I (heart) Concordia...

Old wagon in front of the camp ground. Someone made a postcard picture from this, unbeknownst to the owner.

The instructions I was given yesterday by the happy campground owner were just delightful. It got me off the 'duke it out with the big trucks and even worse the small red cars" interstate, and on to route 81. Still a speedy highway and 4 nice lanes and right smack through the little hills and valleys of Kansas ( Nebraska is FLAT Kansas has hills.. go figure). I also planned on not going to Dodge City until tomorrow, so I stopped early. More importantly, I stopped and perused Concordia, Kansas. It's my new WWJD (don't get excited, the J stands for Joyce, my friend in California who keeps insisting that I stop and smell the Concordias). From now on WWJD means SLOW DOWN (grin).

Concordia is the type of community in which I wish I had spent my childhood.. .. ..

just not in Kansas.

Downtown Concordia...

It was the only town of 'size' on 81, and was built around the 1880's or so. The downtown, which is respectable and doesn't appear to be dying, is composed mostly of old brick buildings, some of which have been painted delightful colors.

I love this building...you can see the care taken to enhance the old style. This was an antique shop... closed...

dang...

Out side of the main streets, which are few, are the houses. You can tell how the town developed by the size and location of the houses. Tree lined streets abound. This is true of all towns in the midwest, as they were founded along rivers and streams and places of water... very necessary. I don't know what kind of trees, but the leaves were still green and they were loaded with squirrels (and one very patient cat). On one side of the street, which rose above the other side on a very slight hill, you can tell the houses were built first. They are older, and more ornate. On the other side you can see the smaller more compact houses of later years.

delightful house!!


Coming into town I saw a HUGE structure that had the name of the town and COOP... I can only assume that it was a grain co-op, as there are several humungous towers. Near the 'grain plant' the houses get smaller... meaner.. less cared for.

Bonho... lots of Antique places.. all closed on Sunday.

Dang.

and, about a mile out of town, a WalMart, much to my joy, as I do both my daily shopping and constitutional at the same time. Say what you will, I love WalMart... Sitting in the WalMart parking lot, I made my plans to stop outside of Salina, Kansas in the KOA (wifi) and then, knowing that, went back and spent more time cruising Concordia.

More downtown..

I love the porches. I love the second story houses. I love the leaf filled streets and Halloween decorations. It takes me back to my childhood, which, though golden, was spent on a dead end street (a plus) in a neighborhood with apartments and houses intermingled, with delineated back yards and lines and, even then, the "I own this, this is mine" feeling.

But today, for just a while, I lived in Concordia...