Romancing the Roads (8 page)

Kansas

As
corny as this may sound, I confess that, as I drove along I-70 into Kansas, I started singing, “I’m as corny as Kansas in August . . .”

There is little question that Kansas is, well, very flat, but the countryside is beautiful. I even had a Norman Rockwell moment when I came upon a robust farmer in faded denim overalls atop a rusty red tractor, an umbrella protecting his skin from the summer sun.

Topeka
is a little like the Emerald City of Oz, with its impressive skyline surrounded by huge farmed fields. When I was driving by, I did not have time to discover the downtown (although I was invited), but the fields were a brilliant green. A sign read, “One Kansas Farmer Feeds 128 People Plus You.”

Down the road in
Alma
you’ll find Grandma Hoerner’s.

Grandma Hoerner’s Shop and Factory

31862 Thompson Rd.

785-765-2300

www.grandmahoerners.com

On a country road where horses have left their calling cards, Grandma Hoerner’s is in a bright red building. As you enter, the distinctive smell of apples fills the air. Here is a repository of apple products of all varieties. When I visited, a very attractive woman with the most unbelievable flaming red hair, movie star’s torso, appropriate summer dress, and high heels appeared on the scene. (I mention the high heels because I didn’t expect to see anyone wearing such attractive shoes at a “factory.” As a shoe aficionado, I had to make note.) It turns out she was the wife of Grandma Hoerner’s grandson, Duane McCoy, who now runs the business.

Duane’s mother, Evangeline, daughter of Grandma Mable Hoerner, gave her mother’s recipe to her son Duane. It was general knowledge that everyone liked Grandma’s applesauce, made with the firmest apples and natural fresh seasonings cooked slowly in spring water. Duane remembered the delicious applesauce, and when his mother gave him the recipe, he checked to see if there was anything on the market similar to his grandmother’s chunky concoction. He found nothing comparable, and so, the production of Grandma Hoerner’s old-fashioned applesauce began in 1987 and led to the development of all sorts of high-quality organic sauces, jams, toppings, dry mixes, and condiments. Obviously a thriving business in the middle of what many would call nowhere, Grandma Hoerner’s products are available online if “nowhere” isn’t on your travel itinerary.

Lawrence (Population Approximately 65,000)

At first
this seemed like a relatively small city until I started to drive around and learned how much is actually in Lawrence, home to the University of Kansas. One of the main thoroughfares is
Massachusetts Avenue
, where I came upon several interesting shops.

Saffees Gallery of Fashions

911 Massachusetts Ave.

785-843-6375

What a delightful shop, with attractive apparel and very friendly people. I learned that Saffees is a family-owned business, and there are four Saffees in Missouri, the “mother store” (as they call it) being in Jefferson City. Although I didn’t buy anything, they seemed happy that I stopped by.

At Saffees I was told about another shop, which turned out to be another great discovery:

Lasting Impressions Consignment Store

711 W. Twenty-third St.

785-749-5122

This shop has lots of well-displayed and -priced merchandize.

Back on I-70—the temperature was 97 degrees with strong winds—I came across a bad accident in which a large tractor trailer had flipped. Its back was off in a field, and the red cab was turned over. You can’t help but wonder how, on such a big, wide-open road, this could have happened. Perhaps the driver fell asleep, or maybe it was the wind. Not a pleasant sight!

Salina

This is
a small, “real” American city, with clean streets and large houses, “considered the crossroads of America” since it’s where I-35 and I-70 meet. One of my competitors has stated that “there is nothing there” in Salina. Hogwash!

Endiron Estate B&B

100 S. College Ave.

785-452-9300

www.endiron.com

The creative name derives from the fact that this big, wonderful house is at the
end
of
Iron
Street. I was delighted to see the setting sun give the big, neocolonial-style structure with its quarry-face limestone (native to Kansas) a glow—a limestone glow. I would spend the night here, and I was more than curious. I was greeted by a young, petite woman, Debra Redman, who was obviously no stranger to exercise. We began chatting as if we had known each other for more than just a few minutes. She then showed me around her B&B, with the admonition “I still have a lot to do” on the place. What I saw, however, was fantastic: inlaid floors, including a center hall with a large, inlaid starburst design in the center; leaded windows; oak moldings; and Prairie Movement designs throughout the big old house, actually a former bible college. As I checked for updates, I discovered that Debra Redman has done a lot because the city of Salina and the Heritage Commission presented her with an award in recognition of her preservation and work on the Endiron Estate. I look forward to congratulating her in person and seeing all that she has done to Salina’s only B&B.

