We Ain't in Kansas Anymore, Toto

Greetings from the Mile High City!

I thought that my trek from Virginia to Colorado might be a point of interest.  Since I am moving out to Colorado for an indefinite period of time, I opted out of flying and made the 27 hour drive instead. I left Culpeper, VA Friday morning and stopped that night at my cousins' house in Salem, IL.  The weather was beautiful and the drive through West Virginia and Kentucky made me realize how much I'd miss green grass and east coast mountains.  Having driven to Louisville many times before, the route was pretty familiar and I enjoyed the nostalgic feeling of seeing all the old sights I'd experienced in high school.

Indiana was pretty at first, but quickly changed to the dreaded "flat" scenery I had been warned about.  Illinois was equally flat and un-enthralling.  I arrived at Aunt Jody and Uncle Ed's house around 8:30 (central time zone) and walked in upon buckets and buckets of flowers.  Jody is a professional florist/high school teacher/decorator/wedding planner extraordinaire.  She had a wedding on Saturday and would be up all night working on the bouquets.  I was recruited for minor florist duties such as: wrapping the wire and picking out the biggest and prettiest leaves.  Fortunately, the family did not make me stay up all night like they did, but instead let me catch some sleep before the long drive ahead.

I left Salem around 9:30 the next morning.  Passing through St. Louis I got to see the Arch (I've been in it before, but it was cool to see how big it was from the Martin Luther King bridge.)  St. Louis shares its address with both Illinois and Missouri, so Missouri was the next state to check off my list.  Of all the states, Missouri was the hardest to endure.  The weather was balmy and there just isn't a whole lot to see.  I felt bad for Louis and Clark and wondered how they felt about the "show me" state. (which seems ironic since there literally is nothing to "show" - maybe someone should give them another suggestion.  I don't know, perhaps the "lending" state since their two major cities are shared with other states.) 

Which brings us to Kansas City!  Kansas City is the biggest mixing bowl of major highways I have ever seen.  It is a miracle I didn't take the wrong exit (exit 416, for example, goes through "u") and end up in who knows where.  After crossing the river, I found my way to Kansas itself.  Interstate 70 in Kansas is a straight line. Literally. And I was pretty sure I could see the border of Colorado 430 miles away.  Fortunately the speed limit was 75 and I was able to cruise for the next few hours.  I stopped in Salina overnight and only had a half-day left of driving before me.  

Sunday morning began without a hitch, but the most peculiar things began to appear.  Every mile or so, scattered in wheat or alfalfa fields, cow pastures, or in the middle of towns, was Jesus.  Yes, Jesus.  Not in person, of course, (boy, wouldn't that be a story...) but these identical wooden cut-outs.  There was no writing or anything indicating that the Christ figures represented anything in particular, but they were everywhere and covered hundreds of miles (215 to be exact.)  Needless to say, I felt obliged to go the speed limit.  

Kansas is also home to the world's biggest prairie dog, a six-legged steer, and a two-headed rattle snake.  I know this because the signs said so.  I think it was a marketing ploy to get people to visit, but I'm not sure it was working.

I finally made it to Colorado, my eighth state.  The air was much cooler and the scenery looked a little more like a desert.  The grass was not as green, the landscape a little more rugged, and a whole lot of blue sky.  I saw my first tumble weed! (And yes, it was tumbling) and I saw my first pack of coyotes running along a ridge.  Even though the land is very different from what I am used to, I found it pretty in its own, untamable way. Maybe that's why they call it the "wild west."  

I made it safely to Denver, where I will spend the next three months focusing on swimming and fencing.  Overall, I had a very successful trip where I never once got lost, got a speeding ticket, or had any other road-tripping complications.    I drove through eight states, about 12 major rivers, and five major cities.  I can't say I would want to turn around and make the drive again, but all in all, it wasn't a bad trip.

Current 200m swim time: 3:10

Current mile run time: 7:05

Current aches and pains: neck