October 5 Palo Duro Canyon

Happy 12th Birthday Xena!

We both heard the coyotes last night. I was a little nervous when it was time to take Xena out for her last pee of the day. She really didn’t take long as maybe she heard the coyotes also. We had scheduled a 10 AM 3 hour canyon tour so couldn’t really sleep in as we wanted to leave camp by 9:15. It’s just outside the park, but I needed to stop at the ranger station and drop off postcards and see if they could send a fax for me. I made those oatmeal pancakes. I really like them and Bill’s not object to them now. I cut up one of the huge peaches I got that were hard as rocks and had kept in the cupboard for 3 days. It was really good. Bill took Xena for a long walk and then we left at the scheduled 9:15 (imagine that). The ranger took my mail but said they only have incoming fax.

Smiley - Our touring car

Enjoying the view

Example of a Spanish  Skirt

We drove into the Elkins Ranch for our jeep tour. It’s not much to look at from the outside. They had 6-8 jeeps and suburbans that been cut off and roll bars welded on and canopy tops. There was another couple going on our tour so we got a suburban named Smiley that was painted to look like a cow with pink trim. A school teacher named Lee was our guide and she was one of the most knowledgeable guides we have ever had. She’s been doing these tours seasonally for a number of years and is an avid hiker and explorer and is a plethora of information on geology, fossils, history of the area and Indians and legends. Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the US. We were gone closed to 3 ½ hours and it was a great tour. She shared the history of ownership of the canyon. The state park has a section, Elkins Ranch owns a section as large as the park and the rest is all in parcels from 10 to 200 acres. We didn’t see any wildlife but fossils, hoo doos, caves, all kinds of rock formations such as Spanish skirts, beaver lodge remains (there was a severe high water 3 weeks ago and the beaver lodges were destroyed), just so many interesting things on our 15 miles drive. Now the drive itself was an adventure. Parts totally reminded you of a roller coaster when we get to the top and can’t see the bottom and going up out of the canyon she had to drive fast to keep from sliding back down and it was bumpy as all get out. We got to spend time on the canyon bottom and climb rocks and take tons of pictures and video. On the way down we stopped at a lookout where cowboys in the late 1800’s etched their names in the sandstone and then others have since. It was windy and over a huge directly down drop and she didn’t want me to go to the edge but get on my stomach and look over, so I did, as it wouldn’t be a good trip for me to fall hundred’s of feet into the canyon. Bill’s not much on adventure so he took my picture out on the edge.

Quite a balancing act - this is a Hoo Doo

Destroyed beaver lodge

On the way back to camp we stopped at the Visitor Center which has a small museum. The park was one that was built during the Depression by the CCC so there was a display about that and the geology, fossil finds, plants and animals. The view from the center down into the canyon was the best for this side of the canyon. Not much water flows year around but it gets high water on a normal basis of up to 5 ft from the lowest point and can get water up to 10 – 15 feet depending on the various tributaries. After lunch since it is Xena’s birthday we took her with us as we drove to the end of the park, crossing the 6 waterways, 5 of which had flood markers. We passed 2 more RV campgrounds and 2 tent sites, the horse rental stable and the Trading Post where you can get gas or diesel if you get desperate. Didn’t check the price but am sure it’s expensive to bring it down here.

I baked chicken breast with rosemary for dinner, made fried mashed potato patties and fresh squash. Later in celebration of Xena’s birthday I used 2 of my pound cake dessert cups to make cheesecake filled cake with fresh strawberries.

Our Cedar Creek neighbor stopped by for some info Bill said he’d share with them and we might see them at the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. They’re heading for Santa Fe at about the same time we are leaving for Albuquerque. With no internet I’m at least getting the journal written and my many photos for today downloaded and watching my shows. I’m not too excited about driving tomorrow. We hear it’s about 5 hours, that means at least 6 for us, so we should roll in by 3 or so.

