HAPPY KANSAS DAY!!!On this, the 148th birthday of the great state of Kansas, I would just like to make a list of great things about Kansas.
- The Sunflower State
- Cawker City, Kansas is the home to the world's largest ball of twine. Some people (particularly those from Darwin, MN) may claim that the largest twine ball is actually up north in the land of 10,000 lakes because Frank Stoeber died when his twine ball was just a foot shy of beating Francis Johnson's record in Darwin, and thus had to be finished by the community. "Cawker City, in a touching tribute, built an open-air gazebo over his ball and set it up on Highway 24 in town, where it can still be touched and whiffed by travelers." Locals and visitors continue to add twine to this community project (but be sure to email before you go so Linda can have twine available for you if it's not time for the annual Twine-A-Thon in August). One of my life goals is to visit Cawker City to touch, whiff, and possibly wrap the world's largest ball of twine.
- We came in as a free state after the turmoil of Bleeding Kansas.
- We are the geographical center of the continental United States.
- Who else has a state song as cool as "Home on the Range"?
- BBQ - Kansas City is famous for its barbeque and hosts several barbeque cooking contests each year, with one of the more notable being in Lenexa, KS. The Great Lenexa Barbeque Battle began in 1982 with just 12 contestants and 12 judges. In 1984 the governor declared the contest the official Kansas State Championship. It has since grown to its current size of 185 contestants and 240 judges. This year's Battle will be on June 26 & 27 at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park (at 87th & Lackman).
- Along those lines, KC has several famous BBQ restaurants, including Jack Stack, Gates (my friend from Centerville, UT imports Gates BBQ sauce because it's so good) and KC Masterpiece. Tragically, only one KC Masterpiece restaurant remains. Thankfully, it is in my hometown of Overland Park.
- Chicago has nothing on us. Dodge City is in fact the windiest city in America, with an average wind speed of 13.9 mph
- Famous Kansans:
*Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, 1885 - 1974, Lawrence, University of Kansas men's varsity basketball coach
*Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain, 1936 - 1999, Lawrence, University of Kansas basketball player 1955-1957
*William Clark (of Lewis and Clark)
*Amelia Earhart
*Dorothy Gale
*Dwight D. Eisenhower, who, incidentally, was the last bald president we elected.
- Kansas day miracles like the fact that my only class of the day was canceled, giving me time to write this tribute.
- Also, we are the breadbasket of the world. Eat that.
- And you can celebrate Kansas Day anywhere in the world. For example, in Utah. By wearing Kansas gear and standing in the shape of a K.
Obviously.
