Wheatstate Whirlwind Tour

Photo roundup

May 23rd, 2008

Justin Henning
Position: Online Content Coordinator

As the trip comes to a close, I thought I’d share some of our favorite photos from the last few days on the road that I didn’t add to previous galleries for some reason or another. I hope that everyone has a chance to go out and explore this great state.

As a person who grew up for the most part in and around I-435 and Johnson County, I really didn’t know what to expect this week, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at every turn. I will be returning to Lucas for a weekend trip with my wife, I know my dad will want to take a tour of the salt mine in Hutchinson, which I’d love to do again, and the buffalo roam was just amazing despite the high, high winds that day. And Barnes has the best lemon meringue pie I have ever had!

Get out and explore Kansas, it has amazing sights, food, people, culture, architecture, art, history and so much more waiting to be discovered. Rock Chalk!

Posted in Day 5 - Friday, May 23 | No Comments »

Week in review

May 23rd, 2008

As we drive back into Lawrence, I asked that a few of our other tour members share their thoughts on the experiences we’ve had. Here’s what they said:

Christopher Depcik, School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering - I have to say that this was a wonderful experience meeting everyone on the bus and in the towns. I definitely have a better appreciation for the state of Kansas, the land and the people. I will look at things differently and pay more attention to ways my research can benefit from the rural communities or help them thrive.

Chris Claussen, School of Business - The Wheat State Whirlwind Tour is probably the most comprehensive staff/faculty development exercise I’ll ever have a chance to enjoy, a true opportunity for team building and culture of human chemistry. We are better people by virtue of the WSWT, and therefore KU is better, too.

Mary Fry, School of Education, Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Sciences - Thank you KU for sending me on this tour of the state. Each day we spent seeing beautiful scenery, and talking with people around Kansas that take great pride in their work. It was great seeing everything from a flour mill to a wildlife refuge, civil rights national sites to surgeons working at a rural hospital, a wheat farm to a law enforcement training center. I’m psyched that I’m returning home with an enhanced ability to identify Kansas birds and wildflowers, and I’m proud to be a Kansan. Rock Chalk!

Inna D’Empaire, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry (Wichita School of Medicine) - It has been a wonderful and amazing trip! I feel that I learned to appreciate and see the beauty of this land through the eyes of determined people who live in the small communities!

Craig Freeman, Curator and Associate Scientist, KU Natural History Museum - What an amazing group of educators, and what an amazing week. Can we go again? I couldn’t get enough of the bison and the shortgrass prairie.

Ann Manzardo, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry - What an amazing opportunity to witness the richness and complexity of the Kansas ecosystem first hand…from the underground salt and oil beds to the wheat heads and cottonwood trees. I learned a tremendous amount about the fruits of this land as well as the hearts of the people who live as one with it.

Amy Gaier, KU Cancer Center - I love Kansas! We learned so much about this great state and its great people. Hope everyone gets the opportunity we had. Thanks!

Jessica Taveau, Public Affairs Manager, KUMC – In general, I enjoyed meeting every Kansan along the tour route. Hearing their stories, joys, challenges and hopes for the future really connected me to our mission at KU – serving Kansans and their communities.

Peg Sampson, Audio-Reader - I was a fan of the Sunflower State before but I am more impressed and in love with it now. We experienced such incredible kindness from the people we met all over the state. And the pie . . . what can I say? Are 2 pieces of pie a day enough? I don’t think so . . .

Posted in Day 5 - Friday, May 23 | No Comments »

Kansas Sampler

May 23rd, 2008

We were treated to an informative meal at the Kansas Sampler Foundation, which is run by Marci Penner who has a real passion for all things Kansas.

She really helped us bring together many of the sights we’ve seen this week, and the importance of passionate volunteers to help sustain some of the state’s smaller communities.

Justin Henning
Position: Online Content Coordinator

Her latest initiative, B.Y.O.L.C., (Bring Your Own Lawn Chair) encourages people to pack a lawn chair hit the road and join a group to go sit on the main street of a small Kansas town for an afternoon to get a feel for just what makes the town tick, and what they want and hope to accomplish to keep their town growing.

You can learn more about The Kansas Sampler and their upcoming convention in Concordia, here: www.kansassampler.org

Posted in Day 4 - Thursday, May 22 | No Comments »

I me mine

May 22nd, 2008

Justin Henning
Position: Online Content Coordinator

Our big event Thursday was a tour of the salt mine in Hutchinson. The underground museum is reached by way of a shaft elevator that takes you down more than 600 feet into the ground.

Before getting on for the descent, we were briefed on the necessity of wearing a hard hat (sometimes chunks come loose, but none did while were there) and we also get an emergency respirator that would help us breathe in the event of a fire down there.

The ride down takes about 90 seconds and we were plunged into darkness during the whole ride.

After getting down there….the view is spectacular - check out the photos below!

Also of note, the dry, stable condition of the mine makes it ideal for storage of important medical records, movie reels and other cinema props worth preserving. Makes me think of the final scene from “Raiders of the Lost Ark”

Check out some other photos from our time down below. If you want to learn more about the mine, or take a tour, go to www.undergroundmuseum.org

Posted in Day 4 - Thursday, May 22 | No Comments »

Flour power

May 22nd, 2008

Justin Henning
Position: Online Content Coordinator

After spending the night in Dodge City, we took off Thursday morning for Fort Larned, which was an important outpost in the state during the early frontier days.

The fort has been incredibly well-preserved, which you can see here in the barracks for soldiers:

Next, it was off to the Stafford County Flour Mills in Hudson to see just what happens to all that wheat our state produces. To learn more about the mills, you can go here: www.hudsoncream.com

Here are some photos from our tour:

Posted in Day 4 - Thursday, May 22 | No Comments »

Movie magic

May 21st, 2008

David D. Perlmutter
Professor, School of Journalism & Mass Communications
Years at KU: 2

If the Wheat State Whirlwind Tour was a movie it would be an ensemble piece.

