Dodge City (KS). 
This stop was all John’s idea, and I’m not going to let him forget it. Here is a town whose time has come and gone. But, it’s gone – no question about that. We finally found a place that we have visited, and can scratch from our list. I’m not coming back.
Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Gunsmoke – it all sounds like fun, doesn’t it? 
We headed off in the morning on our bikes, after it finally warmed up a bit. It’s windy out here, and so dry. Makes the wind feel like it’s blowing right through you. Our first stop was Boot Hill, a museum, and reconstructed gunslinger town.
There was only us, and two other old, tired couples there. The famous Long Branch Saloon? Empty! The General Store? Empty! Old bank, church, school, gun museum? You know the answer. The “cemetery” has a few fake wooden headstones, but even they’re not the real deal.
There are a few nice metal lamppost ornaments depicting the town. Each was different – these were pretty nice.
Here’s an odd combination. Of course, it was closed….
We cycled out to the very edge of town to the feedlot overlook – a view of many thousands of cattle who eventually will take their last walk across the street to the processing plant. One Texas Longhorn steer gave me a glance, but he was a distance off, and it was blowing so hard I couldn’t hold my camera steady enough to get a shot of him. They are pretty impressive to see. Dodge City has a history with cattle – during the 1870s and 1880s, over seven million steers came this way in the days of the big cattle roundups.
I did like these old brick sidewalks.
That’s about it. We didn’t see a house or any building that looked like it had been built within the last 30 years. Maybe it would be more fun here when there are lots of tourists, and gunfight re-enactments in the street. Sassy bar girls. Gamblers. Cowboys. But, we won’t be back to find out.
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Well, if you can’t find something fascinating in a place, it must be beyond boring.
Your header photo is moving. Fireball looks lost and lonely to me. Such vastness.
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Maybe I’m just a jaded old snob, but DC left me cold.
The plains are so vast…. loved this photo because we were the only people at a National Monument (and again at Capulin). When that happens, I always feel special.
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Dodge City is deadly boring.
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Nice to know that you got suckered into it, too.
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Sorry we didn’t warn you either – it was painful! Jay’s idea. And passing the stockyards turned me into a hardcore vegetarian!
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That was a very grim part. John and I need to eat more responsibly. Its a good lesson.
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Thanks for all the pictures again, wish I could be there.
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You’ll probably get back this way again,but skip Dodge City along the way.
Take care and enjoy that new bike. Make Carolyn give you your own Time Trial category.
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Oh, I wish I would have known you were going there and I would have warned you to stay away. There’s so much more to see in Kansas than that tried old tourist trap.
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Hopefully because you were in the area you stopped at the Big Well in Greensburg?
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Crap! No, we didn’t see that. Next year, we consult.
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I have loved your Kansas photos, but none of those spots are going to make this year’s expedition. We got the hell outta there, and are now in (surprisingly beautiful) Oklahoma.
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Sorry it turned out to be a dud. Of course, you’ll never know unless you go. I’ve been to some duds myself – here’s one of our more recent ones – Locke, CA. http://wineandhistory.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/california-marathon-road-trip-the-california-delta/
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Had to laugh while reading your post. Guess everywhere can’t be Zion NP or San Francisco. Your photos were wonderful.
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Well, thank you! Yep, there is that part of travel that is long, boring, and not all that spectacular. But we do it anyway, to get to the cool places!
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Well, give John a break, you don’t know until you get somewhere what you may or may not find. Besides, it’s all good, right?
This reminds me of my stop in Cody, Wyoming, looking for the “real” west. We stopped in at the most realistic looking cowboy bar, and the only other patrons were two chaps from New Zealand who had also stopped in to find the “real” west. Turned out to be a great afternoon though, I learned a lot about New Zealand, a place that I would love to visit one day.
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When we were planning our trip, John originally wanted to spend 3 nights in Dodge, so that we could be sure to see everything. We laughed about that this morning, and decided that we were happy to have had our NM snow delay, so that we didn’t see everything in the first couple of hours.
Do plan a trip to New Zealand. A girlfriend and I went about 12 years ago, and spent 3 weeks cycling on the South Island. I have never been treated as kindly as a tourist anywhere in my life. It’s unique.
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