October 4 Texas Here We Come

From the front our our RV in Palo
Duro Canyon

Bill was so nice to let me sleep til 7:30, knowing it takes more than an hour to eat, dress and close up things to leave, but we were close to liftoff time – 8:40. But then there was the glitch! Bill thought the same RV tire looked low, so he checked it and it was 30 pounds low again. He got out the pump and pumped it up and while it was doing its thing, he asked where there was a tire place. Seems there was one just up the road, so he called and they said to bring it right in. We weren’t sure what to expect but turns out we pulled to one side of the building and the guy came and took the tire off and found a piece of metal in it, repaired it and we were good to go. I sat in the truck with the pets and made some phone calls I need to get off my “to do” list. So we actually got on the road to Texas at about 9:30. Bill called the campground to see how late we could arrive and they close the gate at 6 since it’s a state park. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is just south of Amarillo to be exact.

Since we weren’t on interstates there were only a few roadside rests, not real rest areas to accommodate a rig this size, so we pulled into a closed stockyard, put out the slides and had lunch. The drive was easy but you sure get tired of the prairie land. Miles and miles of flat land with either corn or sorghum. Once in a while there are some cattle or horses. In the horizon you’d see some really tall building but when you get close it’s just another grain elevator or silo. Then a tiny town will have sprouted up around it. That was the routine today, over and over again. And then the wind, wow, there were even signs warning of dangerous crosswinds. That is not a pleasant feeling. But we arrived safely at Palo Duro at about 4 and by 5 we were set up and sitting in our recliners. Bill went in and got our spot in the first campground and informed me we would have to back in. No campground manager to help this time. Luckily our spot was across from an open drive and I could just about pull straight forward and back right in. It was nice not arguing about the parking for a change. Maybe someday we’ll get the hang of it. Also the road down into the canyon was a 10% grade, which was our steepest yet, but Big Blue did her job and we landed safely at the bottom.

The view across from our RV

There was another Cedar Creek checking in at the same time and wouldn’t you know they parked just down the circle from us. Of course we had to walk down and check out their unit, then one of the ladies came out to ask about ours. Theirs is an 07 and ours an 09 and they have had really good experience with Forest River. This is their second one, they went bigger.

Another view from the RV

This is a super nice park. I’m sure there are lots of activities in the summer as they have an amphitheater, horse trails, and programs for kids. We can sit in our RV, or out in our site and look at the red rock, reminding us of Sedona. It’s really beautiful and now the wind has stopped and sitting here with the window open as I type I can hear the crickets chirping. Very serene indeed. What a way to end the day!

October 3 All About Dodge City

Oh, it was so nice to sleep until 9. Since it’s Sunday Bill was patiently waiting for his soft boiled eggs, bacon, toast and fruit. I had fried grits instead of eggs and toast. I thought of Harry when I ate my grits. He used to come to my house for breakfast every Wednesday morning and lots of mornings I’d make grits for him. Now he’s on his own for breakfast!

We kinda lazed around but I hemmed the sleeves of my new top I got in Branson, and repaired Bill’s wind suit pants. Since it’s windy out again today I think we will need them. I did 2 more loads of wash and Bill vacuumed. We got out the oscillating ceramic heater so we can take the chill off and not have to use the furnace. It takes propane so better to use the park’s electric since we’re paying for it. Bill showered at the bathhouse and I waited til my cold water load was in to take my shower. We only have a 10 gallon water heater so you have to be cautious in your hot water usage.


