Surprising Topeka
We needed to go to Topeka Kansas to meet with our financial advisor (our spiritual advisor has already given up on us and this was our last hope) so off we went, skipping down the yellow brick road with hope in our hearts and our shoe box of receipts tucked under our arms. We left from Burns, Wyoming and the trip took us through Nebraska on the Interstate 80, mind numbingly boring and flat, then we dropped down into Kansas taking smaller back roads. The scenery changed from the dry flat plains of Nebraska to soft undulating waves of maize and small groves of apple trees. We found ourselves on the ” Road to Oz” and the Oz museum popped in to view. Still looking for the wizard we continued on to the big city.
Topeka surprised me, I don’t know quite what I expected, but I didn’t expect it to be so green or to find the wide tree lined streets and well kept neighborhoods. In fact Topeka wasn’t even flat. After business was taken care of and with a delightful guide we took a stroll in one of the beautifully groomed parks. A short drive took us to a huge lake encircled by a popular walking path. The low sun brightened the sweeping green lawns, huge old trees, and the bright flowers of the gardens. Loving landscaped by volunteers, we stopped to enjoy the surroundings. Dinner deserved 4 stars for the company and the unusual mixture of grilled chicken and Kobe beef burnt ends. Accompanied by a tasty chutney and spicy BBQ sauce it was delicious. Our memories of Topeka will be of generous hospitality and surprising scenery.
The journey back to Burns was a little more eventful. I tried to design a route that would keep us off the interstate without adding too much time to our trip. We passed through some interesting small towns and strange scarecrows. We were making good time when an over zealous young cop pulled us over for speeding. We had been on roads that were all 65mph and staying close to the speed limit. He was lurking on the only one that was 60mph. Joe tried his “get out of jail free” card, but apparently they are not accepted in Kansas so with a $116 ticket we moved on at a greatly reduced pace, being passed by farm tractors and various agricultural implements.
P.S. We found the wizard, still missing the brains, but we have a plan.
The Traveling Kiwi 
Isn’t your accountant the guy who was here for Rotary one year? He’s great! Stay safe!
LikeLike