The Great Plains...

Or, as I come to call it when passing through southwest Nebraska and western Kansas: the Great Treeless Grass Desert.

The do like their Huskers here...

Go Big Red(neck)!

It turned out to be a tough driving day: oh, the coach ran fine, but we ran into construction early... and mid-way... and towards the end of the day...

It took about an hour and a half to cover the first 45 miles.  After a wait for the escort car, we were doing less than 20 mph behind some large farm equipment.

Joan has been keeping us on 2-lane roads again - we finally turned off and got out from behind these things... oh, it is kinda flat out here...

We often discuss what we think is being grown as we drive by.  I can no longer tell her "sorghum" for anything I'm not sure of - she heard me tell friends Joe and Ruth about that years ago.

"What are they raising in that field?"

"Looks like dust!  They're having a bumper crop!"

The strong south wind didn't help things.  Our track was mostly south, with a bit of east and southeast as we kept to roads that were sure to keep me from getting McDonald's for lunch (I know her tricks, too).

 Really, I kept track: on one 20 mile stretch of road where one car passed us and we saw a pickup and two semis going the other direction.  No surprise that we didn't have any cell or data coverage here.

One turn took us through a recreation area, and across a dam...

A change of pace that lasted a couple minutes.

Rolling across western Kansas, there are some hills...

As we get close to home, palm trees line the Expressway as we get close to the Tropical Tip.  Kansas has something similar with their state tree along the road...

With no place to get Mickey D's, Joan made us sandwiches while we rolled.  She likes cold sandwiches.  I like a hot hamburger and fries.  Did I mention that I know her little "Let's take the backroads" tricks?

A hot (mid-90s), sunny, windy day today, with a 70% chance of road construction...

Yes, even in the small towns we rolled through.

We made it to Liberal, Kansas for the night.  This RV "park" is pretty much a gravel parking lot, but they have hook-ups and it is off the beaten path, so nice and quiet.  No network TV from the over-the-air antenna, but there are no trees here, so no problem for our satellite TV.  All the comforts of home.

:-)