Day 18---We're not in Kansas anymore

Have I mentioned flat?

 I have a difficult time getting over  how flat western Kansas is.  You can literally see forever.  Unfortunately, there is nothing to see in forever.  Not really boring though, and at least it's green, mostly. Have seen little corn, too early, but lots of wheat.

We stopped at a quilt shop called "Quilt Cabin".  A really nice shop with lots of fabric, but a unwelcoming saleslady.

Van Gogh to the extreme

You can see this Van Gogh reproduction of a Sunflower from the I-70 as you drive by Goodland KS.  The painting is 80-feet up on an easel, and measures 20 x 32 feet.  One of seven planned in the world, with two others done in Australia and Canada, it was painted by Canadian artist Cameron Cross.

Pat and I got off the freeway to look at it.  Goodland was chosen because many acres of sunflowers are grown in this area, Kansas being the 3rd largest producer of sunflower seeds in the United States.

Notice the size of the water tower...it is approximately the same height as the painting, also notice Pat's car in the background.

A close-up, or
as close as we could get!

I think our 13th state on this road trip
It says Welcome to Colorful Colorado

Goodland is in the far west of Kansas, actually where the time shifts from Central to Mountain, so we are one hour closer to home.  We soon crossed into Colorado along the largest stretch of roadwork we have seen.  The road on the north side has actually been totally ripped up to the dirt, and they're starting all over.  I envision a summer of miserable driving on I-70.  Not too bad this early in the spring, just lots of semi's.

Strange how much like Kansas the eastern part of Colorado looks?  :-)  They grow lots of wheat and sunflowers and corn here also.  This is wheat.  You can see just about forever here too, but the clouds have changed to little New Mexico like puffs.  More washes and arroyos now, with pasture and cattle.  Very definitely high plains, I can just imagine bison thundering over the ridge line.

Think wagon trains west, and how they felt.

Yummm, yet again

 We stopped in the little town of Limon CO for lunch.  Asked for a place to eat, and were directed to Ruby's Diner.  Very western motif, and good food.  Both Pat and I had a brangle melt which consisted of sourdough bread, a hamburger patty, provolone cheese, grilled portabella mushrooms and onions, with a small side salad. Good grub.

You should know that we are actually only eating two meals a day, so it really isn't as bad as it seems.




Rolling plains as far as can be seen, and suddenly a high rampart of mountains stretching north and south as far as can be seen.  The Rockies seem to rise abruptly from the rolling plains, and look formidable, snow-topped as they are.  I can imagine the 49's going "Now what?" as depression sets in at what they now have to do, after having gone through so much already.  They were certainly nothing if not determined.

Followed by this. Yes, that's snow.

High plains...

Coming suddenly into Denver, the traffic was terrible.  I mean "suddenly" literally, because we went from hardly any traffic to city traffic within two miles.  I don't have a clue where all the cars came from, but there they were.  Construction and torn up lanes, interchanges, etc.  Not quite as bad as St. Louis, but close.  We traversed Denver north of downtown, and saw the golden dome of the state capitol in the distance.  We have stopped for the night in Golden CO which is a little west of Denver.  The downtown is very historic, and reminds Pat and I of Nevada City (Traffic like Nevada City, too).  Actually the foothills of the Rockies, and after all the flat, a nice change.  This is where Coors beer is made, little did we know.

Coming into Golden
CO