This morning at 0941 hrs we pulled out of the KOA campground in Lawrence KS and headed westbound on I-70, 54 miles of which have been dedicated in 2004 as the US Submarine Veteran's Memorial Highway. A mile for each of the 52 submarines lost during WWII including the THRESHER and SCORPION lost during the Cold War. The submarine service - the "silent service".
It was cold and very blustery today. I am glad I tended to the tanks and hoses last night. After about 25 miles at Topeka we headed SW on I-335.
The scenery along this route is tallgrass prairielands called the "Flint Hills". Everything is still quite brown yet, but as Spring leads into Summer the area explodes into beautiful greens. This unique tallgrass prairie ecosystem is found in central North America centered on Kansas and northern Oklahoma. The Flint Hills is a shallow soil area with layers of limestone and shale rocks not far underneath. Naturally occurring prairie fires and cycles of drought meant only the hardiest plants and animals evolved to survive in the Flint Hills.
As we continued our journey to Wichita, the winds continued to be fierce. Even with the dually pickup which is very sure-footed, I seriously thought about pulling over. We did stop for a pottie break at an overlook and we had difficulty even getting the doors of the truck and the RV open it was blowing so hard! Liberty wanted no part of this!
About 1243 hrs, 163 miles down the road we arrived at McConnell Air Force Base, our home for the next two nights. The FamCamp here is called the Krueger Rec Area. This is stop #3 on this year's adventure!
We've stayed here several times. The sites are full hookup, level and overlook a fishing pond. This area used to be part of a golf course but was converted to camping several years ago. The host wing here at McConnell Air Force Base is the 22d Air Refueling Wing flying the KC-135 tanker, with the 184th Wing (Air National Guard) and 931st Air Refueling Wing (Air Force Reserve) also flying KC-135's as primary tenants. McConnell AFB plays an integral role in the future of the USAF as it readies itself for the beddown of the KC-46A Pegasus, the next refueling platform. We also saw an F-16 fighter take off as we arrived. "Jet Noise. The Sound of Freedom!!"
Not unlike Lawrence, our stop here is just a two-nighter as we head south to Texas. Tomorrow we will reconnect with our military comrade and good friend John Kimball and his friend Jane for lunch. Will be great to catch up with them again!
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