If you've ever been through Kansas (or Oklahoma, or Texas, or any other wide open stretch of road on the Great Plains) you know that there's a certain monotony to the drive, broken up by small towns and the occasional roadside attraction from a bygone era. But, there's also a beauty to much of it, small towns and farms and old pickup trucks that harken back to a simpler time. This post is about finding that beauty.
On November 16 I had to drive east from Newton to Ottawa, mostly along Highway 50, then west from Ottawa to Marion, then southwest back to Newton where I had decided to stay while I was there. I left the hotel at about 6:30 AM that morning and plunged into a nasty snow storm. It was slow going at first, but after about 45 minutes I cleared the path of the storm and was left with a cold, grey, overcast sky. I had intentionally left a little early, leaving time to stop and take photos if something caught my eye.
7:36 AM. About 35 miles east of Newton on Highway 50, I spotted this old schoolhouse, and I drove up the gravel road a short distance to grab a few shots. The front of the schoolhouse had an inscription stating that it was built in 1986 for District 34...
7:54 AM. I pulled over and spent a few minutes photographing this abandoned trading post along Highway 50 on the outskirts of Elmdale (population 55)...
8:04 AM. Outside of Strong City I saw this tree, and it's white trunk really stood out against the grey sky. I did a quick U-turn and pulled over...
8:14 AM. As I was driving through Strong City (population 485) I decided to turn down what appeared to be the main drag - it was the street with the church on it - and after driving a couple of blocks I spotted this old Dodge Ram truck...
8:15 AM. Another shot of the Ram, which was a great subject...
While driving to Ottawa, I had seen a small sign for the Stone Arch Bridge in Clements. Glancing over, I couldn't see anything as I went by, but I made a mental note of it. After taking care of what needed to be taken care of in Ottawa, I headed back towards Marion, the next stop that day...
2:32 PM. On the drive to Marion I kept my eye out for the Stone Arch Bridge, and soon was driving on a small gravel road that went through what once was the town of Clements. Constructed in 1887 from native limestone, the Stone Arch Bridge is now closed, but accessible to the curious...
2:34 PM. I took this shot looking west over the bridge as the sun tried to burn through the cloud cover...
2:38 PM. Heading back to the highway I saw this old store (house?), and what caught my eye was the decorative tin panels nailed to the front and how they reflected the afternoon light...
5:10 PM. As the sun faded I left Marion and headed back towards Newton, driving down Old Highway 77 which eventually turns into Sunflower Road, then intersects with Highway 50. Not far outside of Marion I saw this old barn, bathed in the light from the setting sun...
5:23 PM. Near the intersection with Highway 50 the sky caught fire over the field of hay bales...
And the next morning I was headed back home to Santa Fe. A quick trip, and I passed up a lot of photo opportunities because I had to be somewhere by a certain time, but I still managed to get a little photo work on the way. Next time I go home to visit I'll be sure to go at a slower pace, so I stop and explore and soak in the beauty of the Great Plains...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 camera body and Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens
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