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On the Road with DB:
Beautiful churches among wonders to be found in Kansas off the Interstate
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ABOUT THE COLUMNIST: Don Bain Don Bain began writing automotive articles while a feature editor with a Denver weekly in 2003. He attributes his passion for cars to an inborn love of driving and the open road. He has gained experience and knowledge over the years from reviewing hundreds of vehicles of various makes and models, attending manufacturer’s presentations and introductory events, plus participating in the regulars meetings of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. He was recently a board member at large with that professional association. He writes not for the automotive enthusiast, but for the person who simply enjoys driving and wants to enhance their enjoyment—or those to whom driving is a necessary chore and merely want to minimize their displeasure. He also writes for those concerned about our planet and safety, as those issues apply to the cars we drive. “I also want to help those trying to choose from the hundreds of models, made by dozens of manufacturers, and the new technology they utilize,” he said. “We spend a lot of time in our cars and it should be a pleasant experience all in all.” |
WICHITA—Growing up in Kansas makes you think you know something about it, but if you stay on the Interstate Highway System, I-70 and I-35 in this state, you miss the real America. All you see is the truck stops, billboards and the path of least resistance through whatever land you’re passing through.
Over numerous trips back to see dear old mom in Wichita, staying on the Interstate only reaffirmed long-standing impressions—it’s flat and boring. That’s because the Interstate System always takes the easy path, and while in Colorado it takes you through lovely scenery, in Kansas it follows the least topographical and historical path.
So when road testing the Toyota Sienna last month, we made a point of exiting the highway to see what else we could find—you really needn’t go far to find the interesting places you whisk right by on the highway.
Twenty miles north of the spot where I-70 and I-35 intersect, a few miles south and west of Minneapolis, Kan., is a remarkable geologic feature known as Rock City.
It seems these large spherical rocks were formed in the bed of an ancient and long gone sea from Dakota Sandstone. Once the sea receded, groundwater containing calcium carbonate seeped through the sandstone in certain places, cementing these large rock formations together.
As wind and water wore away the surrounding sandstone, these curiously round rocks were left behind. (For more info on Rock City visit kansastravel. org/rockcity.htm.)
Meandering in a generally western direction from Minneapolis, we came upon what looks remarkably like a little piece of Colorado, 48 miles west of Salina, in Wilson Lake State Park.
The lake is nestled into a deep bowl (yes there is terrain in Kansas) with a scattering of evergreens about it. It is just what you expect from a state park with boating, hiking, flora and fauna for viewing plus everything from primitive camping to full RV hook-ups. Frankly, if you had told me something like this existed on the plains last year, it would have met a doubtful response—but there it is.
A little closer to the highway is a remarkable example of early plains architecture. The Cathedral of the Plains is in Victoria and was built between 1908 and 1911 by Volga German immigrants from Russia.
The visually stunning structure rises 141 feet over the street, dominating an area 220 feet long and 110 feet wide. The ceiling is 44 feet high and the church will seat 1,100. The sanctuary, with its century-old, stained-glass images, is breathtaking. (For more info on this beautiful testament to the Catholic faith, visit stfidelis church.com.)
As we neared Victoria, we noticed a steeple north of I-70 and turned to investigate. We found the quaint and picturesque St. Ann Church, built in 1904.
Up in the very corner of the state where Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas come together is a remarkable natural feature. The Arikaree Breaks are a young canyon still in the process of formation.
The erosion occurred as a result of deposits of wind-born sand, silt and clay particles, a conglomerate referred to as loess. These deposits have experienced a spectacular process of head and sidewall cutting by the advancing tributaries of the Arikaree and Republican rivers.
The deposits are thought to be as recent as the Holocene age, less than 9,000 years ago. Multiply that by the thousands of years that went into the Grand Canyon and one day in the far distant future Kansas may have its first National Park—if anyone’s left to so designate it.
These are just a few examples of what you may find if you just take a little extra time on that next road trip and get off the Interstate. America awaits you!
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