64 Higher Education

     We spent the next few days road tripping with Paul and Mary, fun and education.  We learned of their College, Church, family ties and their infinite knowledge of their beloved Kansas.      

    I have decided to only mention a couple of things on each attraction they took us to, or we will never get on to the next post.
     As a matter of fact we are still in Kansas and a trip to the Oz museum in Wamego seemed appropriate.  Interesting fact, one set of Dorothy ruby slippers sold for over $200,000. And that Shirley Temple turned down the role of Dorothy.  Judy Garland from Grand Rapids Minnesota ended up playing the part.  A pair of ruby slippers were stolen from a museum in Grand Rapids and never located.

     We stopped at the Red Vermillion river at the point where the Oregon trail with its thousands of settlers were allowed to cross for one dollar on a toll bridge build by Louis Vieux.  In addition to all the dangers the settlers faced Cholera was being spread from water hole to water hole.  And at this site in May of 1849 over 50 travelers died at this site, they may have been healthy in the morning and dead by night.  It was sobering to see the graves of an entire family and the tombstones simply marked as "soldier" and to contemplate the contributions they could have made had they lived.
     We visited the Flint hills discovery center in Manhattan and learned of the tall grass prairie surrounding the area.  It was interesting to learn about the native people and the immigrants who settled here. 
     The Kansas museum of history was fascinating,  Covering the timeline from 5,000 B.C up until the 1990's .  Of particular interest to me were the attempts to attract settlers to the land.  Nicodemus,  an African American settlement provided settlement opportunities for people of modest means. A person could claim a 160-acre plot provided they lived on and developed the land for a 5-year period, after which it could be purchased.
    
     A drawing of a fierce looking woman caught my eye, she was Carrie Nation and she was going to put an end to drinking by smashing taverns with her hatchet.  Hide the "Jack" here she comes. 
     Trivia question, when did the state board of health ban the use of common drinking cups, you would know if you went with us.   This made me think because Ruthie was just reminiscing how her family, the milk man, feed man and any one that happened to visit would drink from the water storage in their well house from the same dipper that hung on the wall completely exposed to the elements.  Evidently the health department didn't check their farm.
    With out a doubt the area that grabbed our attention the most was the Kansas in aviation history display.  (nothing to do with Dorothy and her flight)  Paul had mentioned that his great Uncle A.K. Longren was one of the first aviators, matter of fact Paul is researching and writing a book about him and his contribution to aviation. 
     When we entered this display there was proof ever where of his relatives contribution.  From designing and building to flying and pioneering the proof is ever where.   Here is one of A.K.'s original planes hanging in the museum. 
   

  Here is a trivia answer for you I picked up, what can a dog do that an oxen can't? "stand on three legs." Who knew?

     One last picture and we will leave the museum.  Every time I mention this place Ruthie makes an unkind remark and grimace. 
   Then I find out on this trip that White Castle was the first hamburger chain, how fitting.  Anyone for a slider?  Count me in!


     We still needed to be on the road home as we had a project to complete for a customer   And on a selfish note their were still the secret conversations of a big birthday present.   
      However there were still snow advisories for the area and hosts had one more road trip planned. 
     With Paul being a retired Air force officer he and Mary had a strong attachment to military aviation so it was only natural that we visit the Combat air museum in Topeka.  On the way they showed us the school that had fostered the court decision that stopped state sponsored segregation thru supposedly separate but equal schools for black and white students.  Yup, I could learn a lot here.
 

     Okay, one more educational experience and tomorrow we are on the road.  Because of my Navy service in the aviation part of the Navy ( Paul teased me a few times about this) I knew I would be interested in this stop.   They had every type of war plane imaginable including one of the Navy flying demonstration team "The Blue Angels". We had seen one of their performances while I was in the service and I still remember the precision and speed of the exhibition.  Not to be a conspiracy theory guy, sometimes their are things that are hard to explain.  The section with the title "What really happened to Jack B. Ketchum? Stirred my curiosity.  Check this link out for your self and let me know what you think.  Ketchum. 
     It looks like the Air Force like's trikes too. 

     Paul admiring one of the displays,  When the curator discovered Paul was an officer stationed in a missile silo during his career he became a instant source of information for them, Mr. Wiki in the flesh! 

     We headed home determined to be on the road in the morning.  It was snowing pretty hard as we arrived at their home.  What is in store for us tomorrow?