're from Kansas, I'll bet you can't name even one!) One of them is Monument Rocks National Natural Landmark. Actually, I didn't realize there was such a thing as a National Natural Landmarks either, but this was the first one. It's #7 on the list.

Just north of Scott State Park (selected by National Geographic as one of the 50 best state parks in the US--from another brochure!) where we were staying are a group of chalk monoliths that you don't expect to see in the Kansas Plains.

Kansas saves a lot of money by not paving county roads. Since George washed the truck yesterday, he wasn't thrilled when we made the turn. Just to prove Kansas isn't totally flat...

We saw these yellow rock piles out in someone's field. Not what we were going to see...but interesting.

Then there they were--giant stand-alone chalk formations patiently waiting for Kansas tourists. No visitor center. No passport stamps. Not even a single brochure.

So we walked around these rocks and took pictures. Then we crossed the road and walked around some other rocks and took more pictures.

 

 

 

They're pretty big. (That's me down there taking one of the other pictures.

Isn't this pretty?  If you know what it is, let me know.

This one's called "Eye of the Needle". It's a pretty big needle.

Monument Rocks are pretty cool, but if this wasn't Kansas they wouldn't count as a wonder. Well, maybe they would, but probably not in the top eight.

You know the drill--more pictures of Monument Rocks NNL here.

4/22/15 - NRA Whittington Center

I don't usually say much about RV parks, so this will be an exception. The NRA Whittington Center near Raton, NM, is not a typical RV resort. It was established in 1973 by the National Rifle Association for shooting sports, education and wildlife management. It's not connected with the NRA anymore--except for the name. We came to visit Capulin Volcano NM; most people come for the training or the hunting.  

April is definitely off-season, so we practically had the whole campground to ourselves. (We paid $3 extra per night for the West Campground because I wanted to see the antelope that (supposedly) wander all over.  Ha! No such luck...We saw 3 jackrabbits and a few mule deer.  I wanted PRONGHORNS for neighbors!!) 

Pronghorn Antelope (NOTE: picture taken outside campground)

Inside the Center is a big lobby, and as you would expect from a place that's big on guns and hunters, there are lots of mounted animal heads. (If this makes you queasy, go straight into the gift shop. Since I'm married to an ex-cop/hunter, I'm more or less used to it--although I did once have a sweatshirt that said "Fair is far; arm the animals!") 

On one side of the gift shop is the Bud & Willa Eyman Research Library.  Inside the library are bunches of cabinets containing bullets and shotgun shell collections. (No, I don't know why anyone would want to collect them either.)

On the other side of the gift shop is the Frank Brownell Museum of the Southwest. I thought it would be either a history of the NRA, or a history of competition shooting, or a history of guns. It's sort of a little bit of everything.  They have a bunch of guns, old ones and competition ones.  They have displays on everyone that lived in the area, Indians, Spanish, Civil War, Old West, Mountainmen.

(The museum has the most obnoxious doors I've ever seen!  You get too close to them in either the gift shop or the museum, and they open.  Noisily.  Frequently.  Whether you want them to or not. Then everyone in either room looks to see what's going on.)

George forgot his camera so I loaned him mine. I took 3 pictures in the museum, then handed my camera to him because I knew he was more interested.  (Terrible glare from all the windows--makes it hard to see some of the exhibits and makes for miserable pictures.)

I like this one.  It reminds me of the cap pistols my brother had when we were little kids. I thought the engraving on the silver guns was because they were toys.  Apparently cowboys liked a little bling too.

By the way, the Santa Fe Trail went through the property here.  There's an official Scenic Historic Marker and a roadside exhibit.

Click for more NRA Whittington Center pictures.