Debra’s neighbor, David Petty, owned
the
store in town.

Martha and David

108 S. Santa Fe Ave.

785-827-9990

Debra insisted on calling David to have him reopen the store just for little old me (it was after hours). He happily obliged. I felt like a rock star, having such attention. His fantastic establishment is actually several stores in one, with fashions on one side and gourmet items on the other. I enjoyed purchasing several items. This savvy, creative businessman expanded the store, but I now learn that he recently retired. The new owners have changed and renamed the store.

Across the street is an old-fashioned toy store.

Toy Parade

119 S. Santa Fe Ave.

785-823-2231

www.thetoyparade.net

I just learned about a “must-do” in Salina and here it is. Note that I have yet to visit.

The Cozy Inn

108 N. Seventh St.

785-825-2699

www.cozyburger.com

In eighty-eight years, neither the product (hamburgers) nor the grill they are cooked on has changed. This tiny “inn” has six seats along an old counter that is covered with Cozy Inn articles. The inside smells of cooking hamburger, and if this is not what you want, then, as they say, use the walk-up window. The hamburgers are served one way only: with onions. They cost less than $1, and you can buy them “by the sack.” The only other items sold are potato chips, soda, coffee, hot chocolate, and Cozy Inn souvenirs.

Confession:
I am craving a sack of Cozy Inn hamburgers now!

Driving Diva Factoid:
In March 2005, Salina made history when Steve Fossett set out to become the first person to fly solo around the world without stopping to refuel. After sixty-seven hours, he landed back in Salina on March 3, setting the world record. There to greet him with a champagne shower was Virgin Airline’s Sir Richard Branson. Sadly, Fossett disappeared while on a recreational flight over the Nevada desert in September 2007. No trace of the plane has ever been found.

What was that comment about Salina? There is a lot in this town!

Hays (Population 200)

The drive
along the interstate in Kansas is functional, and I enjoyed it. When I arrived in Hays, I thought, Hampton Inn, where are you? I have a reservation, so you must exist. Eventually I found it, no thanks to the poor signage.

Hampton Inn

4002 General Hays Rd.

785-621-4444

www.hamptoninn.com

Hays is home to Fort Hays State University. The median household income is about $25,000 a year, and median rent is $175.

Driving Diva Alert:
When I checked in to the
Hampton Inn the temperature was 97 degrees. The next morning it was 61 degrees! Be wary of sudden temperature changes on our Great Plains.

Driving Diva Anecdote:
I was approached by a friendly and gregarious young boy of about twelve as I got out of the car at the Hampton Inn. He was traveling with his family to a church conference. As he followed his father toward their room he said, “Call me if you need anything.” When he saw me at breakfast the following morning, he asked if he could sit with me. This provided wonderful entertainment for the whole dining area as he proceeded to tell me a joke. How about that? It’s not often you get a breakfast date at the Hampton Inn. Fun!

Back on I-70, all still looked like a Grandma Moses picture—flat, bucolic farmed fields.

Goodland (Population Approximately 8,000)

Sitting in
the northwest corner of Kansas at the Colorado state line, Goodland is known as the Pheasant Capital of the World. It is also popular for hunting prairie dogs, coyote, wild turkey, antelope, and deer.

The side of a big grain bin reads, “Happiness Is a Crock of Beans.”

Enjoy Kansas.

Oklahoma

Before
my first trip to Oklahoma, I pictured its horizons as peppered with oil rigs and lots of cowboys all around—a “vision” augmented by an Oklahoman college classmate. She and her mother’s Manhattan shopping sprees attired each in ultra designers’ garb. I pictured a lot of Oklahoma women (particularly wives and daughters of the big ranchers and oil barons) of the same milieu. This assumption was definitely wrong. I knew where the state is located and the words to the songs Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers wrote about the state. How wonderful it was to discover the real Oklahoma,

Oklahoma City (Population Approximately 3 Million)

