haphazard musings

#82 - Day trip.

Last Friday, I went with the United Way director in McPherson to Dodge City to meet with some other United Way directors.  Since everyone has asked, according to the GPS we took along, it takes 2.5 hours to reach Dodge City from Mac.  So yes, it was a long day.  We had some time for business talk and I was able to come away with some new thoughts and ideas.

However, that is not what this post is about.  This post is about some of the sights I saw there.  I have never actually stopped in Dodge other than at the McDonald's on our way to somewhere else.  So this was a little bit of an adventure.

We had lunch at the restaurant inside the Boot Hill museum, it was pretty good.  Boot Hill, by the way, was the local cemetery for people who died with their boots on...meaning in a gun fight.

And then we toured the museum a little.  Boot Hill is all about the Old West life style.  Apparently back in the day, it was a huge boom town for three reasons:
1) buffalo - over 800,000 or something like that were killed by the 1870's;
2) the Sante Fe Trail - major pit stop for trail riders;
and 3) cows - yep.  Dodge was know for the longhorn cattle that came up from Texas.

  

The museum was dedicated to the days of yore.  Whatever that means.  But it was kind of fun. :)   Unfortunately, we missed the shoot out.  Everyday at noon - they have a shoot out.  Now that's my kind of fun for sure!  So watch out if you ever go there, for Ed Masterson, Wyatt Erp and the infamous Billy the Kid.

I love old stuff...this piano rocks my socks off.  And that lamp, which used to be a  gas lamp has the most beautiful painting on it.  I would love one of those.

 

That kid sized buggy is too funny.  I love it.  Then there was this amazing bar.  Look at that woodworking and it was the actual bar from one of the original saloons.  There is also another one of those gas lights.

It was definitely an interesting day.  If you are looking for a fun day trip, I would recommend it.  We enjoyed our time.  Plus it wasn't very expensive.  So you should check it out sometime.

One more thing for today.

For those of you that didn't know, now you do.  For those that did know, this is just a friendly reminder.

I love shoes.

All kinds.

All colors.

Heels, boots, flats, flip flops, you name it. 

So this is what's making me happy today.  Shoes.  I got a new pair.

  

Don't you just love them?

They are from Target.  I would recommend them.  So comfy and super cute and pretty cheap - all the things I am looking for in a shoe.  I am considering getting the other pair.  Check them out here.

So here's to the small things that create happiness on this slow-moving Tuesday.

Well...

perhaps you are tiring of the African trip, but please note, the need to post these stories rather than other more current thoughts and observances, only alludes to the un-exciting-ness of these miserably hot summer days.  How can fun and exciting things happen when no one wants to leave the house I ask?  Anyway, on to the tale!

In case you need to be refreshed, our last stop was Durban the big port city.  We then traveled to the interior of the country - to the Drakensberg mountains.  They stretch for 620 miles north to south across the country.  They also are home to the country of Lesotho (Le-sue-too) we also visited a village there. 

If you recall, I like to take sun pictures.  I really like this one.  But then I like the second one too, just after the sun went behind the mountain.

 

Now back to the story.  While in the Drakensberg region, we stayed at a hostel that was literally in the middle of no where.  The pictures above were taking outside the door of our room.  Yep a clear view for miles in all directions.  It was the only place to eat for farther than we could walk - luckily they had great food.  I became addicted to grilled cheese while I was there by the way - its CHEAP and realatively fillings.  For some reason it just tasted better in Africa.  Wierd, huh?  We luckily had a little time to rest while at this hostel.  Every where else was run, hurry, run, but here is was the slow life for sure.  We spent an entire afternoon poolside (yep they had a pool too) and just caught up with one another.  It was so relaxing.  But the next day was not.

Let me tell you what.  The next day was some seriously hard work.  We literally climbed a mountain.  Didn't know I could do that, but we sure did.  According to the guide, we reached over 9,000 feet.  But we started around 3,000 feet high.  So the guide to us this is an easy hike, anyone can do it.  No worries. 

He lied.

Big time.

So we were hot and sweaty in the blazing sun, suffering from slight alititude sickness (headaches & dizzieness) and basically rock climbing part of the way.  Oh yes, I have never been so sore and exhausted in my life.  I wish the pictures could do it justice.

