I'm now in the absolutely beautiful state of Kansas. My route from Oklahoma took me through the Flint Hills, which are gorgeous, green rolling hills of tallgrass prairie.
I have to admit, other than Kansas being the home state of my former mother-in-law, I don't know much about the state. What I was pleased to learn is that Kansas was anti-slavery from before the Civil War -- fitting that I arrived at camp in time for Juneteenth.
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| Cedar Ridge Campground - Bloomington East USACE at Clinton Lake |
The area surrounding my campground is steeped in history. At the bottom of Clinton Lake are the remains of the original town of Bloomington, most of which was moved to what is now the small town of Clinton.
On the grounds of the recreation area is a small museum that has recorded some of the history. Near the museum is a beautiful art installation of circular rings, which connects the relationship of the Underground Railroad to the areas' ten extinct and extent communities. The rings revolve around a historic windmill tower, positioned in relation to the North Star.
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| "Freedom Rings" by Stephen Johnson |
Bloomington East and Clinton Lake are also very close to Lawrence, Kansas, which is the home of the University of Kansas and the renowned JayHawks basketball team. I learned from my friend Derrick that the inventor of the game of basketball was KU's first coach. Also, the name JayHawk is very closely tied to anti-slavery, and the people of Kansas are very proud of that fact. I saw many KU and JayHawk supporters while in camp.