Oklahoma City
was my first introduction to the state. On that visit, I was an absolute novice at this travel-writing procedure. The chamber of commerce proved a tremendous help in ensuring that I saw a lot of the city in the short time I had scheduled to “discover.” I was escorted around the city, which was unpretentious but with definite upscale aspects. It was clean and seemed rather laid-back, though by no means lazy. Definitely impressed, I was totally enjoying my tour when we turned a corner, pulled up to the curb, and parked. We were at the once-innocent spot that became suddenly infamous on April 19, 1995. I faced a chain-link fence covered with notes, tiny stuffed animals, pictures, flowers, and many other items. I quietly lost it. I broke down. Deep breaths didn’t help. This was the spot where the
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
once stood. I felt the tragedy and heartache undeniably as the faces, eyes, and expressions looked back at me from the photos. I will never forget that provincial yet impressive, impromptu memorial. Vivid and heart wrenching are my vivid mental images of the bombing disaster and the absolute class and style of the governor, firemen, policemen, and all who lost loved ones. It was impressive and exemplary. Visiting the state, I was to learn how much more there is to O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A.

Now a new park, with its signature memorial chairs, is on the site, and a museum has been built.

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

620 N. Harvey Ave.

405-235-3313

www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org

From what I have read about the museum, the storyline is in ten parts from “chaos” to “hope.” I feel this must be indicative of the people of Oklahoma. I urge all to visit the site. While heart wrenching, the site and story will help all to put life into perspective. We must never forget this tragic event, but we must also realize that today, tomorrow, or sometime is unknown.

We come here to remember

Those who were killed, Those who survived and Those changed Forever.

May all who leave here know the impact of violence

May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity.

–––––

Oklahoma means “land of the red people” in the Choctaw language. Bordered by six states—Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Missouri, and Arkansas—it is equidistant from Los Angeles and New York. When studying the map and planning my route, I discovered that I-40, I-35, and I-44 all take you to Oklahoma City.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

1700 NE Sixty-third St.

405-478-2250

www.nationalcowboymuseum.org

This museum is most impressive. Plan on a long visit as its two hundred thousand square feet are inspiring. The museum, located on
Persimmon Hill
, opened in 1965. The galleries are fantastic. The fourteen-thousand-square-foot replica of Prosperity Junction, a 1900s
western cattle town, is exact, and it shows both how far we have come and how spoiled we are in the 2000s.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art

415 Couch Dr.

405-236-3100

www.okcmoa.com

I recently discovered that the largest permanent collection of Dale Chihuly glass art is here.

In 2003, by absolute chance, I found myself spending the night in Oklahoma City, but not exactly downtown. How I ended up at the Oklahoma City Biltmore is an interesting sidebar that illustrates the admonition “Be prepared!”

Biltmore Hotel Oklahoma

401 S. Meridian Ave.

405-947-7681

www.biltmoreokc.com

How it happened:
I called information (old-fashioned as it sounds) for a Biltmore Hotel that I thought might be of interest to include in the book. I was given a Biltmore number and called it, only to find out that it was in Oklahoma! (Not the state I had in mind!) By chance I was speaking with the general manager, William Davis. Because of our shared last name, we become phone pals. He said, “You really should visit our property.” That’s the short version of the serendipity.

Chain of events:
Mr. Davis sent me a brochure: “Biltmore Hotel: Oklahoma’s Largest Hotel Conference Center.” It looked safe, and Mr. Davis was convincing. I schedule a stop. I was also to learn (via the Internet) that the amenities were numerous, the hotel was absolutely pet friendly, and many said that, with its rustic elegance, the hotel was the “best kept secret.” I was on my way.

I drove north from Dallas on I-35 to Oklahoma City. After the flatlands of the Dallas area, the scenery begins to get more hilly. It is an easy drive, and at around 1 p.m., I was in Oklahoma.

FYI:
In my notes of personal minutiae, I see that arriving in Oklahoma I had traveled 8,097.6 miles so far on that particular odyssey. After all these traveled miles, my car needed some grooming. I didn’t know what my namesake might think of my messy car, so I stopped at a rest stop.

Oklahoma Discoveries and Observations:
Back on the interstate, I passed
Braum’s Ice Cream
(www.braums.com). There were lots of cars, and it was only 3:12 p.m. Hmmm. Again, I should have stopped, but I didn’t. I have since researched Braum’s, and what a story.