   

        Before - ah smiling faces.                                                        Going Up - can you see where we are headed?

     

      Where we've been.                                                                       Where we're going - like I said, rock climbing.

While it may seem like a quick trip, just looking at the pictures, it took about 4 hours to reach this point.  The top.  Its called the amphitheater.  The valley is open on one side and enclosed on the other three creating a theater effect.  Unfortunately, I could get it in one shot.  They don't make wide angle point and shoots. :) Then we began our journey to the waterfall.  Turns out that even those it is one of the world's tallest waterfalls, it is only ranked as that about 6 months of the year.  Yep. 

IT WAS DRY.

Completely.

Six months of the year the river and falls are completely and utterly dry.  That's why is 2nd only 6 months of the year. Bummer, but I must say, the view as seen above was beautiful nonetheless.  Looking back now,  despite my ridiculous exhaustion at this point, I remember think whoa...God is so cool.  He created this.  And here I am complaining that I had to climb it to see it.  So, now that I can say it with a true heart, thank you for the chance to witness YOUR creation in a whole new way.  God you are good.

It took another 2 hours to get down.  Yes it was a lot faster - this is why:

   

 
We went straight down.  There were three sets of ladders to climb down.  It was possibly the scariest thing I have ever done.  I am not terribly fond of ladders in the first place, so the idea of climbing one that was chain, on the side of a cliff, with 30 mile an hour winds was not my idea of a good time.  Nope.  But I made it.  I even went first.

That pretty much wraps up our trip to the Drakensberg mountains.  On our next flash back, we will be taking a horse trail (but not on a horse) into Lesotho.  Until then happy travels.

Another wedding trip.

Two weekends ago, Ryan, Kelsey (Ryan's sister) and I went to Marble Falls, TX (about an hour from Austin to the west).  Whew it was a long drive!  We left on Thursday after work and drove to Wichita Falls and spent the night.  Then continued on to Marble Falls.  We drove the entire way on a two-lane highway, what we affectionately called the scenic route.  It was lovely!  We enjoyed the drive, the pit stops, and the conversation all the way.  We passed through some of the greatest small towns with amazing shops and town squares.  It was so reminiscent of times gone by.  Here are some of the fun pics from the backseat!

 

 

On the way, Ryan suggested we stop at one of the original Dr Pepper plants.  Its in Dublin, TX.  We didn't even know we would be going by it.  Ryan figured out a detour, and we spent an hour at the store and factory.  We ended up leaving with 5 cases of Dr Pepper...which made us look pretty addicted.  Some of the machinery was as old as the 1920s or 30s and they still use it today.  It was pretty cool, and let me just tell you, this town was more than in love with Dr Pepper.  They have the world's biggest collection of Dr Pepper memorabilia.  One of the pieces is worth over 10 million dollars (the insurance policy says take this first).  Another interesting fact - this Dr Pepper, that is made with real cane sugar, is only delivered in a 40-mile radius because that's how far the original delivery man (on a horse and cart) could go in one day. 

 

  

After that we followed the hilliest, curvy road ever.  It was a little scary.  We ended up at a lovely lake with an amazing log lodge for everyone to stay.  We boated, cooked out, lounged, tubed and chatted for two full days - we are very tan!  Interestingly no photos of the wedding itself.  It was much too hot to take pictures, plus it was dark.  And when I say hot, I mean HOT.  The temperature was in the hundreds with ridiculous humidity.  It was nuts!  But we had a great time.  And on the way home - we went to IKEA!

 

A Peaceful Sunday Morning

A few weeks ago, the entire group of Sunday morning YACsters and sponsors went to Camp Hawk on Sunday morning to experience "Peace".  It was a glorious morning and full of wonderful opportunities to be quiet and experience God.  Wonderful.  Here are some photos.

Another trip to Africa.

This time we head to Durban.  It is a huge city on the southeastern coast of South Africa.  It lies on the Indian Ocean.  It is an incredible mix of people and cultures.  There are about 3 million people living in this booming city.  It has a very strong Indian influence as well as African and European influences.  We had a very interesting time for sure.