Notorious outlaw Billy the Coach
in the Dodge City jail

I told Bill I was going to change out the cable and see it there might be a problem with it. The other cable worked fine. He then informed me that we needed to put the splitter on as we both had shows on tonight at the same time. He went out to do it and discovered that the problem with the first cable was the copper wire inside was too far in to make a connections. I took both ends off and fixed them and we finally got both tvs going. Then we had a quick lunch and headed into town. Boot Hill didn’t open til 1 so we were in no rush. The video was OK. I’m sure Bill knew but I didn’t realize Bat Masterson had also been a deputy and sheriff here. Dodge City was not quite as tame as it was under Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke. There was no Matt Dillon or Miss Kitty, but there was a Long Branch Saloon. Dodge City was a cattle town. The Texas longhorn cattle, millions of them, were driven through here. The cowboys would be ready for some food, drink and women at the end of the several month drive and would have gotten paid when they got here so they would spend lots of time and money in the saloons and they got pretty rowdy. There were gunfights and just shooting up things. Eventually the town grew both in size and civility due to a string of strong lawmen. The Boot Hill cemetery is on a hill and has 32 graves, 1 of which is a woman and was the last person to be buried there. Her name was Alice Chambers. Those rowdy Chambers! The original stores, shops and saloons along Front Street burned down and the second ones were of brick. Then the city officials in the 1950’s went against the wishes of the people and had the buildings torn down to make parking. Several people/groups bought some of the buildings and moved them to where they are now in the “new” complex and in 1958 the current replica of Front Street was built with smaller but all of the names and businesses that had been there in the beginning. The bricks from the buildings were used as the walkway in the museum. The museum has a lot of information about the Indians in the area when the trail went through and the history of some of the cattle ranches that sprang up once the longhorns were no longer allowed to come through. That was because of a disease they developed and the state I guess banned them from being driven here to keep the local animals from catching it. At that time people developed the area into farming and cattle ranching instead of relying on cattle drives to survive. The last part of the museum has lots of memorabilia of the Dodge City movies made and of course, lots of TV Gunsmoke photos, etc. They even have a 1950’s TV playing the show and a western couch and chair you can sit down and watch an episode or 2.

At the Long Branch Saloon

Painting from the original Long Branch

Next we started at one end of Front Street and checked out all the buildings and exhibits. In the summer they have gun fights and more historical interpreters. We started in the general store where we sampled the fudge, Bill ended up buying some fudge to go. Next door was the Long Branch Saloon where Bill moseyed up to the bar and ordered a Sarsaparilla. The bartender was in costume. They have shows on the stage in the summer but we just sat and took in the place and people. They have 3 paintings and a clock from the original saloon. Then we walked through the interiors of the buildings which some have one kind of business in front and a different one in back. There was a doctor, printer, milliner, drugstore, other saloons and at the end was a photographer where you could dress in period clothing. No one was working today. We visited the Victorian House, the school, the blacksmith and the church. And that was the end of Boot Hill and Dodge City. The reason the cemetery is called Boot Hill is because it is on a hill and most of the cowboys were buried with their boots on or put behind their head as a pillow.

On the way home we filled up the truck and went to a Dillon’s Grocery. What a nice store. Reminded me of Publix, prices and all. We won’t have a chance to get anything til we reach Albuquerque, so thought we better get more lunchmeat and bread. I did my last load of laundry and Bill drained the tanks in preparation to leave by 8:30 tomorrow. We had half of the leftovers, leaving the other half for tomorrow. I don’t like having to cook after driving most of the day and it will be about 275 miles. We try to never do over 300 miles in a day because as the driver it is more stressful than driving a car.

We watched our Sunday shows of Desperate Housewives and Bill watched something in the bedroom and I watch Brothers and Sisters as I typed on the blog and downloaded the photos. Got all but today posted so hope I have internet tomorrow.

October 2 - Dodge City, Here We Come

We awoke to a beautiful sun shiny day, that is, until we stepped outside. Boy, was it windy! Time to bring out the jackets. The plan was to leave the RV at the campground and do our 2 stops, then come back, have lunch and head to Dodge City. We managed to pretty much stick with the plan today.

