VENAGO CAMPGROUND, KANAPOLIS, KS PART II

On a second day we traveled the part of the loop that took us looking for various locations both historical and unique.

Our first stop was Marquette, KS with its historical buildings…

And the Kansas Motorcycle Museum (donations are welcome at this free museum).

There were a few other museums there, but the day we were there they were all closed. Of course Gary was content to just tour the motorcycle museum with camera in hand.

There were some very unique old motorcycles, some of which obviously weren’t paper trained…

More modern bikes, scooters and dragsters…

A motor cycle that had been ridden around the world…

Side cars, car like bikes and lots more, three rooms full of more

We wandered around the museum for some time snapping photos and reading the information tags on various vehicles.  I never knew motorcycles came in so many shapes and forms.

That day we also went to Mushroom Rock State Park.  The smallest state park in Kansas.  Just 5 acres, with no camping but some unique rock formations that you can “hike around”.  I’m not a sturdy hiker, but I had no trouble walking the trails around these rocks.

There is a public restroom, a shaded bench, and the rocks.  That was about it for that state park, but it would be a good place to take a picnic lunch and enjoy the rocks.

To give you an idea of the size of the Mushroom Rock, Gary is 6’2” in height.

Unfortunately ill mannered vandals had done their handiwork by scratching into the soft stone and defacing it.  While the rocks were still much in their natural state the graffiti was senseless.

Along the route there is a bridge landmark.  It is a bridge to nowhere now.  Simply sitting out in a field and if you aren’t looking for it, you will miss it.  While we saw it.  I wasn’t fast enough with the camera to get its picture.

Coronado Heights is like a small castle sitting on the hill top outside of Lindsbrog, KS. Local lore claims this is the point at which FranciscoVasquez De Coronado  gave up his search for the Seven Cities of Gold  and turned around to go back to Spain.

This area is part of a seven sandstone bluffs of the Dakota range and thought to be the a fore mentioned seven cities of Cibola.  Of course the only gold Coronado found was the golden harvest of the crops in the area and the color of the sandstone.

Indeed in 1915 chain mail from Spanish armor was found in the area.  So maybe he was there.

It was built in 1936 by the WPA.  It is currently under repair, with a promise the washed out road leading up to it will be resurfaced after the repairs are done. 

The road is passable, but is basically a very rough, rutted, one lane road leading up to it.  Still it was definitely worth the ride up just for the view.

We found one very unexpected visitor at the site that day.  I thought these little fellows had gone extinct.  If you look closely in these photos you will see what is commonly called a horned toad or horned lizard.

683-685

All in all this was a relaxing and enjoyable day with spectacular views.