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Showing posts from July 28, 2013

Fredonia, KS: A Desert in the Oasis

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©2013 Text & Photos by LeeZard Tuesday July 30 Dodge City to Fredonia, KS The 240-mile drive from Dodge City to Fredonia, KS is straightforward, very straightforward. Except for a few gentle curves, U.S. Rt. 400 is a straight shot across the flat terrain of Kansas. Cornfields and small towns whiz by while the skyline is dotted with freight elevators A Gigantic American Flag Overlooks Fredonia From One of the Few Hills in Kansas If you’re a film buff or a Marx Brothers fan, Fredonia is Duck Soup. If you’re a geography pundit, Fredonia is any number of small towns across America. If you live in southeast Kansas, Fredonia is an economic desert in the middle of an oasis. About 97 miles east of Wichita, Fredonia is enough off the beaten path that the recession almost passed it by. Unfortunately, almost is the key word; the recession changed its mind and came back with a vengeance starting about two years ago. Its location a few miles south of U.S. 400 works aga

Gettin' the Heck Into Dodge

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©2013 Text and Photos by LeeZard NOTE: FOR MORE HISTORIC DODGE CITY PHOTOs, PLEASE VISIT MY FACEBOOK PAGE:  Link to Photos Saturday July 27 Pueblo, CO to Dodge City, KS I leave the hot high desert of Pueblo after an enlightening and enjoyable week in Colorado. Last night I slept on a bed of gravel in Lake Pueblo State Park; that’s all they have there except for the rugged prickly d esert floor. Gravel is still better than baby cacti. Unfortunately, I lost the function of my self-inflating air mattress so it was a restless, sleepless night and I am moving slowly. Nonetheless, it is time to leave Colorado. I gathered some terrific stories here and enjoyed time with dear family and friends. I still love this state, might have to settle here one day. Now it’s back to business. Young Corn I am driving east on U.S. 50, paralleling and crisscrossing the Arkansas River rather than super-speeding along I-70 to the north. It doesn’t take very long to reach the vast w