We had planned to see Greg just before going to see Steve's dad, but with Gene's health and passing we drove straight to Waterloo. Friends were such a big part of our support during a difficult time that we decided to go back to Kansas to see Steve's old friend, Greg. Originally we had only planned to stay a couple of days, but we ended up hanging out with Greg for the better part of a whole week! Steve and Greg picked right up like it hadn't been 35+ years since they'd seen each other.
We took two days to drive from Waterloo to McPherson. We stopped for the night in St. Joseph Missouri and got to see the Pony Express Monument downtown at sunset. There is actually lots there we would have liked to see, but we got settled in too late in the day to see museums. It was Labor Day too, so we weren't sure if museums had been open or not.
St. Joseph Missouri 4 Sep 2023
St. Joseph Missouri 4 Sep 2023
We tried to fill up our fresh water tank before getting to Greg's, but had no luck in McPherson. We back-tracked a little to the town of Galva, where Steve was told we could possibly fill up at the town's water tower. We drove there...remember with our fifth wheel in tow, and we saw no way to get water from the water tower. However, we saw a gentleman arriving at his house near Galva's water tower, so we stopped to ask him if we could get water from the tower and how. Well, this gentleman graciously offered for us to use the faucet at his personal residence to fill our tank. It turned out that we had happened upon the town of Galva's Water Commissioner, Dave! Dave and Steve sat on Dave's front porch while water filled our tank, and we learned that Dave and his wife are also RV campers. This was sort of a surreal, yet heart warming experience in Galva, Kansas. Thanks to Dave for showing us such hospitality.
While at Greg's, he grilled steaks, smoked ribs, and made awesome salsa, and jalapeno poppers, with peppers, onions and tomatoes grown in his garden! Greg is an excellent cook! Greg is also quite the handy man. He helped Steve to service our air conditioners on the roof and to install a new bed lift kit for our under bed storage. We had replaced our mattress while in Waterloo and the new one is heavier, so the lifts needed to be replaced with beefier ones. We do love our new mattress! Especially Anita, who has had no more waking up with hip pain!
We saw this combine harvesting field corn on one of our walks near Greg's house September 2023
Greg had to go into work on Saturday, so our plan to go to church together didn't happen. Steve and Anita went alone to St. Joseph's Catholic church in McPherson Kansas.
Greg's work truck September 2023
Our spot at Greg's September 2023
St. Joseph's Catholic Church McPherson Kansas 9 Sep 2023
St. Joseph's Catholic Church McPherson Kansas 9 Sep 2023
We attended the Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast at Greg's church (St. Joseph's) on the Sunday (10th) before we left. That day, we also attended the Kansas State Fair at Hutchinson, KS. Anita has only been to three states' state fairs (Delaware, Montana and Kansas), but hands down thinks Kansas has the best state fair! The whole atmosphere was just more at ease with tons of interesting exhibits, plus all the fair rides and fair junk food. We didn't eat fair junk food. Sunday was ONEOK day at the state fair. Greg's company, ONEOK had a nice spread of food for ONEOK employees and their families. Greg graciously took us there and we got to eat nice catered food.
As with other state fairs, there were 4-H animals like cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits, geese, etc, but this was the first state fair where we saw a Birthing Center! Actual births were due that day for one hog and one cow! We saw little lambs (about the size of a cat) that were newborns and there were other hogs and cows with due dates during the state fair dates.
Kansas State Fair Hutchinson Kansas 10 Sep 2023
Kansas State Fair Hutchinson Kansas 10 Sep 2023
Kansas State Fair Hutchinson Kansas 10 Sep 2023
The morning we were leaving, Greg's outdoor one-ear cat, "Knucklehead" cozied up
As we left McPherson, we had no reservations anywhere for a couple of weeks. We planned to be nomads for a few days and it was actually fun to think about! We just planned to go back to Waterloo toward the end of September to see if sister Janice needs help with anything, and then we'll get back on "schedule".
