Day 13 – July 1, 2019

Seibert must be at just the right elevation, because the weather overnight was perfect. I’m sure as we get closer to the Midwest we will find more heat and higher humidity during the days and nights.

Colorado was totally dry. Our eyes were red and burning and our mouths were constantly parched. We had to keep bathing our lips in Carmex so they wouldn’t crack in half.

This day was pure driving. Kathy had picked out three dozen roadside attractions to make the drive more enjoyable. Ashley and I, wanting to get through the driving as quickly as possible, allowed her to visit two.

The first stop was in Goodland, Kansas. Most people are no doubt aware that Goodland is famous for its record setting world’s largest easel. And we got to visit it.

The easel stands 80 feet tall and displays Van Gogh’s Sunflowers because Kansas is the sunflower state. As you can see in the photo, Ashley is a little shorter than the easel. She is now 60 feet tall. My how she has grown!

As we continued the drive, we lost another hour by entering the Central Time Zone. Three time zones down and one to go.

Many hours later, we made our second stop, St. Fidelis Basilica in Victoria, Kansas.

Here is some history, which Ashley found completely boring. The area was settled by German immigrants in the late 1800s. The community pooled their labor, money, and resources to build this magnificent Catholic church, which was completed in 1912.

We found a self guided audio tour that explained the history, construction, and architecture of the church.

Surrounded by miles of farmland, the basilica was absolutely beautiful inside and out. Although not officially recognized as a cathedral, the church has been nicknamed “the Cathedral of the Plains”.

We concluded our visit by lighting a candle for Sandy and saying a prayer.

Our final stop of the day was our campground for the night in Chapman, Kansas. We drove a total of 340 miles today. In earlier Big Trips, it was common for us to drive 500 miles or more in a day. That’s just not happening this time. I like to think we have gotten wiser with age. Either way, my rear end can only handle 340 miles these days.

As I guessed, the heat and humidity are rising quickly as we head further east. And the bugs, which have been feasting on my ankles, are absolutely swarming. I tried bug spray, but it only seemed to attract the bugs and make them more angry.

And speaking of bugs, Ashley found her first firefly.

It was comfortable in the tent this evening. The low tonight was expected to be 71. That’s a big change from the near freezing night we spent in Utah just a few days ago. I like 71 better.