Kansas Tour 2013

 

Sandi and I flew into Denver and drove 4 hours into western Kansas.  I found the county map below helpful for me.  Sandi's aunt and uncle live in Leoti (pronounced Leota) located in Wichita Co (located on the 4th row, 2nd from the left).  On Tuesday morning we travel to Hillsboro in McPherson Co (4th row down, 9th from the left) to see her Grandparents.  We left her Grandparents on Thursday afternoon to finish our vacation back in Leoti.

 

  

Western Kansas is as flat as they say it is.  The view from our windshield was filled with corn, milo and wheat.  Perhaps I should have been bored with it but it was such a stark contrast to anything I'm familiar with that it's beauty stuck out to me.

 

Leoti is a very small town among small towns.  Sandi's Uncle Brad farms the land and has lived there almost his entire life. 

Brad grows wheat and corn.  He just planted winter wheat and harvested the irrigated corn.  He is getting ready to harvest the dry corn.

 

Obviously, farming is not just planting and harvesting.  There is a lot of prep and maintenance that goes on between the big events.  I was with him and his son, Nate and hired hand, Jacob when they moved the sprinkler from one field to another. 

Brad attaching the towing tongue



We had to turn each tire 90 degrees so it could be towed
instead of turning around in a circle

Brad's hired hand, Jacob, really impressed me.  Jacob may or may not have finished high school.  He is in his early twenties.  He is incredibly knowledgeable about farm equipment and can fix nearly anything either on the field or back in the shop.  He works long hours and cares a great deal about the success of the farm.  In the week we were there, Jacob joined us for dinner twice.

 

Family Time: Sandi's mom's side



Around the table: Uncle Brad, cousin Nate, Cordell, Joy, Jacob (Brad's hired hand), Grandma and myself.



Sanid's cousin's kids: Cordell and Maggie

Sandi's Grandma and Aunt Joy

Leoti was very relaxing.  We read books, played games, walked to town and ate very well; lots of meat and potatoes with dessert after every meal!

 

Tuesday morning we left for central Kansas to visit her Dad's side of the family for a couple days.  It was good to put names with faces and gain greater context.  Her grandparents were very hospitable and generous. 

Sandi's Grandparents
 

 

Her Grandparents live in a beautiful park next to a golf course.

 

Kansas was as much a gastro tour of the heartland as it was a vacation from work.  We ate very well all week long.

 



A typical diner; a salad bar is standard.  This café specialized in Beirocks

A beirock is a German pastry with cabbage and ground beef inside.  I never new how hard
it would be to not have mashed potatoes with every meal.

 

If you are ever in Abeline, KS be sure to stop at the Brookville Hotel for dinner.
Their only menu item is a fried-chicken dinner.  Truly an amazing meal of
biscuits, mashed potatoes, creamed corn and chicken.  Top it off
with ice cream.

Not only does Abeline have amazing chicken, it was the home of Dwight Eisenhower.

We were going to see his presidential library and museum but....

 

 

Sandi is a native Kansan.  Her Dad actually had a house built in McPherson, a larger town about a 1/2 west of Hillsboro.  We stopped in and saw her old house.  Her mom and dad met in McPherson and this is where Sandi lived until she was 4 years old.

What a great home!

across the street from a park

Thursday afternoon we left Hillsboro and headed back to Leoti.  Friday and Saturday continued the agenda of relax, enjoy, laugh and eat.  It was a great trip.