We pulled in to Wilson State Park on 11 Sep 2023. There were a few campsites available, so we paid for two nights and drove around to find one. We decided on Site #79 in the Big Blue Stem section and what a wonderful site it was! We had water views all around and a nice fire pit right by the water. We'd definitely stay there again.
Lake Wilson September 2023
Out on our walk at Wilson State Park September 2023
Out on our walk at Wilson State Park September 2023
Out on our walk at Wilson State Park September 2023
Our Site #79 at Wilson State Park September 2023
Out on our walk at Wilson State Park September 2023
View from our back window at Wilson State Park September 2023
View from our campsite at Wilson State Park September 2023
Our first full day at Wilson State Park, we went for a walk around the park (at least part of it) for about an hour and then we headed out to Salina KS for an oil change and tire rotation. Since that whole day got taken with maintenance things, we decided to stay another night to see Bunker Hill and Victoria, KS.
Bunker Hill Kansas 13 Sep 2023
Bunker Hill Kansas 13 Sep 2023
Back when Steve lived in Kansas over 35 years ago, this was the site of Bunker Hill Cafe, owned by a buddy of his who was a postman, but also ran a restaurant. That friend has since passed, but Steve has good memories of Tommy Taggert.
Bunker Hill Kansas 13 Sep 2023
Bunker Hill Kansas 13 Sep 2023
Greg had told us about St. Fidelis Church the Cathedral of the Plains in Victoria. So that I don't get anything wrong about the church, I've copied text from the church's website:
The "Cathedral of the Plains" is Saint Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria, Kansas. It has seating for 1,100 people, which, at the time of it's dedication in 1911, made it the largest church west of the Mississippi River. The church is 220 feet long, 110 feet wide at the transepts and 75 feet at the nave. Its ceiling is 44 feet above the ground and the towers are 141 feet tall.
Since St. Fidelis Catholic Church is not the seat for a bishop, it is not a Cathedral. It received its nickname from William Jennings Bryan when he visited St. Fidelis in 1912.
After several years of petition, St. Fidelis Church was declared a minor basilica as of February 21, 2014. The Cathedral of the Plains is the first basilica in Kansas and the 78th in the United States. The church now displays a tintinnabulum (bell) and an ombrellino (umbrella) in the sanctuary as symbols of the basilica's link to the pope. The official name is now The Basilica of St. Fidelis, but most people continue to call it the Cathedral of the Plains.
Three previous churches served the community of predominately German immigrants, but the present church was begun in 1908 and completed in 1911. The exterior is constructed of large native limestone blocks weighing from 50 to 100 pounds each.
The Romanesque design church contains German windows & works of art, Austrian hand carved stations of the cross, and Italian marble altar. The church is open to the public (free) from dawn to dusk and an audio tour is available. Stop by early on a Friday evening and you may be treated to the sounds of the Saint Fidelis organist rehearsing.
Sunday Masses are celebrated in St. Fidelis Church at 5PM on Saturday and 10:00AM on Sundays. Daily Mass is celebrated at 7PM on Monday and 6:45AM on the other weekdays.
Eight Wonders of Kansas
In 2007, the Kansas Sampler Foundation selected the Cathedral of the Plains as one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas.
Victoria Kansas 13 Sep 2023
Victoria Kansas 13 Sep 2023
Victoria Kansas 13 Sep 2023
Victoria Kansas 13 Sep 2023
Victoria Kansas 13 Sep 2023
Inside the church 13 Sep 2023
Inside the church 13 Sep 2023
Inside the church 13 Sep 2023
Inside the church 13 Sep 2023
Inside the church 13 Sep 2023
Statue across the street on corner
Below Statue across the street on corner
Statue across the side street from church
Victoria Kansas 13 Sep 2023
View from breakfast table 13 Sep 2023
From our campsite
Sunset
Sunset from our back window one night
Our last evening at Wilson State Park 13 Sep 2023
We've had a great time in Kansas, first at Greg's place and then at Wilson State Park! Tomorrow (14 Sep 2023) we're heading to Nebraska for three nights. We have no reservations, but we're headed to Kearney, NE.
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