Enjoying Kansas
Our adventure across the US continues... last night we had a lovely dinner stop in Lawrence, KS, and today we've enjoyed Kansas immensely.
Lawrence is a neat city, representing a fair amount of important pre-civil war and abolitionist history in the US. Nora suggested we stop at the Waxman candle shop, but that was closed about an hour before we arrived in Lawrence. My father wanted us to stop at Paradise Cafe for old times sake (he particularly recommended that Jon eat the potato pancakes), but unfortunately Paradise is apparently no more. Yelp led us to La Parrilla, which turned out to be fantastic for a gluten-free girl like me, and had patio seating so that Pixel could join us.
We spent the night in Salina, Kansas, at a former Holiday Inn Express, which is converting to La Quinta. This hotel only cost us a total of $8 more than the horrid place we stayed the night before, and it was wonderful. Sound didn't travel, the bed was comfortable, the room clean, and all three of us enjoyed it. More exciting: they were very pet friendly, to the point of having doggie treats behind the front desk. One worker was bummed we wouldn't be staying another night because he wanted to bring his wife over to meet Pixel.
After Salina we went to Victoria to see the Cathedral of the Plains, recommended to us by a woman we met in Hendersonville, NC. The cathedral was lovely, but I think we were even more fascinated by the unusual and intricate wrought iron crosses adorning the grave sites at the cemetery next door.
Pixel enjoyed the cemetery and the expansive fields around it.
Two hours later (unfortunately high noon, but what can you do?), we visited the oddest geological spot, Monument Rocks. These are just south of Oakley, KS, and only the picture can explain what they are:
The chalk juts high into the air, even though there is nothing else around!
In just a few hours we'll pull into Louisville, CO, where Pixel will play with Paka and Jon and I will catch up with our friends!