U.S. Road Trip in search of a place to settle! Part 1: Kansas Surprises!

Hello Again my lovely friends! As many of you know, I spent a good part of the past two years outside of the U.S., thinking I might find somewhere to settle for a bit. I loved every minute of the journey, but didn’t find “that” place, so I returned to Colorado for a few months where I followed my passion and completed my second level of sound healer training. I hosted about 15 sound baths, public and private, some with yoga, some without, learning a ton and getting amazing feedback. A huge hug and thank you to all of my Denver peeps and WILL be back for some special events!!

During the past few months, I was fortunate to have several house/pet sits around Denver, and to have two rooms at my parents house to stay in between and keep some of my stuff! The nomadic life has been cool and interesting, but I’m feeling ready to have my own place again so I can be a little more grounded, setup my tools and art projects, and practice sound healing. Someday, I hope to have a small retreat center where I can host some of you for some amazing peace and relaxation! But, first things first….I’ve been feeling a call back to the Carolinas for some time, and have put it off. When I was in college, I spent 4 months in Brevard, NC in Pisgah National Forest, close to Asheville. I was a raft guide and worked on maintenance for an amazing high adventure sports camp for boys…what a blast! The beauty of nature was breathtaking and I have such great memories. Obviously, things there have changed and I have changed over the past almost 30 years (YIKES!!), but I know the beauty still exists, so this area is definitely on my list. I’m also drawn to Greenville, SC, and a few other towns in the vicinity, so this will be my area of focus.

And with that, I was off! I packed up my car and left town early Wednesday morning. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer day! As I made my way out of town, the sun gave me a gorgeous rise to start my adventure! It was as if it was smiling down on me wishing me a good journey and letting me know I was on the right track!

Before too long, I crossed the border into Kansas. I had no intention of spending any time here, in fact, I said to my Dad the night before, “I’m just going to blaze through Kansas as quickly as I can…”. But, ready to stretch my legs for a few minutes, I pulled off the highway at the rest stop/Kansas welcome center. The ladies in the center couldn’t have been nicer. They greeted me with smiles and one of them showed me around all of the photos/brochures they had setup. She told me about all of the scenic byways and quirky roadside attractions. Suddenly, I felt excited and sat down to pick a few spots. I had told myself I needed to explore, to stop and see things when it felt right, and to not be in a rush, so I had to follow through!

Not far down the road, I turned off I-70 in Oakley and and headed 25 miles south to see the Monument Rocks a.k.a. Chalk Pyramids. Wow!! Driving there, it became more and more desolate with the dry, brown, flat scenery. I was seriously starting to wonder if this was a joke! Finally, out of nowhere, down a little dirt road, and through the only two trees around, the outcropping started to appear amongst a heard of cattle. The rocks are located on private land, and the owners are so gracious to allow visitors during the daylight hours. According to the signage, the 70-foot tall formations of Niobrara Chalk were created by the erosion of a sea bed, during the cretaceous period, 80 million years ago, when this land was the sea bed beneath the Western Interior Seaway which covered much of what is now North America. Crazy and beautiful!! Did I mention I was the only person here? Wow!!

Feeling energized by the rocks, I decided to head a bit farther down the road to visit Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park where I could see Kansas’ largest, most dramatic Niobrara chalk formations. They were named Little Jerusalem as from a distance they look like the ancient walled city. At the badlands there are two short hiking trails where you can get nice views around the perimeter of the outcropping. I chose the longer of the two trails, and made my way out. Once again, I was the only one here…so cool to have the place to myself, to take in it’s amazing energy and beauty!

There are several nice information signs along the trail, but one really stood out to me. It had a beautiful photo of sunset over the rocks with a quote below: “…as I travel here – what an exhilaration! – …Everywhere something characteristic – the cactuses, pinks, buffalo grass, wild sage – the receding perspective, and the far circle-line of the horizon all times of the day…the clear, pure cool, rarefind nutriment for the longs, previously quite unknown…” Walt Whitman Specimen Days (1882).

Leaving Little Jerusalem, enjoying the ride on the country roads, I took a minute to stop and photograph some cool old trucks.

My next plan was to connect up with another byway that was known for its nature and spots for photographing wildlife, but getting late, I decided to skip it so I could make it to the quirky town of Lucas to see the Garden of Eden, and hopefully stop for the night. On the way to Eden, I made a quick stop in Ness City, which had some really interesting old buildings and a unique small town charm! I love the quote I found in one of the shop windows, “The best things in life are the people we Love…the places we’ve Been…and the Memories we’ve made along the way…” Yes!!!

I finally arrived in Lucas as the sun began to drop. The Garden of Eden was closed for the day, but I was able to get a few photos of the outside. There is also an art shop known for it’s recycled product sculptures, but it was also closed for the day…everything in Lucas is open from 1 – 4 daily…small towns!

I decided Lucas wasn’t my place for the night as it seemed like I was the only one here as well… the neighborhood across from Eden…

So, I moved on and made my way back to I-70 where I found a room in Abilene where I got some much needed rest before day 2! When I awoke, I carried on, making a quick stop in Manhattan, home of Kansas State University, and then on to Wamego to meet Dorthey, Toto, and the rest of the gang.

And with that, I think I experienced what I was meant to experience this time in Kansas! Next stop, Missouri.

Hugs, Love, and Happiness!

Michelle