I went to Lawrence, Kansas to a judges’ school on law and economics, held at the University of Kansas and paid for by the Koch brothers. Yes, they actually paid expenses for state court judges to attend a two-week seminar on law and economics hoping to influence outcomes in cases involving a wide range of corporate disputes. I question how successful their indoctrination program was, but the seminar was actually educational and well organized. Lawrence, Kansas turned out to be a delightful university town. My next entry describes the second week of the seminar which took place in Park City, Utah. In addition to my week in Lawrence, I returned to Kansas in 2014 on a road trip to another destination. You may be surprised to learn that I have only good things to say about Kansas.
Lawrence is a town known for its university and it is very much a college town. We stayed at the Eldridge Hotel in the historic downtown and were shuttled every day to the campus for our classes. The Eldridge was a wonderful historical spot. https://eldridgehotel.com/ The Eldridge Hotel rose from the ashes of the Civil War after the original hotel on the site was burned along with the rest of city when Quantrill’s Raiders passed through on their “campaign” against the Free State of Kansas. You might remember from your high school history class learning about “Bloody Kansas.” Over 150 people in the city of Lawrence were killed in one raid by Quantrill, not to mention the other bloodshed that occurred in the state during the period immediately before and during the war. Lawrence has changed since then.
In 1999 craft beers were not as popular as they are today. Yet my fond memories of Lawrence include time spent in downtown taverns drinking draft beer of local origin. I also enjoyed my daily walks every morning before heading to the university. Lawrence is very much a town of neighborhoods and walking the quiet residential streets on a June morning allowed me to see many interesting homes. Lawrence was an epicenter for the construction of craftsman style homes in the early 20th century. https://www2.ljworld.com/news/general-news/2021/may/22/historic-home-in-the-breezedale-neighborhood-blends-original-characteristics-with-functional-renovations/ The history of craftsman construction is an essential part of the history of the development of America and the American dream of home ownership. While we were in Lawrence another Maine judge and I took a roadtrip on the interstate west to the prairie. We wanted to see the tall prairie grass but unfortunately it was June and the grass had not matured to its full height so it was not the spectacle we anticipated. https://www.nps.gov/tapr/index.htm That does not mean that you should not visit the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. It is a fascinating place and you can learn about how in a single generation we completely destroyed a landscape by farming the land and putting in place the practices that resulted ultimately in the Dust Bowl of the Great Depression.
My second trip to Kansas came many years later in 2014 when I was traveling south to north across Kansas in mid-March on my way to view the Sandhill cranes in Nebraska. We saw some sites on that trip, including a spot which advertises itself as the geographic center of the 48 contiguous states. http://www.kansastravel.org/geographicalcenter.htm It was actually a lovely little roadside picnic stop way off the beaten path. It is sort iconic for a roadtripper to say they have been to the very heartland of the country, the dead center. We also happened upon the world’s largest ball of twine as we proceeded north on a secondary road. We didn’t plan on visiting the world’s largest ball of twine, it just happened. We drove into Cawker City and there it was in all its splendor. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/8543 Think how many people have never visited the world’s largest ball of twine, but happily waste their time in Orlando standing in a long queue waiting to get on some DIsney ride. I have only happy memories associated with my drive through Kansas and do not feel like I wasted a minute of my time.
I can’t leave Kansas without mentioning sunflowers. They are, after all, the state flower of Kansas. Mention Kansas and people automatically think of three things, sunflowers, The Wizard of Oz, and Bob Dole. Of those three I happen to be fondest of sunflowers. They are wonderful flowers always turning their faces to face the sun. They are a valuable crop providing seeds and oil for birds and humans. As I write this entry the war in Ukraine is raging and we are inundated with images of sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine. In appearance and purpose, as a breadbasket, Kansas is not unlike much of Ukraine. We can all be thankful for our good fortune that Bloody Kansas sees no bloodshed in the 21st century and remains a peaceful and interesting place to visit.
Memories - A Second Chance at Happiness 