Think: lots of different characters temporarily intersecting lives while on a quest.

Following the movie theme:

1. Cast: I have lived in Los Angeles and Philadelphia and I never actually heard anyone refer to the Midwest as the “flyover” but certainly to many coastal Americans the center of the country is blank spot on the map. Well, of course, anything from a distance looks blurry. But in the last few days I have met many interesting people with amazing stories. On the bus I have talked to a doctor advancing the treatment of breast cancer, a botanist editing a definitive book on flowers of the plains and other KU staff and faculty who are changing Kansas lives for the better. At Marysville we toured the Landoll metals manufacturing plant hosted by Mr. Landoll himself who built the giant facility from a small welding shop in the 1960s. At Concordia we met many townsfolk volunteering to run the Brown Grand Theater—among them was our host (and Concordia native) KU’s Marlesa Roney. Today we met Dave Steeples (Don’s brother at the family farm) and many of us got a spin on a tractor and the new Steeples combine. The point is that all these people have a story to show and tell—being in the middle (read: center) of the country does not make anyone less fascinating than someone from California.

2. Setting: Ever watch a movie where the scenery, the landscape, the background is itself a character in the film? You might call our new character the “unknown Kansas.” I had not traveled much in Kansas — except on I-70. But I had the stereotype of flatness. But we have seen gulleys and ridges, rocks and trees, windfarms and robot welders. Most of all we get to look closely — something few motorists do from a highway. For example, I looked at wheat for the first time. I had only seen wheat in the form of bread or grain in a bin. I never really felt and inspected the soft, green plant. Just another facet of that greater fascinating character called Kansas.

Posted in Day 3 - Wednesday, May 21 | No Comments »

Where the buffalo roam

May 21st, 2008

What a day so far - we started the day by getting back on the road at 6:15 Mountain Time in Goodland. From there, we made a quick visit to Oakley, home of the giant bronze buffalo statue at the birthplace of the legend of Buffalo Bill:

Justin Henning
Position: Online Content Coordinator
Years at KU: 1

After that, we departed for Monument Rocks and Duff Ranch, where we got a brief lesson in the area’s rich deposit of fossils. Then, we got to ride with a herd of about 200 buffalo. If you’ve never seen these creatures up close before, they are amazing.
They weigh more than 2,000 pounds once they reach full size, but can move like they are much smaller. Our guide said a buffalo is able to run as fast as 35 mph and then sustain that speed for as long as eight miles on the open plains.

Here are some photos from our time on the range:

Posted in Day 3 - Wednesday, May 21 | No Comments »

Great friends and food in Goodland

May 21st, 2008

Justin Henning
Position: Online Content Coordinator

Our last stop of Tuesday took us to Kuhrt Ranch and B&B, which is about a 30-minute drive from Goodland. There we were treated to a lovely dinner and spectacular views as well as a tour of the home. The property has been well cared for over the years and boasts some spectacular views, one of which is below and lets you see their recently restored barn. You can read more about the ranch here:

www.kuhrtranch.com

Wednesday, we’ll be headed to Duff Ranch for a chance to roam with some buffalo, and we’ll also make stops in Dodge City and Ness City - home to the Skyscraper of the Plains.

Posted in Day 3 - Wednesday, May 21 | No Comments »

Farm equipment and school

May 20th, 2008

I got to ride in this!

After Lucas, our tour took us to Palco, where Don Steeples (a KU vice provost and Dean A. McGee Distinguished Professor of Applied Geophysics), and his brother, Dave, own and operate a large-scale farm operation that is currently growing wheat.

As part of the tour, we all got turns taking a ride around the property on either a gigantic green tractor or a brand-new bright red combine. I had no idea until I got in the cab, but it takes waaaaay more than a gas pedal, brake and steering wheel to operate this farm machinery. It is more akin to the cockpit of a small airplane than any car.

Justin Henning
Position: Online Content Coordinator

While in town, we also had lunch at Palco’s Town Hall with some of the residents and were treated to some fantastic lasagna. Afterwards, we walked down the street to Palco High School ( Go FIghting Roosters!) to witness an impressive solution that offers unique classes to students despite the small size of the student body and limited number of teachers.

The high school has partnered with other schools to offer online classroom work taught live by using TV cameras, microphones and a media network that allows students in Palco to have classmates that are in the same “room” but hundreds of miles away, taught by a teacher possibly just as far away - and it’s all live to allow for questions on the fly and group discussion. They offer a number of classes, including advanced mathematics, Spanish and physics. Here’s a photo of the classroom:

Posted in Day 2 - Tuesday, May 20 | No Comments »

Grassroots Art Capital of Kansas

May 20th, 2008

Justin Henning
Position: Online Content Coordinator

Our first stop Tuesday was in Lucas, home to the Garden of Eden, a tourist attraction on the National Register of Historic Places that consists of folk art concrete statues created by S.P. Dinsmoor, a Civil War veteran. Dinsmoor lies in a glass coffin in a mausoleum he built on the cabin grounds. Be sure to check out the photos from that stop below.

Lucas is also home to the Grassroots Art Center, Mrs. Debble’s Rock Garden, and a grassroots art mural on Main Street. The local shop, Brant’s Meat Market, also makes the best beef jerky I have ever had!

The town boasts a population of just a little more than 400 people but sees a great deal of tourist traffic thanks to the nearby Wilson Lake, which is an incredibly blue body of water surrounded by rolling green hills - looks like a great place to fish. The lake contains white bass, walleye as well as small- and large-mouth bass.

But enough about fish - here are some photos from Lucas!