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Borrego Springs, CA

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Seeing more of Kansas than I planned on today.

My trick of setting the clocks ahead an hour last night worked out pretty well.  Emma had her first outs in the pitch dark, but I was on the road by 9:00, Central time, and passed into that time zone within 10 miles of leaving the campground.  I usually try to leave about 9:00 to avoid any early morning rush hour traffic…of which there is none in Goodland, KS.  :)

Anyway, I planned to drive about 240 miles today and end up just South of Salina, KS, on I-135.  It was a good plan, but it just didn’t work out that way.  As I got off the interstate to head for my destination campground, I began to wonder.  The last mile and a half was down an incredibly dusty and washboard like road.  Once I got to this Passport America campground, I couldn’t find any sites.  It looked crammed full of seasonal rigs, and I didn’t see any of the advertised pull through sites for any sized rig.  There also wasn’t any office to check in with.  It was also pretty seedy looking, so I turned around and made my way out via the nasty dirt road. 

I hopped back on I-135 and began to formulate plan B.  I stopped at the next rest area, and scanned through my Trailer Life Campground book.  There’s not much to choose from in this part of Kansas.  :(   By the time I finally pulled off of the road, it was after 4:00, and I’m only ten miles from Wichita.  320 miles is more than I like to do in a day when I have several more days of traveling to do, but I didn’t have much choice.  I did call ahead to be sure there was a site available, and there was, but the owners were on the road traveling back from a funeral in Missouri.  At least my call went through to their cell phone.  By the time I got set up, made dinner, and took Emma out for some exercise, the light was about gone.  No bird or other pics tonight of my location. 
IMG_6347I did find a bunch of these things on the ground under the trees across from my site.  I can’t remember the name of them.  They are about 3-5” in diameter, and I seem to remember that they are good for keeping spiders out of your rig.  They don’t grow up North, but I remember seeing them in Arkansas.  Can any of my Southern friends enlighten me?  Spiders give me the willies', and if they work, I could pick up a year’s supply of them before I leave in the morning.  :)  Let me know quickly if you know if this is true.

Here’s another thing that has been nagging at my mind recently… should you capitalize the directions; North, South, East or West, or is lower case acceptable?  My mind goes unusual places when driving for many miles with no one to talk to.  :)

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

24 comments:

  1. We've been in that same position where we've pulled into a campground for an overnighter & just kept right on rolling right back up onto the road again & kept going. Got tangled up one time near Rifle Colorado & had to unhitch the car just to get turned around to get out of the darned place. Watch out for those big Kansas crosswinds....they wrecked up our awning one time traveling west on I-10 near Salina. I think there must have been a UFO crash near your park because those two green things look like Alien head brains!!

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  2. lol Judy I just googled that question and it is very complicated. I suggest you do that too it is very hard to explain. A very good question though

    Brenda Brown

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  3. Hi Judy, I think those are the fruit of the Osage Orange tree. And yes, folklore has it that they help repel insects. It's funny how your last several days of travel have been almost exactly what I was doing about 3 weeks ago: down the west side of Idaho, across Wyoming, across Kansas. Happy trails! Deanna

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  4. I wonder if they are osage orange?

    Sometimes I capitalize and sometimes Idon't. So far I've eluded the attentions of the Spelling & Capitalization Police, but you never know when they are lurking!

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  5. Capitalize directions only if they stand for a specific region, such as, "The War Between the States took the South down a bitter path." If
    you are only talking about traveling south (or any other direction), don't use a cap.

    Emjay

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  6. Don't you talk to Emma? I'm sure she would have wonderful words of wisdom for you as you drive 320 miles in one day! We've found several of those Passport America parks that were pretty sad to say the least. And we too have driven on after taking a look at them. Hope you don't have to drive so far tomorrow.

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  7. Those are genuine Kansas hedge apples!!!! At least, that's what we called them! We know the route you took down to Wichita well. (Frankly, you didn't miss much!) Safe travels!!!!

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  8. That's a lot of miles to travel in one day. I hope tomorrow will be a shorter day for you. I have never seen fruit like that but I googled it, so thanks for making me learn something ☺

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  9. Osage Oranges is what they are. And, they do grow in Illinois. I've seen 'em with my own eyes as a kid in the south Chicago suburbs.

