In the past few years, Matt and I have made the drive from KC to Denver and back several times for various reasons. Many people I know hate the drive because it's long and tedious and flat. I can understand that and sometimes it seems like it will never end. But I also don't mind the drive myself because I have some favorite "landmarks" and memories at certain mile markers that make the drive go faster. I will share these with you now, starting from Kansas City going west to Denver. Maybe the next time you make the drive, you'll think of some of these and it will make the drive more fun.
Exit 202: Lawrence. Well of course I love this one. You can see Frasier Hall and its flags flying on top of the hill and the rest of KU surrounding it. I have so many great memories in Lawrence that I ususally take a stroll down memory lane for a while as we pass the city.
Exit 365(ish): Topeka. This is where the "countdown" begins. When you get off the turnpike, the mile markers indicate the number of miles to the Colorado border. 365...that's a lot of miles to go!
Exit 316: Deep Creek Road. Also known to Matt as County Road 911 and a bad omen. I exited here once when I was taking him to Manhattan with me when we first started dating. We went to Pillsbury Crossing, a river fjord. When I started driving across the water, he said "What are you doing!!!" and grabbed on to the car armrests. I completely freaked him out, it was great!
Exit 313: Manhattan. In college, my drive on I-70 usually began or ended at this exit, depending on if I were going home or heading back to school. What can I say about Manhattan? I mean, I grew up there and Matt and I got married there! So again, memories usually come flying at me. If we're driving at night through to Kansas City and can't stop in, it still comforts me to see the lights of the city coming up out of the valley. You can't see Manhattan but you know it's there just the same.
Exit 253: Salina. We make an occasional stop in here for gas and an even more rare stop to see Mark and Talicia (Matt's brother and his wife). Historically, Matt and I have made the KC-Denver drive at odd hours to accomodate work schedules, so a visit doesn't usually work out. But whether or not we see them, we are always thinking about them and sometimes at least on the phone with them as we pass Salina.
Exit 235ish: Wind farms. This is a rather new one for me! It seems like all of a sudden, dozens of towering wind turbines have popped up. They are amazing to see during the day and even at night, you can see their glowing red lights. I've seen these from airplanes as well. It's fantastic!
Exit 212: Quinter, KS. I have no real ties to Quinter as fas as I know. 212 happens to be my lucky number, so if I am paying attention and see the sign, I make a wish!
Exit 160: Hays. A great place to stop and get gas and a bite of food. I'd call it roughly the half way mark of the trip. Just don't eat at the Arby's there. Trust me.
Exit 99: Park, KS. It's your typical small town but there is a beautiful church that just really sticks out to me. I always look forward to seeing the church at Park.
Exit 95: Hoxie, KS. Matt and I ALWAYS "discuss" the proper way to pronounce this town every time we pass this exit. Is it "Hoaxie" as in an illusion or hoax? Or is it "Hoxie" as in "ox," the animals used to pull covered wagons. I guess we'll never know.
Exit 0: The border. The split second where I get to be in my two favorite places at the same time.
Exit 383: Arriba, CO. This little town has the best rest stop. It's a ways off the road but has an awesome map that tells you exactly how many miles you are from just about anywhere on 1-70.
Exit 359: Limon, CO. It is here that you can get your first glimpse of the mountains. Well really just Pikes Peak, but I find this amazing since you are still 75 miles east of the front range. I hate going through Limon at night because you miss this view. BUT, it also marks the fact that you only have 1 more hour of driving to Denver!
So there you have it. Some of my favorite spots on the drive. I obviously left off KC and Denver themselves. They don't really have one particular exit that I would associate them with. Also, there are so many different places in these cities I could mention, and that would take forever. The company I am with on this drive also changes the way I look at it. For example, I do not recall Amanda and I arguing over Hoxie, KS on our spring break trip in 2003, but that was the least of our problems! (We drove back in a pure white-out blizzard.)
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I am nervous about going back to Kansas City. I know this is silly but it's the first time we will be back since the move and it seems strange that we no longer live there. In my old perception of reality, we visited Denver and went home to KC. Now it's opposite. It's only been a few months, but living in KC seems like a different lifetime. It's a city filled with familiar people and places that I miss dearly, but now Denver feels like home too. I know I have said this all before, it's just all coming back to me now that our visit is so close! Don't get me wrong though...it's a good nervousness. An excited nervous. I can't wait to see all of you KC'ers this weekend!