Sod house at Sante Fe Trails Center

First stop was the Santa Fe Trails Center just a couple of miles up the road from Camp Pawnee. They have a display on the trail, how people got started, what they did along the way, and the types of homes they would have once they settled. The story of the hardships along the way. Outside the building were a sod house like what families would have built to live in until a permanent structure could be built. The windmill shows how they could get water. They were in the process of building an underground house that they would build into a hill and have dirt piled up along the sides, then could use the dirt wall inside as walls.

Only a few miles further down the road was Fort Larned National Historic Site. The fort was built to ensure the safety of the mail carriers and commerce along the Santa Fe Trail. The soldiers would also escort wagon trains if they would wait until they were leaving to escort the mail carriers. This type of fort didn’t have a stockade, it was just buildings in a square with whatever out buildings were needed for supplies, horses, etc. They had a soldier interpreter in the barracks who explained what daily life was like for the soldiers. There was also a blacksmith making the items needed in the fort. He was making chain links while we watched and gave us one as a souvenir.

It was noon when we left the fort so we had a quick lunch, then loaded up the pets to head out. Bill checked the tires and one on the RV was 30 pounds low so he got out our little pump and it takes a while but it works. We stopped in Larned to have the tires checked at a tire place and it was fine. Then it was about 90 minutes to Dodge City. We’re staying at Gunsmoke Trav-L-Park. It’s a pretty nice park. We feel much more secure here with lots of neighbors. The campground is just a few miles down the road from the historic Dodge City area.

Entry to Boot Hill Complex

Once we got parked and set up Bill was anxious to check out the town. We drove in along what was historic Front Street where the original town was. They have a museum complex called Boot Hill. We took a few photos there and went in but it was 4:30 and they said it takes about an hour and a half to see the video, Boot Hill Cemetery, go through the museum and then the replicas of the businesses along Front street. We didn’t have time to do that before closing but drove down to the statue of Wyatt Earp who at one time was a deputy sheriff and later the sheriff here. Other than the Boot Hill Complex, there isn’t much to see. Bill was rather bummed after all the westerns he’s read about Dodge City, he just thought there would be more to see. So we went to Wal-mart for a few groceries. It was still chilly out and I brought my wind suit but failed to bring any of the long sleeve tops I have to go with it, so picked up a couple of THIN tops there and also an inexpensive lined fleece jacket. I really am worried I won’t have the right clothes and it might be cold out.

So I did my first load of wash. We won’t be able to do laundry for 6 nights after we leave here so I want to have it all done up to last. Be evening it was sunny out and the wind had died down so it was pretty nice out. I made chorizo tacos for dinner and took the leftover brown rice and stirred in some salsa and made Spanish rice to go with the tacos. I had bought a nice crisp jicima that we had also. Bill said it was really a good dinner, just a bit spicy. I have to agree it was, but I do love chorizo sausage.

For some reason we could not get the cable to work. I tried every connection, even tried using the outside connection of the site next to us but it would not get any channels. I called the office and he said there were guests in our spot last night and it worked fine and should be. He said it must be our equipment. So we gave up on the TV for the night. Kam had sent a mail packet with the rest of our credit and debit cards and several sport magazines for Bill so he had something to keep him busy for the night and I caught up on my journal and downloading photos.

October 1 Headed to Larned, KS

Bill let me sleep til 8 which surprised me. We didn’t plan to leave until at least 9 to avoid the horrendous traffic since were to drive almost straight to the city. Talked to our neighbors who are insurance adjustors from IN in the area handling hale damage claims. They travel all over working and using their RV.


Once we got on the road, we missed the exit from the circle interstate and since it’s not the easiest to exit and re-enter in heavy traffic in the RV, we decided to stay on the circle to our Interstate on the west side of Kansas. Cost us about 25 minutes but saved us a lot of stress.

Rather uneventful day, other than we saw 2 herds of buffalo along the interstate, each was about 50 head. Spotted several hawks sitting on fence posts watching for their next meal to come along. We combined our fuel stop with lunch in the lot of the Flying J then headed on to the city of Larned KS.

