Water Sports Campground-Dodge City, KS

There must be water here at some point but the lake next to the campground is totally dry!  Total miles after a bit of site seeing today: 4,207.  The first place we went was the Boot Hill Museum.  It is very well done for the topic matter. They have replicated Front Street and still have some of the original items used in the 1800’s, such as cash register, furnishings, clothing, etc. The museum interprets life in the 19th century through audio-visual, exhibits, and a reconstruction of Dodge City in 1876, Old West restorations and history demonstrations (during summer months). One steps back into the 1870's as you walk down the boardwalk of Front Street at Boot Hill.  This is located on the original site of Boot Hill Cemetery in downtown Dodge City. It took a couple hours to visit. If it were not off-season I suppose one could spend the better part of the day there seeing some of the performances they put on and eating period food as well.  There were only a few people visiting today.  The piano player in the Long Branch Saloon asked where we were from.  He played “California Here I Come” for us and said he rarely gets to play that tune.  They even had a small Gunsmoke exhibit and a couple other TV shows that were based on the real life of Dodge City so long ago. 

We were hungry by then and decided we would go to the Boot Hill Casino just out of town for lunch.  We saw Prime Rib advertised and couldn’t resist.  Unfortunately, the Prime Rib is NOT today.  However, we had a nice buffet lunch.  The hostess suggested we get a “players card” for the casino because we would save $2. on lunch.  We did so, and with it got a $10. credit if you spent $1. first on a machine or other form of gambling.  We did so… I guess you have not heard about the BIG win… because there was none! The casinos here are owned by the state, unlike CA where they are owned by the Native Americans.

On we went to the Santa Fe Trail Historical site. I should mention it was very windy today, from what we have heard and read, it is windy much of the time.  It is lovely as the wind bends the grasses of the plains nonstop.  Nevertheless we venture out onto the plains and see they sort of gullies left by the thousands of wagons that have passed over these plains in years gone by.  If you look past the walkway in the middle of the photo you can see the gullies the wagons formed.  There isn’t just one trail as the wagons would move over to new land when the trails got too muddy. We hoped to see the ruts that wagon wheels made, but perhaps we will further along our travels back. 

After today’s little adventures it was time to do our housekeeping and laundry.  For those of you who asked about my Mom, she is doing better today and the pneumonia is clearing up.  She hopes to go home in a few days.  Thank you for your prayers.