Little Bits-o-Heaven in Topeka

We didn't expect to find heaven here, not even a little bit, but grace gets you by surprise, doesn't it?

We pulled into Deer Creek Valley RV Park and Rick said "Look at all that beautiful concrete!"  

Okay, so maybe that's a weird thing to say, but each to his own, right? He was so happy to be in a clean, level site after a long stretch on dust, dirt and gravel. (I knew he was going to love it. That's why we're here.)  Turns out the RV park owner is also the owner of a concrete company, so he loves concrete too.

The roomy sites are all perfectly lined up off the wide concrete roads. The lush, green grass has perfect diagonal stripes marking the perfectly mowed lawn.  I think it could use a few trees, but the dog park is big, the pool is clean and the playground is perfect for little campers.

The pool was open when we got here, but there's been a cold snap

Rick is happy here for the week, and Honey and I have found another perfect place that we think qualifies as doggy heaven.

I almost hate to write about it, because I want it to stay the well kept secret that it seems to be. It's 80 beautiful, natural, prairie acres, called Iliff Commons that was created and is still maintained by Dr. and Mrs. Iliff for public use. (What an incredible contribution to their community!)

It has over 5 kilometers of trails mowed through wildflower filled prairie and forest, over rolling hills and through some steep valleys with creeks running along the bottom.

It even has a small clean pond. 

Although not a designated dog park, some locals know it as a safe (fenced around the wide perimeter) and clean place to walk their unleashed dogs. It's also used by runners, walkers, mountain bikers and cross country skiers.  Honey has loved running down the clearly marked trails to her heart's content, and I can relax while walking, knowing she's safe. We've encountered only a few other runners and a few dog walkers, and everyone got along. 

Though perhaps not heavenly, I think probably the most popular thing for visitors to do in Topeka is visit the state capitol. 

This is our third since our friend Gena turned us on to capitol building visits. It's fascinating to see the differences and the similarities between them. And the difference between this one and it's neighbor in Lincoln, Nebraska is immense.  Where Nebraska's capitol is dark and gothic, this one glows like a sunflower in the Kansas sun brought inside. The interior is all warm yellows with bronze, brass and copper railings, columns and balustrades that make the whole place shine.

The Rotunda

Murals on the first floor

Kansan President Dwight D. Eisenhower figured predominantly throughout

Beautifully polished surfaces everywhere

Where Lincoln's symbolic themes in the art and architecture were primarily prehistorical, cosmic and universal, Kansas' themes are mostly historical and cultural. 

Statues of notable Kansans and the flags of the nations of which Kansas has been a part

Curry's controversial mural of John Brown 

Architectural detail of the state flower - the wild sunflower

A rather cartoonish and romanticized mural from the 1950's of Kansas pioneers

The architecture is typical capitol in design, with a central rotunda and wings and promenades at right angles.

This capitol has its own library open to the public. 

While it has the usual rooms for the house of representatives, governor and state supreme court, the senate hall was the most dazzling.  

The Kansas Senate

Hidden amidst the grand decor were air vents in the pillars.

Seven different kinds of marble (if I recall correctly) and copper pillars

What is most remarkable about the Kansas State Capitol is that it has recently undergone a complete restoration costing $325 million!!! When our guide told us about all the covering, hiding, painting over, remodeling and removing over time, out of seeming necessity to remodel and gain more space - basically obliterating the beauty of the building - it was just shocking. It was almost as if the generations after the original construction were ashamed of it, blinded by the drive to "modernize."  Really, it's hard to know what they were thinking. We have seen a similar process of "modernization" and now restoration in all the capitols we've visited. What has been going on this past century? And why now are we in this historical restoration phase throughout the country? 

Lonnie Q's BBQ on 21st St., Topeka

Anyway, the final slice of heaven here in Topeka is Lonnie Q's BBQ. Right next door to Deer Creek Valley RV Park (5 minute walk from our site at the most) is one of the best BBQ places we've ever tasted, and we've tasted a few.  We marvel at it's efficiency, cleanliness, generosity, and most of all, it's incredible food. OMG - juicy, tender, flavorful brisket, pulled pork, and our favorite - baby back ribs. This is moist barbecue, not the dry rub kind. (We like both.) They serve only three sides in addition to the four meats (turkey was temporarily off the menu): cole slaw, cheesy "taters" and baked beans, and each one was fabulous.  They are open only for lunch, M-F, and dinner on Fridays. Yes, they are closed on the weekends. There is always a line, but so worth the wait. Believe me, we got some ribs to go so we can take Lonnie's down the road with us to Oklahoma.

The Badlands of Montana and North Dakota

Teddy Roosevelt National Park, North Unit

Who knew there were badlands in Montana and North Dakota? Not us! We always thought THE Badlands were in South Dakota, at Badlands National Park. But now we know that badlands is a generic name for a kind of eroded landscape of soft soils and clays found all over the world.  Interestingly, their color and shape vary depending on their geological history, mineral composition and local climate over time. Thus, the badlands here in Montana and North Dakota are rounded, in shades of grey, beige and yellow (above) while those in South Dakota are more peaked, in pink, gold and brown.