Exit 202: Lawrence. Well of course I love this one. You can see Frasier Hall and its flags flying on top of the hill and the rest of KU surrounding it. I have so many great memories in Lawrence that I ususally take a stroll down memory lane for a while as we pass the city.
Exit 365(ish): Topeka. This is where the "countdown" begins. When you get off the turnpike, the mile markers indicate the number of miles to the Colorado border. 365...that's a lot of miles to go!
Exit 316: Deep Creek Road. Also known to Matt as County Road 911 and a bad omen. I exited here once when I was taking him to Manhattan with me when we first started dating. We went to Pillsbury Crossing, a river fjord. When I started driving across the water, he said "What are you doing!!!" and grabbed on to the car armrests. I completely freaked him out, it was great!
Exit 313: Manhattan. In college, my drive on I-70 usually began or ended at this exit, depending on if I were going home or heading back to school. What can I say about Manhattan? I mean, I grew up there and Matt and I got married there! So again, memories usually come flying at me. If we're driving at night through to Kansas City and can't stop in, it still comforts me to see the lights of the city coming up out of the valley. You can't see Manhattan but you know it's there just the same.
Exit 253: Salina. We make an occasional stop in here for gas and an even more rare stop to see Mark and Talicia (Matt's brother and his wife). Historically, Matt and I have made the KC-Denver drive at odd hours to accomodate work schedules, so a visit doesn't usually work out. But whether or not we see them, we are always thinking about them and sometimes at least on the phone with them as we pass Salina.
Exit 235ish: Wind farms. This is a rather new one for me! It seems like all of a sudden, dozens of towering wind turbines have popped up. They are amazing to see during the day and even at night, you can see their glowing red lights. I've seen these from airplanes as well. It's fantastic!
Exit 212: Quinter, KS. I have no real ties to Quinter as fas as I know. 212 happens to be my lucky number, so if I am paying attention and see the sign, I make a wish!
Exit 160: Hays. A great place to stop and get gas and a bite of food. I'd call it roughly the half way mark of the trip. Just don't eat at the Arby's there. Trust me.
Exit 99: Park, KS. It's your typical small town but there is a beautiful church that just really sticks out to me. I always look forward to seeing the church at Park.
Exit 95: Hoxie, KS. Matt and I ALWAYS "discuss" the proper way to pronounce this town every time we pass this exit. Is it "Hoaxie" as in an illusion or hoax? Or is it "Hoxie" as in "ox," the animals used to pull covered wagons. I guess we'll never know.
Exit 0: The border. The split second where I get to be in my two favorite places at the same time.
Exit 383: Arriba, CO. This little town has the best rest stop. It's a ways off the road but has an awesome map that tells you exactly how many miles you are from just about anywhere on 1-70.
Exit 359: Limon, CO. It is here that you can get your first glimpse of the mountains. Well really just Pikes Peak, but I find this amazing since you are still 75 miles east of the front range. I hate going through Limon at night because you miss this view. BUT, it also marks the fact that you only have 1 more hour of driving to Denver!
So there you have it. Some of my favorite spots on the drive. I obviously left off KC and Denver themselves. They don't really have one particular exit that I would associate them with. Also, there are so many different places in these cities I could mention, and that would take forever. The company I am with on this drive also changes the way I look at it. For example, I do not recall Amanda and I arguing over Hoxie, KS on our spring break trip in 2003, but that was the least of our problems! (We drove back in a pure white-out blizzard.)
_________________________
I am nervous about going back to Kansas City. I know this is silly but it's the first time we will be back since the move and it seems strange that we no longer live there. In my old perception of reality, we visited Denver and went home to KC. Now it's opposite. It's only been a few months, but living in KC seems like a different lifetime. It's a city filled with familiar people and places that I miss dearly, but now Denver feels like home too. I know I have said this all before, it's just all coming back to me now that our visit is so close! Don't get me wrong though...it's a good nervousness. An excited nervous. I can't wait to see all of you KC'ers this weekend!
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p.s. I have friends from Hoxie and they pronounce it like ox.