We had to pick up a key at city hall to the electric box of our campsite. Our campground tonight is Camp Pawnee which is only 12 spaces and owned by the city. It has no bath house but that’s OK. It’s really convenient to the 2 plays we want to see tomorrow and only an hour or so to our next stop, Dodge City. Anyway, when we drove into town, and this is a small town, there were having their high school’s homecoming parade so we had to wait in the street. Bill went ahead and walked to the city hall just one block up. I was to turn left at the light and park in the church lot according to the lady at city hall. I was going to wait there for Bill. Well I made the turn and there was no church and I was a little nervous about making too many turns and getting in a pickle of not having room. I ended up going around the block and turning on a different street that I could just sit there. Bill called and he saw me make the turn so was able to find me. I am bigger than a breadbox and not many RV’s are driving around Larned. It was 3 miles to Camp Pawnee, from a small paved road to a gravel road that was bumpy as all get out. We’re the only people in the camp and I backed it in the space. Bill wanted me to just pull through a space and just park since there wasn’t anyone else. I thought I should practice my backing up so we did and I got in pretty easily. Since we got in pretty early we took the opportunity to wash the bugs off the front of the RV, my job is across the top so I get on the roof. Then I cleaned the awning from the roof and the slide toppers. From the ground I cleaned the underside of the awning and the underside on the topper beside the awning. Bill cleaned the front of the truck and the rear of the RV. While we were cleaning I cut 2 ½ links of Italian sausage in little chunks and browned them and then simmered for almost an hour in spaghetti sauce. We had spaghetti, salad and one piece each of whole wheat garlic toast. The sausage was a little spicy but we both really enjoyed the dinner and were quite famished after working outside. I hadn’t planned to turn the AC on as it was pretty nice out but once I came in from working I was ready for cool air.

After dinner was took Xena for a walk around the park and checked out the restrooms. I took my shower and when I came out Bill had all the lights out and the TV on. He was watching a car out the window that had come into the park on the far side from us and parked. I told him it was teenagers out “parking” but he wanted me to call the police. I dialed but gave him the phone. They send 2 cars out and were here about 20 minutes and then they all left. It is kinda spooky being here along and there’s only one pole light across the park from us. They said the park gets patrolled every 3 hours by the sheriff’s office, the prison’s people and the mental institution’s people, so maybe this isn’t such a good location! The price was right, only $10 for the night.

September 30 The Best of Kansas City

Happy Anniversary Karen and David!

Bill sounding the steamboat whistle
to start off our tour



A sample of the dishes recovered



The Arabia's paddlewheel

Since we were heading into Kansas City today we didn’t want to leave too early and be caught in the traffic so we didn’t leave until 9:30. It was an easy drive in but we did have to turn and re-turn to find the Arabia Museum. This was my favorite thing so far this trip. Totally amazing! The Arabia was a Steamboat carrying over 200 tons of cargo to be delivered to shops and stores along the Missouri river as far north as Nebraska. When the ship docked in Kansas City it didn’t leave any cargo but only picked up fuel. Just up river the Arabia was snagged and hit a tree trunk under water and quickly sank 15 feet. The only life lost was that of a mule what was bridled, saddled and tied and not able to swim ashore. No crew or traveler lost their life, but all lost everything they had brought on the ship. Over time the ship continued to sink in the silt of the Missouri and since rivers are notorious for changing course, the ship ended up 45 feet underground in a cornfield. Five men spent 1.5 million dollars to excavate the ship and found the mother lode. Almost everything on the ship was salvaged except for cotton items. These men have millions worth of 135 year old Wedgewood china, 5,000 boots, tools, guns, food, jewelry, clothing, and medicinal supplies, everything you would find at the time in a General Store. They decided not to break it all up and sell it but to keep the collection together. So we went on a tour and watched a video about the excavation and after it ended one of the owners came out and thanked us for coming and answered questions. Then we proceeded into the touring area where there is room after room of artifacts. The volume is like a museum, the fact that so much has survived for over 135 years is astonishing. I just wanted to take a photo of everything. They have the boilers on display in the center of a room the size of the main deck and one of the original paddle wheels working on the side. In another room is the first 10 feet or so of the hull that they spent years spraying with preservation chemicals twice a day to make it permanently preserved. These men could have all been extremely wealthy but chose to spend 10 years after the opening of the museum paying back the loan and now earn their living running the museum in addition to having 10 more years of work cleaning and preserving the rest of the artifacts. What a place and story!