We are in Medora, ND now, having passed through eastern Montana and stopped at Makoshika State Park on our way.  Makoshika is the largest state park in Montana, and based on our visit, one of the best kept secrets in that state.  We saw only a couple of cars during our visit. There is a scenic drive that must be about 6 miles long, but we stopped about half way for a picnic lunch and then headed on our way east.  There is no big rig day use parking at the park, so we left the truck and fifth wheel in a K-Mart in Glendive just off I-94. The park is about 5 minutes from there.

Map from the Makoshia State Park website.

It has been smoky in Montana for weeks from the many fires in the western states, so our photographs are hazy and muted and the skies are always white, but you can still see some variation in the colors of the hills. 

Our destination was Medora and the Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP). We are staying at the Red Trail Campground (which I wouldn't necessarily recommend) and we've been joined here by our good full-timing friends Lynn and Glenn.  The TRNP is another best kept secret, this time of North Dakota and the National Park system. 

Our adventures began with a journey to the North Unit of the park, about 1.5 hours north of Medora, but our first stop was the Visitor's Center at the Painted Canyon, just off I-94, where we were surprised by a herd of bison passing through the parking lot.  You don't get a photo of the national park sign like this very often.

Honey liked the bison too.

Did you ever notice how tiny a bison's feet are? Look at those delicate little hoofers!

After that excitement we passed through the southern edge of the North Dakota "oil patch" where there is evidence of the oil industry in pumps, rigs, temporary housing and commercial enterprises that serve the people here to work.

A very comprehensive truck stop in an otherwise remote landscape.

The smoke was pretty heavy, as you can see in the next photo from an overlook. 

A smoky overlook at the North Unit of TRNP

Closer photos fared better. These are the cannonball concretions that are found within the eroded hills in some areas. The top photo of this post was taken from this location as well.

Another smoky view. Despite how it may look, the landscape is large, colorful and impressive.

Later that day, Lynn and Glenn arrived and we invited them over for dinner. Then I roped them into a full moon hike in the park with a ranger. Being good sports and usually up for anything, they agreed. We got really lucky on our drive to the trailhead and spotted this badger (a first for all of us!) in a prairie dog town.  Although he was really entertaining, running between prairie dog holes and digging around, we had a hike to catch so we headed on.

Then we saw these wild horses and had to stop and watch them. The horses are one of the most frequently seen animals here. In fact there are people who know them all, have named them and can trace their lineage. There's a book published and sold locally that documents them all with photographs and biographical data. 

We passed several bison in groups and alone, but the most picturesque was this herd.

Our full moon hike was a couple of hours long and was off trail most of the way, through grasses, dirt and lots of buffalo and horse droppings. There was some scrambling involved that I might not have tried even in the daylight, but we all got through just fine by helping each other over the rough spots. There were only about 20 people and we used no artificial lights at any time. Although the moon was muted by the smoke, it still offered enough light.   

Next day we loaded up in Glenn and Lynn's truck and headed out for the South Unit Scenic Drive, a loop of about 30 miles. Our first stop was the Visitor's Center and Theodore Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin out back. Teddy Roosevelt began coming to the area for hunting, but then retreated to his ranch to recover from the loss of his mother and wife. There are many stories about his time here. After his death the park was eventually created and named for him.

The park has two units, North and South, and both have scenic drives for easy access. There are many  trails, from easy to strenuous, criss-crossing the park.  There is no major elevation change in the park, so the hikes are not like in the Rockies or Sierras.

One of the most visually interesting short hikes is at Wind Canyon, in the South Unit (above and next three pictures)... 

Rick and Lynn on Wind Canyon Trial

...with gorgeous views of the Little Missouri River Valley.

These golden asters line all the roads.

Another rewarding and easy (though hot and without shade) hike is the Boicourt Trail.

Lynn, Glenn and Rick on the Boicourt Trail

Glenn, Lynn and Rick at the summit of the Boicourt Trail

View from the Boicourt Trail

The Boicourt Trail and Overlook both offer quintessential views of the badlands and rolling hills and valleys that are typical of TRNP.

After that hot hike we were ready to head home for an easy cook out and good night's sleep. Then, after a wicked overnight thunderstorm, we finally had blue skies again!!! It seems like ages since we've seen the sky and breathed clean air. What a relief. 

Of course we had to visit the cutesy Western town of Medora several times. The RV park is walking or easy biking distance from town. There are several restaurants, but we only tried the Badlands Pizza and Saloon, twice. We liked their pizza, especially when we asked them to cook it just a tad longer.  The whole town has a Disney feel to it, as much of it (including the Medora Campground, which I would recommend) is owned and operated by the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, committed to maintaining the town of Medora for happy visitors. Many employees and volunteers come from around the world to work here during the summers.

Scenes of Medora


In addition to pizza, we had a little good clean fun in Medora.

High-ho-Silver!

Rick & Glenn get serious

Lynn finds a new friend

No visit to Medora is complete without taking in an evening at the Medora Musical, a surprisingly high quality Disney-like musical review production in an impressive outdoor setting.  This year they celebrate their 50th anniversary! More good clean fun that leaves you feeling darn good about North Dakota and the USofA.

Lynn and Glenn left this morning but we will stay another couple of days and see what else there is to see here before heading south again. 

A final image from Medora