We're Not In Kansas Anymore!

   I forgot to mention in my last entry that US36 roughly follows the route of the Pony Express and we saw several roadside life-size metal cutouts and statues of Pony Express riders galloping westward during our drive. Also, US36 is one of the smoothest stretches of road we've ever traveled in the coach. There are some very rough sections of Interstate throughout the country and it was a pleasure to glide so smoothly along one of the lesser traveled secondary highways.

******

 So... we all know who shot Abraham Lincoln - but do you know who shot the man who shot Abraham Lincoln?

   His Name was Boston Corbett. After Lincoln's assassination Corbett's army regiment was sent to apprehend John Wilkes Booth. Booth was supposed to be taken alive but Corbett later claimed Booth aimed his carbine at him, prompting him to shoot Booth with his Colt revolver. Yeeeah.

   Well, that's not the end of the story. After his stint in the military, Corbett sorta went off the rails - making a series of ill-advised life decisions including self castration with a pair of scissors.                                   

  Ouch. 

  It's really kind of a fascinating story and you should take a few minutes to read his Wikipedia bio. 

  He relocated to the Kansas prairie, dug a hole in the ground and threatened to shoot locals he thought were disobeying God's will. Check out his story on Roadside America.  It's a hoot.

  So as it turns out, Rocky Pond Park, where we spent Tuesday & Wednesday nights, was just a hop, skip and a jump from the spot where the Boy Scouts of America erected a monument to the crazy bastard back in 1958. Etched in stone were directions to the Corbett hole: "60 yards due south". I'm a pretty fair judge of distance, but even with the aid of my compass app, neither Suzanne nor I was able to locate anything in the adjoining cow pasture resembling a man-made cranny. 

   But it was a fun adventure.

   ******

      What a great find Rocky Pond Park in Belleville, Kansas was. Wednesday afternoon Suzanne, Travis & I took a walk around the pond. It's really more of a small lake - part of a larger wetland area and home to a variety of water fowl and other winged creatures. Geese, multiple species of ducks, pelicans and gulls are all in residence. We came to a towering tree on the far side of the pond where a solitary bald eagle sat motionless in its uppermost branches, save for an occasional turn of his stately noggin, . We'll definitely stay here if we're ever in this neck of the woods again.

******

   Our destination today was Colby, Kansas, about 200 miles west of Belleville. A Wednesday evening internet search showed only two RV parks in the Colby area. It was too late to call for a reservation so we departed Belleville this morning confidant there would be a spot available at one of the two parks. What I didn't anticipate was that both parks would be closed for the winter. 

   After a few minutes of Googling and option assessment we decided to continue westward to a park we located in Seibert, Colorado - another 100 miles that-a-way on I-70. Yes, it was time to get back on the Interstate. 

   I was down to about a third of a tank of diesel fuel so before jumping on I-70 we fueled up at a Petro truck stop (saving $35 with my EFI fuel card).  

   Shady Grove RV Park isn't much to look at but the young couple who own it are very nice - and it's kind of the only place to spend the night for miles in either direction. We're in a full hookup site but with empty waste water tanks, a full fresh water tank and knowing I'll have a full hookup at the end of the day tomorrow in Glenwood Springs, CO, I opted to connect only to the 50 amp electrical service. 

Thanks for checking out the blog!