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  10. I haven't have time to catch up with your archives to learn more about your past advantures, but I have to say you're one brave lady to travel with just a dog (sorry Emma!). I will be very worry if I have no idea where I'll be spending the night at!

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  11. If that was me?..travelling alone?..you aren't alone..Emma will listen..she may not talk back but she would turn her head and pretend to listen..unlike a husband who would just turn up the radio??...lol..safe travels to you as continue on your journey South?

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  12. Hate it when you plan on stopping someplace and find out it is a dump. Glad you made it to your final stop before dark.

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  13. Having been raised on a farm near Wichita those items in question are know as Hedge Apples. They are big enough for good throwing and heavy enough to do some damage if you're lucky enough to hit the target.

    If you will be traveling I-35 through Austin and have the time we would like to say hello in person.

    Mac & Dianna

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  14. Those were always called Hedge Apples, but I think are actually Osage Oranges or that is the name of the tree they grow on. The old timers always used them to keep the bugs at bay. When we stayed in central Ill. this summer, they were everywhere. Stay safe..

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  15. Welcome to Kansas. You have arrived a little late for great scenic views, but there are some in the flint hills and about 150 miles east closer to the Missouri border.Those are genuine hedge apples. They seem to put out an faint aroma that keeps insects away. For years there has been a few in the basement to keep the little critters away. Not the same ones, new ones every year. They decay in a few months.

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  16. Tennessee also has those Hedge Apples (or is it hedge apples). They are a real nuisance when you need to mow the lawn - first you have to remove all of them.

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  17. Just in case you don't already know about it, rvparkreviews.com can be a great help in weeding out the creepy RV parks before you drive down the dirt road! I hate it when that happens... especially when it is a LONG way to the next possibility. Safe travels!

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  18. ahAH Kansas! Yup, Hedge Apples, Osage Orange everyone has it correct... the hubster puts some in our garages every fall to keep mice out, he says. I've seen them dried and made into crafts also; doll heads and flowers.

    I was kind of hoping you were going to make a stop over at Quivera, but doesn't sound like it now. Onward to "Okra"homa today!

    Travel safe!!!

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  19. The hedge apples, aka Osage Oranges, repel insects, and I have seen them in the western suburbs of Chicago--Northlake to be exact. In the warmer climes, they can be used to grow into a living hedge or fence for animal control. With specific pruning and laying the canes into the ground, they make an effective and dense shrub fence. Left alone they are a small tree. You can capitalize the directionals when referring to a place--The Old West, out East, down South. When you travel south to Texas, it is not capitalized. I am so happy to be able to post something of value!

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  20. Yep..Hedge Apples is what they are. We have them here in Illinois too. Actually, the "crafty" people slice them, bake them and make wreaths out of the slices. I tried it once in my "craftier" days. They make a nice unique wreath if you can stand the smell of them baking.
    You traveled a long ways in one day. That is about as far as we like to go too. Be safe, above all!!!!!

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  21. Comment #21. In Texas they were called hedge apples. Didn't know about keeping away the spiders.

    Can you take a day off to rest? Can you stop overnight in a rest area if you are tired?

    Take care dear friend.

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  22. Judy, I enjoyed seeing the Osage orange fruit. Grandma used to have several of these trees. Us grandkids drove her crazy messing with them, hauling them around, throwing them. Thanks for bringing back those memories.

    I had always heard that they made good mouse repellant so I did some Bing work. One site said,
    "Research at Iowa State University has shown that there are chemical compounds in the fruit that repel cockroaches, although the fruit itself does not. One method that definitely works is to pick up the hedge apple and smash the offending bug with it. That is a sure thing!"

    Hedge apples have their own website, www.hedgeapple.com

    I do enjoy your blog. LG

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  23. OOPS! Just posted as Brittany. . . guess my daughter was signed into Google on my PC. I'm LG.

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  24. I am glad you play it safe and listen to your gut on places that aren't too safe. Especially when anyone travels alone, whether they are male or female. And having a dog along too is a good thing. Whew on a lot of driving in one day, but you are settled in and a bit closer than you planned to be, so does that mean less driving tomorrow?


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    (Our Blog) RVing: Small House... BIG Backyard
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