Summer Vacation

 

Quinter, Kansas

 

 

Admittedly, Quinter is not a typical vacation destination

but family and friends live there so that made it OUR vacation destination.

It was the last stop of our grand tour of the Midwest.

 

The first order of business was to take care of the laundry
situation before we were reduced to no clean clothes.
Then it was on to fun with family and friends.
It's good to be with people whom you have known for so long.
The conversation flows, the laughter is frequent, and the
feeling of comfort wraps us like a cozy blanket.


One morning we drove south of town to Castle Rock,
where the wind blows strong.
The "castle" has lost its turrets and has become flat across the top.

 

Castle Rock is made of limestone that has weathered into its unique shape.

While it weathered it separated from the bluff area located a quarter mile away.

Scientist say that this area was once the floor of a sea.

That is why you can also find sea fossils and shark's teeth in this area.

World wide flood theory anyone?

 

 

  Castle Rock is over my right shoulder.

We are standing on top of the bluffs and

you can see how windy it was.

 

 

 

 

 

My kids love to climb rocks so they were thrilled to be turned loose in the bluffs.

They are always disappointed in state and national parks where they are

 prohibited from climbing or leaving the path.

In these bluffs they were like free-range mountain goats.

 

All four of them are scampering across the top.

 

 

 

 

The next three pictures are of Bethany.

 

 

 

 

Rudy

 

A view of the prairie.

 

My cousin Lynette and I.

 

 

One of our treats in Quinter was to visit the old fashioned soda fountain

that's located in the drug/hardware store.

It was a refreshing pause in the hot afternoon.

 

 

 

 

It was fun to look through their guest book and see who had been
there from various places.  One of the entries was from my parents who had
been in Quinter the weekend before we were there.

After a few days, it was time for some of us to head home.
The three older children stayed in Kansas while Rudy, Tiana, and I
headed back to California. 
The older three were going to Colorado the following week for Youth Retreat
and they were to fly home on July 4th.
It was a very difficult time for  Miss T that involved lots of crying
and general sadness.  She eventually perked up as she looked forward
to the days when her siblings would return home.

There were a few perks to being an only child on the trip home.

Two 12 hour days on the road and we were back home.
The sight I most enjoyed when reentering CA's central valley were the
 oleander bushes down the middle of the freeway.
They spoke to me of finally being home.