Liberty Monument atop of
the WWI Museum

Skyline of Kansas City from top of
Liberty Monument

Our second stop for the day was the National World War I Museum at the Liberty Memorial. According to the AAA book they had food available so we decided to eat there instead of stopping and going again. The food was excellent and freshly prepared. Reminded me of Panera. I had the soup and half sandwich and Bill had a ham and cheese ciabatta sandwich. The Liberty Memorial is a 217 foot tower that you can take the elevator up to the top and go out on the observation deck and see the skyline of Kansas City and the old Union Station. I thought it was awesome but Bill didn’t really want to go up there. You ride up then climb up 45 stairs. They have a little buzzer on the elevator door that you ring to go down and Bill rang it twice and couldn’t wait to get back down. Under the tower is the actual museum. They have 2 movies and 2 huge exhibit halls. One covers 1914-1917 and the other 1917 – 1919. I really think this was really a world war more so that WWII was. It was a major chain reaction of countries declaring war because of their alliances, so eventually it pulled everyone into the fray. At least I’m learning or maybe relearning a lot on this trip. I’m sure we studied WWI in school but I don’t remember too much about it. The exhibits weren’t just about the US, as we got in pretty late, but it was about all the countries involved, with uniforms, guns and equipment used by all countries. They had a unit on the women who served.

Kauffman Stadium

Bill with George Brett

By now it was time to head home and feed the girls and get ready to go to the Kansas/Tampa Bay baseball game. The campground manager gave us simple directions that took us right to the field in maybe 15 minutes. We were plenty early and it was still light out so I was able to get some photos of Kauffman Stadium and also Arrowhead Stadium beside it, where the KC Chiefs play. It wasn’t as cold out as I had thought it would be once the sun when down. The stadium is really nice but the food selection, at least on our level wasn’t the best. We were sitting in center field and liked our seats. Not full at all but a good crowd to watch our Rays go down in defeat!

When we got home we prepped the RV for leaving in the morning. Our campground tomorrow night is water and electric only so we have to empty all the tanks. I worked on my journal and photos since we had unhooked the TV.









September 29 - The Trail of Jesse James

We wanted to leave by 8:30 so we would be at the M & I Bank in Liberty, MO around the time it opened at 9 to replenish our cash supply until my new debit card arrives. I Map Quested it and it was right on the way to our first real stop, Kearney, MO. Took no time to get there but the directions led us into a shopping center, leading me to believe the bank should be someplace in the plaza. Well, we didn’t see it and followed the road around and it came out on the highway we started on, so we stopped at a gas station and asked if there was an M & I close by. The lady said yes and if you stayed on the road you could see it from the road but can’t get to and she wasn’t sure how to get to it. So we drove by and saw it and you do go in from the shopping center but you can’t see it from the interior road because another big building is in front/behind it. Anyway, we got there and had no trouble getting cash. Even though Bill has his DL, I felt better knowing I have my passport. I’ve had to show it a couple of times for photo ID using the credit card.

