Backroads and Byways - Dodge City, Kansas

US Highway 50 goes right by our house in NorCal, so when we saw that it was only 8 miles north of us in Yoder, KS, we had to go test a section. Near Hutchinson, KS, the road is four lanes wide, divided, and smooth. It can go up against any road we've been on in this beautiful country. But near Sylvia the road began to get a little narrow, and by the time we reached Macksville, it was a country road! Nice, you understand, but a bit more rustic than we had started with.

Passing through Kinsley, we noticed a small sign identifying the town as the "Midpoint of America", because it is exactly 1,561 miles to San Francisco, and 1,561 miles to New York City! A little farther on, near Offerle, we came across a huge wind farm. There must have been hundreds of machines, all turning lazily in the Kansas breeze.

At last, after a grueling 130 miles on a straight-as-a-string Kansas highway, we rolled into Dodge City. As usual, the local tourist bureau has been hard at work!

We had time this afternoon to cruise through the city of 28,000 people, and located this historical marker.

We have slipped into the Gunsmoke RV Park just west of town. This is a quiet park in spite of the nearby highway. New owners (since July) are making a valiant attempt to spruce up an older park. The sites are long enough for Nessie and Gus, and we don't have neighbors immediately next door. Utilities (except for advertised Wifi) are good.

The weather has turned cold. Today we fought a headwind of 20 mph all day, and the skies were cloudy. No rain, but dreary. The high temp today was 60 degrees. Quite a change from the 80's and 90's we've been enjoying!