We did a little bit of American stuff while there much to the delight of our Africa-based friend.  We went to two movies and to an American chain restaurant.  The mall we went to was just as nice as any mall I have seen in the US.  The beach was also lovely.  Much nicer than the beach in St. Lucia, mostly because the wind wasn't nearly as strong.  We were able to enjoy some time just relaxing and chatting while enjoying the beautiful scene and the lovely weather.

The Victoria Street Market was awesome too.  You could buy everything there from unique foods, to jewelry, to scarves, to horse bridles.  It was great.  We saw tons of people and walked thru some really...umm....interesting areas on the way there.  It was certainly an interesting experience to be someone who doesn't fit in.  My two traveling companions had brown hair, and blended a little better, but I stood out like a sore thumb with my very blonde hair. 

People also assumed that because we were Americans that we were wealthy and lived lives like those of Beyonce or or other famously wealthy folks.  It was such a different perspective and one that I never really thought about.  But it was certainly a new feeling to have people staring at me because I was different.  Anyway...here are the pictures. : )

The city skyline from the world's scariest harbor ride ever.  We nearly got run over by a huge ship, and then nearly capsized from a giant wave caused by another giant ship.  And dancers that put on a show on the beach sidewalk.

 
Giant cargo/container ship and the spices at the market.  It smelled so, so awesome.  Wish we could have brought some back to the states.

 

On the beach and at the Indian Restaurant in the Casino.  Yep there was a casino.

Me standing on the shores of the Indian Ocean.  The three of us with all of our stuff in front of the Hilton, where we got to stay one night thanks to reward points.  It was the best shower ever.

Small Group Game Night!

Well, as many groups around Newton have done, our small group went on the Newton Scavenger Hunt.  We played guys vs. gals, and ended in a tie, as I recall.  It was a lot of fun!  We also had a wonderful beautiful evening to play!  (PS we did this like a month ago. : )

Look at all the fun we had! 

In order of appearance, Lori J; Lori G, Lindsay, Lori J; Andy; Ryan; Julie; Jon; Bret; and Colin.
    

Another flash into my past...

I know its usually flashback Tuesday, but in lieu of that we shall this week enjoy a flashback Friday. 

In case you are in need of a non-flashback update: I need chocolate.  I honestly think I could eat an entire bag of chocolate chips today.  But you know, I am doing well at restraining myself, especially considering the chips are in the freezer at home and here I sit taking a lunch break at the office.  Thank goodness for distance between me and them, otherwise the battle would be lost. : )

So on to the next leg of the journey through South Africa.  Our next stop was Hluhluwe (pronounced hlu-hlu-we just like it looks).  Actually, we don't have the sound in English that that particular letter combination makes.  If you would like a verbal pronunciation, please visit me in person and I will do my best to demonstrate the sound.  Anyway, more to the point, Hluhluwe is a game reserve.  According to the pamphlet, it is the oldest reserve in South Africa.  It was lovely.  Ridiculously cheap - like 5 dollars a person.  We got a map and a car and a look out for elephants warning and were on our way.

Our car, more accurately described as a large roller skate, was not meant for the rough roads in the reserve.  I would recommend and SUV or a car more than 6 inches off the ground if you are interested in visiting the elephants and other critters living in Hluhluwe.

In a previous post I showed you one of my favorite signs.  Here are another couple that crack me up we saw along the way to the reserve.  All make you seem quite safe while careening at break-neck speeds down the wrong side of the road in a "car" the size of a matchbox (don't let the 4 doors fool you).

 

  In case you can't figure out the sign's meanings, the are (in order) WATCH OUT FOR THESE ANIMALS, High Accident Zone, and Watch out for Cows.

We did enjoy seeing 3 out of the Big 5.  The big five are elephants, lions, rhinos, water (cape) buffalo, and leopards.  Unfortunately our timing was poor and we didn't get to see any of the large cats.  But we saw girrafes, zebras, monkeys, elephants, rhinos (black and white), wildebeasts, buffalo and hundreds of birds.  Here are some of the lovely examples.  (if you want them bigger, click on them.)