The drive through “western Kansas” (eastern Colorado) was much longer than it looked on the map. It’s deceiving how big Colorado is, especially to us native Texans. It’s an okay drive with cell signal dipping in and out.
Crossing into Kansas meant a nicer highway (probably because it’s one of their only ones!), but some kind of putrid smell. We felt like we were driving through the bog of eternal stench.
And of course, it was windy. While that makes driving a Class A Motorhome challenging, it was nothing like the wind in the Texas panhandle or that in northern New Mexico. At least we got to see more wind farms. We had even less signal in flat Kansas than we did in the hills of eastern Colorado. I (L) just don’t understand why they can’t combine cell towers with power poles and reach a broader area.
Hays, KS was our destination. The little park we found is nice and neat with a few amenities. They are also adding some features like cabins and a small concert area. The town, however…
This stopover place is like if rural west Texas had a baby with its first cousin, my shitty hometown. Ringtones at full volume. Barefoot. Anti-maskers.
— theUcane (@theUcane) May 6, 2021
…and no, the guy we saw in the grocery store wasn’t actually barefoot, but his slides didn’t fit and it was gross just the same.
Speaking of grocery stores, HEB is one of the big things we’ll miss about Texas. In Colorado, their good store is King Soopers. It’s just Kroger. In Hays, it’s Dillion’s. Again, it’s just Kroger. I like marketing and advertising, so I pay attention to stuff like this. Why would Kroger spend so much money on branding the stores and all of their own products, but then have stores with so many other names? Just call them all Kroger. It’s not like they are trying to hide it. It makes no sense. HEB should buy them all and make them all HEBs!
Colorado (and Kansas so far) both have smarter/safer drivers. And to be fair (“to be fair, to be fair, to be fair…™ Letterkenny), so did Arkansas.
Denver/Colorado coolness: smarter/safer/nicer drivers, less/smaller churches (and no mega ones), good public transportation, cheap parking, mountain views.
— theUcane (@theUcane) May 3, 2021
They truly use the right lane(s) for driving and save the left for passing. It’s state law in all four states, but Texas doesn’t/won’t enforce it. It’s decidedly nicer and safer when everyone does this. You can see what’s coming better, everyone can easily shift over if there is a surge from an on ramp or if there is a cop/motorist pulled over (also a law). Everyone goes close to the speed limit and the faster drivers can easily get around. Others can see us better and are able to scoot past or let us in. It’s just profoundly better. I love Texas, but we do some things very wrong and highway driving is one of them.