Ohio Trip 2019: Part 8 - Roadside Rests
For the last day of driving on our Ohio Trip, we continued on US 36 until it crossed I-70 near Byers, Colorado. Along the way, we made some interesting, unplanned stops.
Just east of Lebanon, Kansas, Left Buddy (LB) made an impulse decision to stop at a historical marker to see what it was about. We have always meant to stop at some of those, but never have, so it was high time that we started now. The posted sign described the geographical center of the continental United States. However, the sign was not at the exact center, but next to the Sweet Home Cemetery from the late 1800’s.
The actual geological center was just a few miles away, so we ventured off to check it out. It was a nice little park, but definitely felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. There was a little chapel where visitors could sign a guest book. There were no bathrooms in the park, but there was a sign indicating that public restrooms were available in the town of Lebanon. We passed Lebanon on our way to the geological center, so that is where we went next.
Lebanon is a cute little town. A friendly gentleman in a pick up truck stopped to chat with us. He has lived in Lebanon all his life and gave us a little history of the town. In the city park, an old jail cell was on display. It was saved from its storage location in a local business when the building changed hands. An old vintage gas station now serves as the local visitor center. The city park was filled with local families, just finishing their Easter egg hunt.
Highway 36 follows a Pony Express route for a little while and we passed quite a few historical sites along the way. We did not stop at any of the Pony Express sites, but stopped at Station 15 of the Leavenworth and Pikes Peak Stagecoach Line for a picnic lunch in a small park in Norton, Kansas. There wasn’t a lot to see at Station 15, mainly a building with some windows through which you could peak inside and see the display depicting what it looked like years ago. A recording told some stories of the people who had passed through the station. The park included a picnic shelter where we ate our lunch and enjoyed a conversation with a couple from Boulder who were also having a picnic lunch on their way through town.
Our last stop was a rest area in Joes, Colorado. Normally a rest area is not something to write home about, but this one had a little path lined with eclectic art and sculptures along with an Armed Forces memorial. It was a great place to get out and stretch our legs with some interesting things to look at. Unfortunately, we don’t think it gets many visitors.