# I was looking at a map of Kansas ... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 9, 2003, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004 "2003-08-09T07:57:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/21 "2003-08-10T11:49:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AmishBlue \* > \*\* other places like the Flint Hills are to me, absolutely wonderful. Also, the sunsets can be pretty spectacular, \*\* Yes! I saw the most **SPECTACULAR** sunset I’ve ever seen while driving through the Flint Hills in Kansas. I’ve seen hundreds of great sunrises and sunsets all over the country. I’ve seen thousands more pictures of great sunrises and sunsets all over the world (I’m a sunrise/sunset junkie). None of them even came close to this one. I-35 at this point was a parking lot, because just about everybody pulled over and stopped, got out of their cars, sat on their hoods or trunks, or stood and stared until the colors faded and it got too dark to see. I didn’t see anybody taking pictures, and I didn’t have a camera either. It wouldn’t have been the same, anyway. If I could describe it in a way that would do it justice, I would, but I can’t, so I won’t. It was one of those you-really-had-to-be-there moments in time. I was born and raised in the fairly pretty and sometimes hilly northeast Kansas (Leavenworth/Lansing) area but I don’t miss it at all. Lots of bad things happened to me in Kansas, so while I have a knee-jerk native’s reaction to defend it in threads like this, I really have little love for the state. I wouldn’t want to go back and live there unless I had no choice whatsoever (and even then, I’d live in Kansas City, Missouri). I love Chicago too much to leave anyway. It feels safer to me too, strange to say. The Flint Hills are hauntingly beautiful though. Lawrence is cool too. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/22 "2003-08-10T13:37:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fern Forest \* > \*\*Did you ever read about the harrying climb to the top of [Mt. Sunflower](http://www.dimensional.com/~jbettin/air/ks000.htm)? > > Oh boy, I’m going to have nightmares tonight. \*\* Am I reading that topo map right? I’m seeing that the elevation change is 39 feet. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/23 "2003-08-10T15:28:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by asterion \* > \*\*Am I reading that topo map right? I’m seeing that the elevation change is 39 feet. \*\* No, it’s about 120 feet from the Base Camp (3920 feet) to the summit (4039 feet). I love the named “features” that these clowns added to the map! The “Leigh-Mallory Coulloir,” indeed! ---
**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/24 "2003-08-10T15:35:14Z")
**Marlitharn** Do not make fun of the corn maze! It’s a blast at night if you get a bunch of people! I was actually just there 2 nights ago. Kansas is so cool, not so much for the atmosphere I guess, but the people here are lovely, among the nicest you’ll meet. ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/25 "2003-08-10T15:50:21Z")
Fern Forest, thank you for the Mt Sunflower link. A sense of humor is a wonderful thing. ---
**Author:** ![AmishBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@AmishBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmishBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/26 "2003-08-10T18:55:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Satisfying Andy Licious \* > \*\* > So, how does one get to the bottom of the world’s largest hand-dug well, and what do you do when you’re down there? \*\* Well, let’s see. It’s been right nigh long about 25-30 years since I’ve been there, but I seem to recall a rickety wooden spiral staircase that was used to get to the bottom. And once there, about the only thing to do was to, of course, look up! I also seem to recall some sort of shop where you can buy postcards and souvenirs, but like I said it’s been so long that the memories are kinda fuzzy. I have lived in Michigan for the last 23 years, but in some ways I still think of Kansas as “home”. I hope to be able to live there again some day (maybe in retirement?). ---
**Author:** ![Infectious\_Lass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e56c9b/32.png) [@Infectious\_Lass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infectious_Lass)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/27 "2003-08-10T22:49:57Z")
I have a map of Kansas, and I have noticed that it is the only state where you can make an alphabet of town names that start with every letter, on account there is a town called Xenia for the awkward X part. But there is also a Xenia in Illinois, so you might be able to do it with that too. Other than this, I know absolutely nothing about Kansas, other than the fact that Kansas City is actually in Missouri, which is odd. (lets not mention the fact that I spent most of my childhood wondering why no one mentioned the state arkansas and what this mysterious place ‘arkensaw’ was 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![glilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/48db29/32.png) [@glilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glilly)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/28 "2003-08-11T03:56:54Z")
Hutchinson, KS, has the (IIRC) 3rd largest **space museum** in the country. Not bad if you happen to be nearby ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/29 "2003-08-11T04:08:56Z")
I’ll just reiterate **Anthracite** ’s thought: > [@](#): > > It’s a great place to live, even if people don’t want to visit here. It _can_ be great to live in a place that you like that _doesn’t_ attract tourists. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/30 "2003-08-11T04:20:40Z")