This family business was started in Emporia, Kansas. It was a small butter- and milk-processing plant that then added ice-cream processing. The wholesale part of the business was sold, and the family began specializing in ice cream. It was not long before the company had retail ice cream stores in Oklahoma—with processing still in Kansas. The next move was to bring everything to Oklahoma, and now there are over forty thousand acres—that’s sixty-two square miles of purportedly some of the very best farm and ranch land in America.

In addition to the ice creams and dairy products sold in the retail stores, a bakery produces bakery items for the stores. There are 280 Braum’s Ice Cream and Diary Stores in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas. Braum’s is the only major ice-cream maker in the country that milks its own cows—ten thousand of them! It is the largest milking herd and milking parlor of its kind in the world. The cows are milked three times a day, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I am in awe!

Needless to say, the next time I see a Braum’s Retail Shop, I am stopping, diet or no diet. I passed the
Oklahoma Horseshoeing School
, and then a sign announced that I was in
Norman
. I remember a beau (we were both in our late teens) who was flying in the navy and stationed there, writing me from this place that sounded so far away from my New York City life.

At 4:15 p.m., I arrived in the area and began looking for the Biltmore Hotel Oklahoma. Not realizing I had passed it, I continued down the road to discover more in the immediate area. I found some aviation history and lots of motels.

Will Rodgers World Airport

7100 Terminal Dr.

405-316-3262

www.flyokc.com

Ninety-nines Museum of Women Pilots

4300 Amelia Earhart Rd.

405-685-9990

www.museumofwomenpilots.com

Backtracking, I found the Biltmore, and I immediately knew it was nice and friendly, cowboy casual and clean. The brochure is a little more airbrushed than what my eyes saw—but that was alright.

Checking in was easy, with no rigmarole. My room was plain and simple but comfortable. I had been invited for a drink at around 5 p.m. with Mr. Davis and his friends, who, I was to learn, were “the regulars.” I decided to see a bit more of the area before joining “the boys.” I drove around and decided to stop at Sheplers, “The World’s Largest Western Stores.”

Sheplers

812 S. Meridian

405-947-6831

www.sheplers.com

Well, slap my jeans, straighten my bandana, and secure my hat—this is one big store! There is western apparel in every size, shape, and color. I learned that there are twenty retail locations in eight states, and the catalogue business is big. Their guarantee is, “You have our handshake on it.” Right on, guys.

Then, it was time to meet the boys, whom I found in one of their favorite positions—seated at the bar, beverage of choice in hand, and fun on their lips. I joined the group, and we talked about “them and me.” Linda, the major hotel assistant, was also in the group, so I wasn’t the only woman. What fun those boys were, and it was obvious what fun they had. Each one sounded—from talk—very successful. They seemed to have their afternoon ritual down pat. Some left relatively soon, and others stayed. I left in the middle, went back to my room, and organized for the next day.

I was told that, oh my! the next day the Hall of Fame Cowboys would be arriving. No way! I said to myself, and I wouldn’t be there! The next morning, I said good by to Linda and Mr. Davis, and I was sincere when I said, “Thank you so much and maybe another visit in the future.”

If you are in the Oklahoma City area, spend a night at the Biltmore. There is a lot to discover in the area.

I-40 was easy to find and proved a good road. I passed lots of green fields and farms. After about an hour of driving, I drove by
Okemah
. Something about this place smiled at me as I passed. I know that sounds crazy. Maybe the thousands of miles of driving were affecting me. This area is definitely Indian land, and from my vantage, I discerned that it was probably very good hunting land.

FYI:
Two thousand miles later, while transcribing
my scribbled notes, I decide to look up Okemah. Meaning “things up high,” Okemah is named for a Kickapoo Indian chief and is expected to look up and live up to his name. The town, incorporated in 1903, is the home of Woody Guthrie.

Continuing down the interstate, I saw the enormous, twelve-hundred-acre
Lake Eufaula
(www.lakeeufaula.com), one of Oklahoma’s top fishing lakes. Why not stop and do a little fishing—if you have a fishing rod? String and a hook sometimes suffice—if you just want to see what you might catch.

The interstate is good but be prepared for long stretches without services.

Two Places I Saw:

Sallisaw
: From the highway you can see this is a big area with lots of shops, industry, schools, and so forth. One ad read, “Sedation Dentists: Sallisaw, Oklahoma.”
That is a first for me.

Sequoyah
: There is a big truck stop diner.