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rownesheck

(2,343 posts)
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 10:05 PM Mar 2019

Currently on vacation

in Colorado. First time here. Beautiful place. We are up in the mountains among a TON of snow with more on the way soon. Anyway, we live right outside Houston and drove straight up into Wichita, Kansas where we stayed overnight before continuing on into Colorado. Let me just say, holy cow! Driving from Wichita into Colorado seemed to take FOREVER! I'm serious, that half of Kansas felt like it was larger than Texas. I'm guessing it's because there is not a lot to see except flat land. Houses were extremely few and far between. I commented to my wife and daughter that I felt like we were stuck in some sort of time loop, that we would never make it out of Kansas. Now, I hope I'm not coming off as rude, as I'm not trying to be. I was just not aware that there was so much empty space!
I do have to say, however, that I was absolutely shocked at the massive wind farms that are located in Kansas. It actually made me happy and excited to see this. I don't know, I just didn't expect to see these towering windmills by the hundreds upon hundreds planted on huge swaths of land in a red state. I guess I've just been naive. It just seems legislators from these red areas act like they hate the thought of renewable energy, but yet there it is, all over Kansas.
Seeing this gave me a glimmer of hope that maybe things are moving in the right direction, albeit very slowly. Way to go Kansas.

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Currently on vacation (Original Post) rownesheck Mar 2019 OP
On vacation. Unedited, just spaced out - not ridiculing you, but wall o' text is hard to read The Polack MSgt Mar 2019 #1
Ahhhhhh Blecht Mar 2019 #2
having been born in Wichita lapfog_1 Mar 2019 #3
Many years ago, a friend drove across Kansas to attend business training in Boulder. Staph Mar 2019 #7
I love the big empty ellie Mar 2019 #4
I read it just fine. Chin music Mar 2019 #5
ahhh Kansas.. 912gdm Mar 2019 #6
Have a wonderful vacation! lunatica Mar 2019 #8

The Polack MSgt

(13,186 posts)
1. On vacation. Unedited, just spaced out - not ridiculing you, but wall o' text is hard to read
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 10:13 PM
Mar 2019

in Colorado. First time here. Beautiful place.

We are up in the mountains among a TON of snow with more on the way soon.

Anyway, we live right outside Houston and drove straight up into Wichita, Kansas where we stayed overnight before continuing on into Colorado. Let me just say, holy cow!

Driving from Wichita into Colorado seemed to take FOREVER! I'm serious, that half of Kansas felt like it was larger than Texas.

I'm guessing it's because there is not a lot to see except flat land. Houses were extremely few and far between. I commented to my wife and daughter that I felt like we were stuck in some sort of time loop, that we would never make it out of Kansas.

Now, I hope I'm not coming off as rude, as I'm not trying to be. I was just not aware that there was so much empty space!

I do have to say, however, that I was absolutely shocked at the massive wind farms that are located in Kansas. It actually made me happy and excited to see this.

I don't know, I just didn't expect to see these towering windmills by the hundreds upon hundreds planted on huge swaths of land in a red state. I guess I've just been naïve.

It just seems legislators from these red areas act like they hate the thought of renewable energy, but yet there it is, all over Kansas.
Seeing this gave me a glimmer of hope that maybe things are moving in the right direction, albeit very slowly.

Way to go Kansas.

lapfog_1

(29,199 posts)
3. having been born in Wichita
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 10:22 PM
Mar 2019

and lived the first 24 years in Kansas...

If you wanted scenery you went the wrong way... at least until you reach Denver.

I've driven that stretch more times than I can count... summer and winter vacations almost every year, hunting trips to Western Kansas every fall (pheasant). some farm work.

Eastern Kansas starting in the Flint Hills has topology... rolling hills, trees, water. Western Kansas... not so much. Flat wheat fields. Eastern Colorado is no improvement. They should have spent to money to put curves into I-70... as it is... from Manhattan(KS) to just outside Denver is hundreds of miles of flat almost treeless land and a hypnotically straight highway.

Kansans may be a lot more conservative than when I was there... but they do appreciate a dollar... and if some energy company comes by and says "we want to lease your land for windmills"... well sure... nothing to do with their philosophy... they all voted for Trump. and probably will again.

Staph

(6,251 posts)
7. Many years ago, a friend drove across Kansas to attend business training in Boulder.
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 10:54 PM
Mar 2019

He had a radar detector on the windshield, but it kept turning itself off on the straight interstate highway in Kansas. With no motion detected, it would time out after about ten minutes. Pete said he kept himself awake by waving a hand in front of the radar detector every ten minutes.


ellie

(6,929 posts)
4. I love the big empty
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 10:25 PM
Mar 2019

If you really want to see just nothing but land, then SW Colorado is the place to go. Be careful, we are supposed to have a blizzard here in Colorado tomorrow.

Chin music

(23,002 posts)
5. I read it just fine.
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 10:27 PM
Mar 2019

Glad you're on vacation and are taking a few minutes to share it with us. Never been to KS. Good to know.
I think you are correct that more snow is coming. Enjoy your trip.

912gdm

(959 posts)
6. ahhh Kansas..
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 10:31 PM
Mar 2019

I lived in Denver and drove across Kansas a few times on I70. I did like the fields of sunflowers, the other fields got a bit boring. And the bugs as big as birds. Gallons of bug guts. I always thought around the border where the terrain starts to get hilly looked like a mars scape

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
8. Have a wonderful vacation!
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 11:05 PM
Mar 2019

And thank you for the review on Kansas. It surprises me too that there would be a renewable energy thing going on there. I’m glad to know that!

Don’t take offense at the lesson on using a lot of space when you’re writing. It’s a lot easier on the eyes when you’re reading on a lit screen.

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