Road Trip: Up The Middle Of The Country

Day 12: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 - Topeka, KS

Day's statistics:
Weather: 84°, showers
Steps: Steve 12,074; Linda 9,791
Travel: 266 miles

We went to breakfast.
It was a continental just like the other Days Inn we stayed in.

Today's first stop was the capital.
We headed into the city.


We found a spot to park near a construction site next to the capital. And we found a meter with no inards, so we got some free parking.

The first order of business, before getting inside, was our selfie.

We approached the side of the capital that we were on (it was the northwest side), and proceeded to the right - toward the southwest side - to get to an entrance. That door required card key access.
We continued counter-clockwise until we were on the northest side - and then found the Visitor's Center entrance.




We passed through security and headed to the information desk. There, we got our stanp - our fifth of this trip.


While I took pictures of the county outlines within a state in the marble floor (I tried to stitch these, but the sofrware didn't really like the source images), Linda got herself a Scavenger Hunt list from the clerk.




We were on the basement / ground level of the capital. Beyond the visitor information desk was a section of chambers, or rooms, that had museum-like artifacts in them.





After perusing some of the artifacts, we headed upstairs to the rotunda.







The capital had a really old cage elevator - that we rode to the third floor - that still worked, and was still run by an operator.




We headed back to the rotunda.


We first visited the senate chamber.





While we were walking around the capital, making our tour the primary focus of the visit at the time, Linda was working on her scavenger hunt list. One of the items on the list was a door handle - and it was on door to the house chamber.

Then we entered the house.








After the house, our tour highlighted some of the architecture of the capital.





We found ourselves back in the rotunda for the third or fourteenth time.






At the end of one wing on the second floor was a library.
In addition to the run-of-the-mill books and tables, the second story had a glass floor in order to help light make its way to the first. There was also an old book dumb waiter, and a locked chamber for the really old texts.






As we were on another floor, we passed across the capital to the rotunda again, and to the other side with a mural.


We came across the Supreme Court.


"Your Honors, I would like to address the court. I am being taken to places against my will, and across state lines."

At this point, we were all the way up on the fifth floor. Aaaaaaand... in the rotunda again.

We found that there were some capital guides with a couple class trips waiting to assend the dome.
I spoke to one of the guides and she put me at the front of the line. Linda chose to sit this trek out.
After about five minutes, the guide took us all to the sixth floor. The group of us walked completely around the perimeter of tine interior dome, and we waited at the end as our guide was in radio contact with another guide and they always made sure, due to limited space, that a descending group does not interfer with an ascending group.
We exited at what the guide called the sixth floor.






We continued up more stairs, and found ourselves on the seventh floor.
The capital was refurbished, and the pillars show the difference between what it looked like (in the inside - the left while looking at the first image) and what it looks like now (on the outside - the right while looking at the first image).


There were some windows showing the view around the capital - I did a quick lap around the entire interior to try to get views out all the windows. There were also fire supression units around this area too.








While the views photoed above were pretty good, the absolute best views would be from the top of the dome.
However.... let's take a look at something. When I went to the top of the dome in Jefferson City, the staircase was actually on top of the inner dome. Here, there was a decent walking space that was also fairly wide.

No issue. So far.
Then there was another flight of stairs along the wall.

Still no issue. So far.
The guide, while pointing, said "After I get clearance, we're taking those stairs there [pointing to the flight in the image above] and then those to the top."
Uh, no we aren't.
She said that anyone that wants to, can go back down to the fifth with the group that was on their was down from the dome now.
OK, thanks, bye.
I'm not too good with heights, but looking at this "suspended in mid-air contraption", I just couldn't do it. I might have even been able to get up the stairs, but coming down probably would have been my undoing.
Here is the flight essentially the way I saw it, and then a bit of a crop to help emphasize the situation.


And if you want to know what the views are like from up there, let me know and I'll send you the address for the capital...
I returned to the fifth floor where Linda was waiting with a couple of the teachers.
"So how was it?" she asked.
"I have no idea, because I didn't make it."
From here, we were now at the gallery level of the chambers.
First was the Senate.



And then the House.


And the last few highlights as we returned to the basement / lowest level.









There were many what-could-be-called-rooms, though they had no doors, with artwork and artifacts about.















Linda did wind up completing her scavenger hunt list. We stopped into the gift shop for a postcard and pen, and we asked the clerk about completing the list. While there isn't a formal award for completing the list, the clerk gave Linda a piece of candy from her stash as an award.
As we made our way back to the car, some kids yelled down to us and we waved back. I could have been up there, but nope.

On the drive out, we grabbed one last shot of the capital.

We left the capital and headed to the road on the opposite side of it. We turned right, and turned right. And came to a one-way street T-intersection. And had to turn right again, then right again, then skip an intersection, and turn right one last time.
In the process of all these turns we passed this mural.

And since we were driving around the capital to proceeded down the road behind it, we passed a couple statues, monuments, and markers that were on the grounds as well.




We proceded down the road - 10^th Avenue - toward our next destination, and came across this interesting looking high school.

We had original plans to visit te Ward-Meade Historic Site, which is an old prarie town. But as it was primary and outdoor venue, and it was raining, we passed.
We also had plans to go to the Ted Ensley Gardens, but, again, outdoors and raining.
So we went to the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library.



We headed inside. We came across the library directory map.

Supposedly the rotunda was strictly a design element. That's it.

On the staircase to the second level were these two sculptures.


From the staircase, I was able to get a picture of the foyer floor - after I nonchallantly moved the "Caution - Wet Floor" sign.

Yes, this library was the 2016 library of the year, of all the libraries in the US and Canada.
Since we were halfway there, we continued to the second floor.
Up there was a geneology center / room. After a reception room - that had awards on display, and computers - there was a large room with books, special furiture, art, and other items.









