Driving Across Kansas

In his introduction to Dan Dancer’s The Four Seasons of Kansas, bestselling author William Least Heat-Moon reflects upon the Great Kansas Passage of those who race their cars westward across Interstate 70 without trying to understand the truth of the place. Ted Cable and Wayne Maley come to the rescue of those travelers with a new guide that will expand and enrich their understanding of a state whose history, in Heat-Moon’s words, is “a tumbling of guns, torches, hatchets, and knives.” Guided by Cable and Maley, the historical landscapes of I-70 come back to life, recalling landmarks and legacies relating to pioneer movements and Indian dispossession, army outposts and great bison hunts, cowboys and cattle trails, the struggles over slavery and women’s rights, and the emergence of major wheat, beef, oil, and water industries. Their guide parcels out information, mile-marker by mile-marker (in boldface), in a way that’s equally accessible to westbound and eastbound users alike. In this second edition the authors have updated the information throughout, including new sites and new stories. Driving across Kansas, 2nd edition will reward the observant traveler with a treasure trove of details sure to increase his or her appreciation for the great Sunflower State.

Drivers speeding across Missouri on I-70 don't know what they're missing. But Ted Cable and LuAnn Cadden do: untold attractions right along the highway between St. Louis and Kansas City. Driving across Missouri is packed with fun-filled information, stories, and trivia that help travelers look beyond the passing blur to appreciate the "Show Me" state's unique landscapes and landmarks. Its authors unfold the natural beauty of the state's flora, fauna, and rivers (including two of the world's largest); introduce the history of Native Americans, French explorers, and German settlers; reopen routes traveled by Daniel Boone and Lewis and Clark; and bring the Civil War era to life. The entries are tied to mile markers for travelers driving either east or west-no need to "transpose," because the authors have done it for you. Cable and Cadden tell the story behind Boone's Lick Trail at mile marker 194.0 and point out likely roosts for red-tailed hawks. They entice you to take Exit 170 to explore Graham Cave State Park, or 148 to visit the Winston Churchill Memorial at Fulton. And within the city limits of Kansas City and St. Louis, where mile markers often aren't visible, they guide the reader to notable features like the former's Jazz Museum or the latter's landmark churches. Graced with dozens of illustrations and an ample array of lively anecdotes, Driving across Missouri provides more detail for "ordinary" landscape features than can be found in most other guidebooks, whether relating the story behind the "Meramec barn" or using cornfields as a point of departure to discuss "Missouri Meerschaums"-the corncob pipe. Through their vastly entertaining book, Cable and Cadden help to slow things down in the fast lane so that travelers can enjoy Missouri's land and history, while simultaneously making a long trip pass more quickly with stories that interpret the spirit of this great "Show Me" state. And, used in conjunction with Driving across Kansas, readers can now enjoy the ride all the way from the Gateway Arch to the Colorado state line and back again.

Like most cities during Prohibition, Kansas City had illegal alcohol, bootleggers, speakeasies, cops on the take, corrupt politicians and moralizing reformers. But by the time the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed, Kansas City had been singled out by one observer as one of the wettest cities, as well as the wickedest. A grocer managed a still in the basement of his store. A raid on the Tingle Oil Company found two hundred drums of oil and the largest illegal brewery ever found in the state. This seedy underworld transformed the Heart of America into the Paris of the Plains. Author John Simonson resurrects forgotten stories by revisiting places where they occurred and telling the salacious history of booze in Kansas City.

Driving across Americas roads was a wonderful experience. Seeing the Nations beautiful scenery and landmarks was breathtaking. The Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, and Yellowstone National Park are but a few of the many spectacular places that we visited on our journey across America. Seattle, Atlanta, Dallas, Green Bay, Chicago, San Francisco and Tucson are a few of the cities we visited. Each trip was a carefully planned event that created a special memory for my husband and me to last a lifetime.

Back when I was seventeen, a buddy and I took a car for a test drive. I guess we really wanted to test it because we drove it all the way from the suburbs of Cleveland to Chicago. That was one of the first of many trips in my life. Since then, they have been tamer and less intense but, certainly, still exciting. I've come across quite a few memorable people and places, and this story touches some of those experiences. We all have our little story to tell about our lives, and this is mine. It is here that I share them with you, and I hope you find some enjoyment out of it. I look forward to someday reading about your story.

If you have been driving through Illinois on I-55 and exclaimed, "There's nothing out there but corn " you aren't alone, but you couldn't be more wrong. Learn why Steven Spielberg visited Waggoner, Illinois, and what fruit Abraham Lincoln used to christen the town named after him, as well as what route was frequented by flesh-eating birds and what antique mall was said to harbor a spaceship. When you travel in the company of LuAnn Cadden and Ted Cable, every mile marker between Chicago and St. Louis hides a story, and even grain silos become adventure destinations.

Some say that Kansas City has the best black baseball, blues, and "Q" in the nation. It has been called the heart of America, a cultural melting pot, and the breadbasket of the Midwest. It was also home to the famous Kansas City Monarchs. Black baseball began in Kansas City with the Maroons in 1890. However, it wasn't until 1921, when the black Kansas City Monarchs triumphed over the white Kansas City Blues, that black players started receiving national attention. The Monarchs produced several championship teams and major league players, and became black baseball's longest running and most stable franchise.

Issues for include Annual air transport progress issue.