After about 37 hours of driving westbound through Kansas, we pretended the clouds on the horizon were the snow caps of the Rockies. The mind does strange things in Kansas… ---
**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/31 "2003-08-11T04:43:01Z")
**Ruby** , I feel for you, I really do. Western Kansas is _desolate_. ---
**Author:** ![Slartibartfastt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5e9695/32.png) [@Slartibartfastt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slartibartfastt)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/32 "2003-08-11T05:05:27Z")
How about some ugly round spheres of Dakota sandstone, they can be found at Rock City. [http://www.naturalkansas.org/rockcity.htm](http://www.naturalkansas.org/rockcity.htm) [http://www.washburn.edu/cas/art/cyoho/archive/KStravel/rockcity/](http://www.washburn.edu/cas/art/cyoho/archive/KStravel/rockcity/) ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/33 "2003-08-11T06:35:26Z")
I’ve been wanting to know, how far east can you go and still see Pike’s Peak? I’d like to know if my inagination also got the best of me. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/34 "2003-08-11T12:49:29Z")
\*\* > [@](#): > > Other than this, I know absolutely nothing about Kansas, other than the fact that Kansas City is actually in Missouri, which is odd. > > (lets not mention the fact that I spent most of my childhood wondering why no one mentioned the state arkansas and what this mysterious place ‘arkensaw’ was 😉 ) \*\* Ahh but Arkansas City is in Kansas and pronounced are kansas. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/35 "2003-08-11T13:37:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by picunurse \* > \*\*Ahh but Arkansas City is in Kansas and pronounced are kansas. 🙂 \*\* It certainly is. My mother grew up there, and we used to go out there for Christmas every year when I was growing up. My uncle still runs a pawnshop there. I remember that it could be (and usually was) bitterly cold at Christmas, and it was hot as blazes the few times I was out there in the summer. I’m sure it’s a nice place to live if you’re into that, but I’d just as soon give it a pass. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/36 "2003-08-11T15:46:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Infectious Lass \* > **Other than this, I know absolutely nothing about Kansas, other than the fact that Kansas City is actually in Missouri, which is odd.** I’m surprised no one else has corrected this, but… Kansas City is on the Kansas/Missouri border. It’s basically one city with the Missouri River flowing through it, but since the river is the state line, there are technically two adjacent cities, both called Kansas City: one in Missouri and one in Kansas. So Kansas City is in Kansas. The other (much larger) Kansas City is in Missouri. ---
**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/37 "2003-08-11T16:55:02Z")
My mother grew up in Kansas, all us kids grew up in Georgia. One year, we all headed out to Kansas for a family reunion. Mom warned us kids - “It’s awfully flat out there!” Yeah, right mom. So we get there, and there is nothing but horizon as far as the eye can see. What do you call reverse claustrophobia? It was like that. I felt so…exposed. A couple of years later, the Kansas relatives came to Georgia. Their remark? :My God, I didn’t realize you lived in the mountains! ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/38 "2003-08-11T17:45:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jackelope \* > \*\*I’m surprised no one else has corrected this, but… > > Kansas City is on the Kansas/Missouri border. It’s basically one city with the Missouri River flowing through it, but since the river is the state line, there are technically two adjacent cities, both called Kansas City: one in Missouri and one in Kansas. > > So Kansas City is in Kansas. The other (much larger) Kansas City is in Missouri. \*\* It’s not basically one city - they have completely different governments, laws, taxes, and cultures. They do border each other across the river, but they still have a very different character. People also forget about North Kansas City, which borders KCMO, and is a separate entity: [http://www.nkc.org/](http://www.nkc.org/) ---
**Author:** ![greck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ab992/32.png) [@greck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greck)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/39 "2003-08-11T18:07:31Z")
“here is neither north nor south nor east nor west, here is nowhere at all.” I think that’s from the wizard of oz, or maybe just from a book called “was” by Geoffrey something -good book, about how a farm girl from kansas named dorothy gale might really have had it. Anyway, I live in KC, and that’s exactly how I’ve felt about it since I moved here 3 years ago. But now that the royals are winning… ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004/40 "2003-08-11T18:19:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Infectious Lass \* > \*\*I have a map of Kansas, and I have noticed that it is the only state where you can make an alphabet of town names that start with every letter, on account there is a town called Xenia for the awkward X part. > > But there is also a Xenia in Illinois, so you might be able to do it with that too. > \*\* There is a Xenia, Ohio, which was once almost wiped out by a tornado. Ohio has a Zanesville, so that takes care of another pesky letter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-looking-at-a-map-of-kansas/194004.md?page=3)