Tada. Finally in Nebraska at Harlan County Lake which is just north of Kansas border and a little farther west. Maybe near halfway east-west point of NB. Leisurely ride north with a stop in Minneapolis KS to see Rock City. It is the only rock formation of its kind in the world that is the result of sedimentation buildbup left after the inland sea that covered Kansas thousands of years ago receded. Nice very older woman collects the $3 in this little log cabin visitor center. The fee includes a free icepop. The rest of the town was really dead except for a few people with walkers and canes going into the Methodist church. See pictures. Very unusual. I have never seen rocks like this and of course piled up in the middle of wheat and cornfields is a little weird in an area about the size of 2 football fields - we were told.
On north to Concordia KS. We stopped for lunch at Kristy's where everyone was eating. Big place with elderly farm couples primarily. Also, at the table across from us was a middle aged man with Down's syndrome and down a few tables a middle aged woman with Down's syndrome. Seemed very strange to me. Not that common and here are two people in the same little town eating in the same restaurant at the same time. They didn't seem to acknowledge each other and you would think they would have had to been through school together etc. For all I know everyone in town eats there on Sunday. I had hot roast beef sandwich and coconut cream pie. Gives you an idea of the place. It was yummy and reminded me of my childhood when we ate out every Sunday. Noticed that all of these midwest small towns have very, very wide streets with diagonal head in parking. Jack says it has something to do with the railroads that laid out all of these towns based on plans for big cities that didn't quite materialize. Also, there was a no guns allowed sign on the door of the restaurant so Jack asked if you are allowed to carry guns in Kansas. The cashier said she didn't know but it is the law that they put up the sign??!!?? We hadn't seen it in any other restaurant we were in so maybe it was a county law.
Continued north on very straight roads - yeah. Saw our first prarie power -- windmills. About 15 of them but only 4 that were turning, but they do face in a variety of directions. Crossed the Nebraska border and 2-lane roads all the way to Harlan Lake. Had the roads to ourselves past huge farms and some small towns that are essentially just deserted buildings. FFA welcoming signs at every county line. Also, every county in Kansas and Nebraska seems to have its own county museum. Passed through Red Cloud where Willa Cather lived. Sounded really nice in tour book but dead as a doornail when we got there. Not one thing open, not one car on the streets-which are all brick by the way. In the middle of nowhere we passed (very quickly) this beautiful 2 dimensional silouette sculpture up on a little hill of 3 Indians chasing after a buffalo. It was just great but no sign that there was an artist studio, no signs of any kind. Kind of weird. Made of steel and it can be seen from quite a distance.
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