Seeing Massey was wonderful. she is doing great at Kanakuk's KAA, Kids Across America, camps for inner-city kids. She took her "two-four" to spend time with me, about 18 hours worth. We ate and shopped. I bought gas and a carwash for her, plus various other sundries. Its fun being "daddy" especially to such a great girl (and my boys!)
Branson has a relatively new area called The Landing down by the Taney River. Much nicer -- to me -- than the music strip area. We had an outdoor mall with shops and restaurants as well as a new Hilton on the Promenade. They even have a Bass Pro. Can you believe?
I split with Mass around 12:45 to start the journey towards Crockett. The terrain changes as you head west. For those of you following at home, I went north to Springfield, then west to Joplin, getting off the Interstate at Baxter Springs on the Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma corner. Southestern Kansas is much like western Missouri; the trees get shorter [you know in Mississippi, you can drive along I-55 and feel like you are in a deep canyon with the towering pines on your left and right for miles and miles!] and the sky gets larger, but it is still very agricultural. From Baxter Springs, I headed west to Chetopa, north to Oswego, and west again to Independence. These towns had those type of Main Streets that you see in movies. Relatively deserted unless there is a parade with veterans and lots of flags. From Independence, I headed north and west to Wichita. The shorter trees eventually disappeared and the landscape started to get vast. I went by my first field of the "tripod" type windmills I mentioned last year. From Wichita north to Salina, the terrain was unremarkable except for the absence of the crops I had seen between Baxter Springs and Independence. However, once I hit Salina, and started west on I-70, the vastness became different. Many of you have probably driven this route but it is expansive. You can see storms from miles away.
Well, I'm settling in in Hays, Kansas and plan to start ealy in the morning towards Denver. By the way gas was not bad in Springfield, as low as $2.37, but out here its up to $2.69.
