Kansas

Just before the storm

I have to be honest, I didn't think today would hold any real adventure. I left the mountains behind, and was just making tracks towards home, with the thought of going to the geographical center of the U.S. of A. before heading home;  my niece's idea and I kind of liked it.

So I'm driving through 'colorful Colorado'--their motto, and Kansas...farmland, farmland, and more farmland. I decided to sidetrack and go my own way towards my goal. It was one of those rare times that the backroads were worse than the highway as far as view. It was such an isolated drive I realized that if something happened to the car or me, I would be out in the middle of absolutely nowhere...I mean, literally there were miles and miles and miles of corn fields, no houses, the occasional cows. I felt I was breaking a promise to my family to drive safe, so once I found a road back to the highway, I scooted. It was then I noticed the skies. They were quite ominous and I realized Kansas was NOT a place I wanted to be isolated in a severe storm! I stopped at one hotel, asked if they had concerns and as the response was a negative, I kept going East trusting in the locals yet my instinct said differently---those skies were not 'nothing'. I decided to stop at a rest area first, to take better photos of the sky...I can't resist the stormy skies...yet knew too, I better find a safe place. While there, on the speaker were warnings to find cover due to the nature of the storm, and its route. I checked the map and realized I was driving directly into it, and as the skies became more and more ominous, realized I was a sitting duck. The highway was going up and I was out there in the open. Even beforehand, when watching the skies and lightning from afar I could see why Kansas was famous for its tornadoes, there was nothing to stop the winds and force; and while watching the skies realized the cloud patterns were not good--this was not the place/time to be on the road. I wanted to heed the warnings about finding a safe place if driving but was going in the wrong direction. I also noticed there were no other cars on the highway so decided to find the first U-turn spot and turn away from the center of the storm; go back where I came from... try to find a decent...yet affordable hotel before it hit. The clouds were getting darker and darker as I was searching and finally found one of those, more 'by the hour', than 'by the night' hotels...but price was right so I made the decision to lodge. Plus, I had wanted an older hotel that I knew had withstood other storms... there just seemed safety in that knowledge.  None too soon as the skies dropped the rain and the lightning and thunder started their action. I turned on the TV and they had just lengthened the time of the warning, and the width of the storm.  I have to admit, I will NOT shower here, I would rather be the 'stinky person' than take a chance with that here AND I have a large table in front of the door as there's no real lock and it definitely is NOT a family hotel, and I haven't seen another female here. Yet despite all that do feel safe enough. Barricaded and safe--even have wireless although TV signal went out--so there you go! An adventure in Kansas I'll not forget too soon. This stuff isn't in the tourist brochure... but there's something about that experience that just adds flavor, a bit of an adrenalin rush. Of course, it's easier to admit that once safe and sound.