Hasty, CO; Greensburg, KS; and other points East.

 

From Bent’s Old Fort, we made the short drive to  Hasty, CO; and John Martin Reservoir state park.  The lake and dam are controlled by the Army COE, but apparently they turned the campground and picnic areas over to the state, which now calls it a state park.  Six dollars to enter the area, plus twenty dollars for a gravel site with electric, only.  109 sites with about six occupied for the night.

 

Not the most expensive place we stayed by any means, but definitely more expensive than it should be for what you get. We had a quiet night there before getting back on the road Eastward the next morning.

We stopped in Lamar for a biscuit and coffee at McDonalds, then continued East on Hwy 50/400.  In to Kansas and through Dodge City.  Stopped in the little town of Greensburg, KS for a sandwich.  Noticed a sign for the worlds largest dug well, as well as numerous signs pointing to a new beginning for the town.

 

The town of Greensburg was totally destroyed by a F-5 tornado back in 2007. The new building in the photo above is a museum to, and about, that event which totally destroyed the small town, as well as the BIG WELL.

It was a strange feeling seeing the new town.  All new buildings, lots of glass and energy saving features.  Hate that I didn’t get any pictures.  It was almost like seeing a new Space colony.  Everything new and sparkling out on the Western Kansas plains.

The link above will take you the city website.  Lots of information on what’s going on now, as well as before and after photo’s of the town.  As I was talking with the young lady in the museum, she used the terms pre-tornado and post-tornado.  I told her that’s how we date a lot of things in our part of the world.  Pre Katrina and post Katrina.  She smiled and said she fully understood.  Another link to USA Today story.

From Greensburg we travel on through Wichita and locate a COE campground below the dam of Fall River Lake, KS.  One of the prettiest little COE campgrounds we have ever visited.

I even beat the timer back for a family photo.

Another great night with the windows open, listening to the roar of the water exiting the dam.  A lazy morning that called for some bacon and pancakes.

From there we changed direction to a more Southerly route.  Located another dam with COE cg in Northern Arkansas. 

Do you see a pattern, here??…..jc