There was a collection of Yearbooks on display. Some of the older ones were in a secure area for safekeeping.

After our brief stop upstairs, we made our way downstairs where we visited the various areas.



There was a kid's art contest, and patrons could vote on their favorite.



And else where.






In the middle of one of the kids' sections was a faux school bus that had shelves containing bundles of books assembled by the staff.




There was a small children's section.


I used the computer (after getting a temprary code) to find a place to eat, while Linda looked around a little. Then we talked to the librarians and that's when we learned about the Library of the Year contest the library won.
One of the librarians asked if we wanted to go see the teen room. Why not?!!?



After learning about the teen room, we made our way to the... gift shop? There was a room where old[er] library items were being sold very inexpensively. There were two interesting approaches: one was a $4 "mystery read" which was a gift-wrapped book with a genre, "hint", and the books first line; the second was a $4 "mystery reads" that had a paper bag of 8 books by a particular author or froma particular genre.


There was a small museum space - that we didn't visit - and some glass items on display.


On the way out, we saw this sign, and the book drop that [I thought] we were told has a conveyer belt that sends the books into the library.

It was almost 1:00 and time for lunch.
Lunch was going to be at Pad Restaurant about three miles away.
This establishment primarily served burgers.

They did offer a salad bar, either as a one-trip or a buffet. If it were a bit more cost effective, I probably would have opted for it because it did also include soup.

We ordered, and took our seats to enjoy our meal.

Linda had the grilled chicken sandwich, I had the single burger, and we shared some onion rings.

After enjoying our meal, we headed to our next stop: The Great Overland Station. It's a nearly 100 year old historical site with a small museum.
This was a stop we were winging because of the weather, and it wasn't on our list. But thanks to Trip Advisor, it was suggested.
We plugged the address into the Google machine, and headed out.


There was only one road, "off to the side" that allowed access to the facility on the other side of the tracks.
After driving through some of the residential area, we finally figured out what we had to do to get there.

We arrived at the station to find that it... was closed.

Out front was an "All Veterans Memorial". The main sculpture was an artistic flame looking piece, and the approach comprised of the fifty state flags, displayed in order - so finding Delaware was REALLY easy. The wind wasn't blowing so I couldn't get a shot of the flag unfurling.




At this point - 2:00 - with this location closed, and two other venues we wanted to visit being outside, we decided to begin our four hour trek to Philipsburg, capturing the Kansas River near the Station.

Our overall route for this afternoon and tomorrow was to travel west to Philipsburg, KS; then east northeast to Lebanon, KS; then north to Lincoln, NE.
So... we started out heading west.

Close, but not necessarily entirely presented in order, but here are the sights we saw after we left Topeka.
"We're not in Kansas anymore." Wait, yes we were.

Eventually we had to stop for fuel. When we did, we found ourselves near a rather large group of military vehicles. And the personnel operating those vehicles caused a little of a line in the restroom too.

We had a lot of driving. And a lot of panaramas, plus some farmhouses, and some livestock.












After more than three hours, we came across a sign that read "Lebanon 4". Wait, Lebanon was only four miles away?
As we approached the next exit, we the sign read "Lebanon 2". Well, it seems that we'll be stopping in Lebanon NOW rather than tomorrow morning.
I threw on the turn signal, and we exited, and headed north.
We initially passed through the little town, and continued on to our real target location.
A mile out of town, a left turn, and another mile down Bob's Road, and we were there: the geographical center of the contiguous United States.
Adjacent to the parking lot, in the neighboring farmer's field were three crosses. And some cows.


There was a small chapel, a picnic table, and a couple different markers.




We took a selfie to prove we were there.

We passed the pavilion and entered the tiny chapel. How tiny was it? The pavilion in the last image above was bigger.
On the wall was this prayer.


There was a whole lotta nothin' out here.

We headed back into the town of Lebanon in order to visit the Visitor's Center.



There are probably many more people that visit the marker than the VC as it is an extra stop that doesn't "need" to be made.
But there visitors from all over, including one from India (left page, third from the bottom), and another from Hawaii!

We drove through the town just a little, but there wasn't too much to see. There was a "historic jail" and a library.



On the way out, we grabbed shots of two "Welcome" signs.


We returned to the highway, and continued on to Philipsburg.
We saw a few of [what we think are] these extremely large grain silos.

We finally arrived in Philipsburg.
We found the hotel and passed right by it on the way into town to find a market for a light dinner.
We bought a couple wings (for me), a chicken salad, gourmet crackers, and some cheese (no picture).

We went back to the hotel, the Cottonwood Inn, and I checked in.
I arrived and there was no one at the desk initially. After a minute, someone showed up.
While I was checking in, the clerk's (owner's?) young daughter called from upstairs. I could hear her talking to her mom through the ceiling.
I was told that the hotel was overbooked. Oh, great... there was no single queen room left, there was only a double queen room left - and for the same rate.
She could have just checked us in to the room without saying anything.
Anyway, she pointed to the room at the end of the row behind me.
I returned to the car, and backed all the way up to the room. We parked, and dragged our dinner and luggage into the room.

We ate our dinner and relaxed a bit, while also looking for something to do tomorrow.
Since we originally planned on going to Lebanon tomorrow, we now had a change in plans.
Instead of east then north, I mapped a route north then east. This will put us on interstate 80, via route 183. This sent us through a number of towns / cities that we hadn't planned for yet.
So, time to get cracking. I gave Linda the list of towns / cities, and she started at one end and I the other, and made a list of things to do and places to eat.
Tomorrow we'll see where we went.
We eventually did the luggage thing, washed up, and went to sleep.

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