Day 2 – Saturday, August 7th
Our first day was to include a visit to the Museum of World Treasures in Wichita, Kansas, and end with an overnight stay in Augusta, Kansas. However, our navigator, Kedra, goofed and mapped us directly to the hotel. Once we figured we were headed in the wrong direction it was too late to venture back to the museum. So, we ended the day early but found another museum to visit early the next morning.
The mishap in passing our Wichita stop was not the first goof of the trip. Both parents only brought two shoes for the entire duration of the trip, however, only 1 parent actually packed a pair of matching shoes. After getting our room for the evening, our last stop on the first day was to buy a pair of matching shoes for Benjamin.
We started our second day at the Twisted Oz Motorcycle Museum, which was an unplanned treat and a welcomed addition to our summer adventure. The Twisted Oz housed over 160 vintage motorcycles neatly displayed in a man cave of dreams. All but a few of the motorcycles were operable and the collection included an award-winning coffin motorcycle, a couple of rotor engine motorcycles, and a gas-powered pogo stick. We are so glad the latter didn’t take off…pun intended.
We traveled further north in Kansas to add to the World’s Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, Kansas. Prior to arriving, we read that you can get a free piece of twine to add to the ball. Upon our arrival on Saturday afternoon, we snapped pictures and read about the ball on signage that said we could get twine from a shop called the “Belle of the Ball”.
We could not locate the Belle of the Ball anywhere so we entered the only shop that was opened to inquire about the twine. There we met the lovely proprietors, Matt and Julie, of the Eyegore Emporium, who bought the location and opened the shop in March 2021. They were glad to provide the proper sisal twine to add and to share their oddities shop with us, which consists of 50% real and 50% fake items. We enjoyed the shop just as much as adding our bit to the twine.
The shop owners informed us that we were just 20 minutes away from Lebanon, Kansas, which claim to fame is the geographic center of the contiguous 48 states. Sure there may be some controversy but it didn’t stop us from the photo-op…
Our last planned stop for the day was just across the Kansas-Nebraska border in Hebron, Nebraska. We sat a spell on the World’s Largest Covered Porch Swing. It was nice to get out and really stretch your legs on this 32-foot swing. The frame is made from a section of commercial irrigation equipment, which you can find throughout the farmlands we traversed, from Kansas to Iowa…so much corn.
We made a couple of other “necessary” stops, including stocking up the cooler just as the one grocery store was closing. Thankfully, the store clerk had a kind heart and allowed us to do some quick shopping. We also stopped for gas and happened upon what may be the world’s largest praying mantis hanging out on the gas pump. Our last “necessary” stop was at a rest stop for a potty break. That’s where we found this hoppy creature outside feasting on ants.