Jesse James Birthplace AKA
James Farm

The grave is the original in the
yard of the James Home but the
monument is a replica

Another 20 minutes or so up the road is Kearney, MO, birthplace of Jesse James and location of the Jesse James Farm and Museum. It’s a little ways out of town but easy to get to. They have a nice video presentation and 3 galleries in the visitor center. The staff was very knowledgeable and even told us about the James family descendents. Frank had only one child, a son, who was a scholar and never married. Jesse and his wife, who was his first cousin on his mother’s side, had a son and daughter. The son only had 3-4 daughters and his daughter had children but there were no more “James” after Jesse’s son. We toured the farm house which started off as a log cabin and their mother ordered a catalog house which was fairly common at that time, and had it built on to one side of the log cabin. The cabin is pretty much as it was after Jesse’s mother died and then Frank and his wife lived in it a couple of years til he died and then his wife lived another 29 years. At that time the descendants sold the house to the county, who now runs it. The story is that the boys started out at guerillas because they were a slave owning family who was persecuted by the locals who were anti-slavery. Frank joined first and after Jesse was badly beaten and his step-father beaten and tortured by the locals, he joined when we was only 14. They fought with the Confederates although they were not technically in the army. Then after the war ended, they robbed banks that were owned by Unionists. So now they are not considered to be “outlaws” in the sense we think. On the way from the farm we stopped at the Mt Olivet Cemetery to see Jesse’s grave. His mother and step-father are also buried by him and his wife.

Where Jesse was killed

The framed area in the middle
is the bullet hole in the wall
from Jesse's being shot

When we left Kearney we stopped for lunch at Arby’s on the way further up the road to St Joseph, MO to the Jesse James House. Jesse, who was going by the name of Tom Howard, lived in a small house with his wife and 2 children. The children thought their names were Howard. Jesse’s gang met there and planned their robberies. Two members of his gang, Charlie and Bob Ford, had been offered a $10,000 reward and amnesty if they killed Jesse. Jesse never took his guns off, so it took a while for them to have the opportunity to kill him as neither could out-draw Jesse. One day when they were meeting, Jesse took off his guns and climbed on a chair to straighten a picture on the wall. Bob Ford shot him in the back of the head and he died instantly. There have been claims over the years that it wasn’t Jesse and that he got away and was never caught. In 1995 his body was exhumed and DNA tests were done using his great granddaughter and a great nephew (from his sister’s family) and it was 99.7% certain. They then held a funeral for Jesse James and he was buried in the Mt Olivet Cemetery in Kearney. At the time he was shot, his mother had him buried in her front yard at the farm so she could watch over the grave and prevent grave robbers. Later it was determined that it was illegal to bury someone in your yard so he was moved to Mt Olivet. So he was buried 3 times and had 3 funerals. The largest in 1995.

The slowest horse I've
ever been on

Last stop today was the Pony Express Museum, also in St. Joseph. It’s housed in the original stable where the first rider left St. Joseph on April 3, 1860. The building has been a number of things since but is now back where it started. They have nice movie on the development of the Express and the 3 men who backed and planned it and the reasons for its demise. Mainly it was too expensive and because the telegraph system made the east to west connection. Only 1 of the riders was killed and that was due to an Indian uprising. There were 400- 500 horses in use at the relay and home stations along 2000 miles from St. Joseph to Sacramento. The riders each, one going east and one going west, carried 20 pounds of letters, getting them across the country in 10 days. Riders passed the mail bag every 75 -100 miles and horses every 10-15 miles. That’s why it was expensive, to man the stations along the way. I think it was only in operations no more than 18 months. It’s a very interesting story and again, I sure learned a lot.

Denny, Diane and I after dinner

We managed to get home about 3:45, giving us a chance to rest a bit, change clothes, walk Xena and leave at 5:30 to meet my old friends Diane and Denny Junge for dinner in Kansas City. We used to play co-ed and women’s softball together some 30 years ago. We had time to walk around the city plaza/shopping mecca a bit before meeting at the BBQ place. Kansas is known for its BBQ and Diane said this was her favorite restaurant, so we let her pick. Dinner was great and we visited for 3 hours, catching up on our families and reminiscing about softball and the people we all remembered. It was great to see them and maybe we can get together before another 18 years go by!