Sunday

Sunday the three of us went in search of water.   We often find ourselves doing that....not a surprise that our cottage is on the shore of a lake.   Pam and John's "lunch with a view" photo is almost always from an elevated position, looking out over some beautiful and rocky landscape.    Our lunches out are usually beside some body of water.

Wilson Lake near the dam

Yesterday we took the 18 mile Post Rock Scenic Byway between Wilson, Kansas (the Czech capitol of Kansas) and Lucas, Kansas (the Grassroots Art Capitol of Kansas) and on the way we passed by Wilson Lake (the Clearest Lake in Kansas).

Wilson lake is beautiful and clear and big.   Plenty of room for us to find a spot all by ourselves to set up our beach chairs and have lunch.

guys guys....are we gonna eat or swim first, guys, swim or eat?

And chase sticks and dig in the sand and run around like a lunatic.  There may or may not have been some careful butterfly stalking also.

painted lady butterfly

It was hard to believe we were in Kansas.   I guess we shouldn't prejudge a place without actual knowledge.

After a lovely time in the sun we continued our drive along the Scenic Byway to little Lucas, you know, the Grassroots Art Capitol of Kansas.   Some examples of it's Grassroots Art below....

We also viewed The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Version of the World's Largest Things situated in an ex school bus sitting in an alley behind The Garden of Eden.      I   am    not   kidding!

The Garden of Eden is a "log" (more of the local limestone cut and built to look like real logs) house built in 1905 by SP Dinsmoor.   A quirky Civil War Veteran, Mr. Dinsmoor also sculpted more than 150 creatures both political and biblical.
He and his first wife are entombed in a mausoleum on the property (yep, also built by Mr. Dinsmoor).   It is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been open to the public since 1907.    Quite a place.

mausoleum

Adam and Eve, complete with the apple and serpent

I don't know what this is, but it was really sparkly!

And, last but certainly not least, we used the Second Best Public Restroom in the United States in Lucas's Bowl Plaza, yes we did.

See the toilet with the lid up?   See the flush handle? (hubcaps) It's as decorated inside as it is outside.

ladies room sink

bottle end stained glass window

We were on overload as we drove away from Lucas.    I had one more world record holder to check out before going home for happy hour.   It was in Wilson, you'll remember it as the Czech Capitol of Kansas.

This small town seems very depressed.  It has the usual grain elevators, railroad tracks and tiny main street with some originally beautiful limestone buildings but we saw very few people.

Dave liked the variety offered for sale in this stamped metal "brick" store

Behold........The World's Largest Czech Egg.......20 feet high and hand painted in traditional Czech motifs

Our tour of Russell, Kansas and it's World's Best surroundings is over, we thoroughly enjoyed this unplanned stop.

 We did stay here one extra day (today) because snow is falling at our ultimate destination  and the temperature overnight is forecast to be 18 degrees there.
The wind was howling all day so we pulled the slide in and took care of business all day, bills, cooking, laundry, groceries and all other domestic activities.

We're on the road again in the morning.