296 Steps to Top--I think not!

Mayetta, Kansas
Prairie Band Casino RV Park
Site #33

Yesterday was cool, but today was quite different.  It didn't matter to us that it was going to be in the 90's as we were going to be inside. Bill drove the 17 miles to Topeka so we could tour the state capitol.  I guess it worked out okay as we've been through here many times, but just never stopped to tour Topeka state capitol.  As it turned out this was the perfect year to see it.  They had been renovating it from 1999 until 2014.  

We parked on one side of the capitol and walked through the farmer's market on the grounds.  The visitor entrance was on the opposite side.

Our timing was great as they were just starting a tour when we walked in.  Of course, maybe our timing wasn't that great as there were a bunch of kids in the tour from 3rd graders to 7th graders.  As it turned out, they were very good and asked some good questions that the tour guide couldn't answer.  

We walked up to the fifth floor where the tour started.  

This was the senate chamber.  The ceiling has 22 karat gold in it.  Many years ago, they painted over the smoke covered ceiling and when they renovated found the gold.  

That's a long way up.

These are the glass floors in the library.  We walked up a very narrow staircase and back down on the other side.  

I must say I was disappointed in the paintings that were not historically accurate.

These paintings were also uncovered during the renovation.  

I thought I'd see what it was like to sit in the Governor's chair.

There were two tours, one a historic and then one to the dome.  We did the historic and planned to do the dome afterwards.  Have you counted how many times we've walked up and down the stairs?

We walked back up to the fifth floor where the dome tour began.  I noticed the sign with a warning for the dome tour.  It was 296 steep narrow steps to the top.  We had been up and down the steps and I wasn't sure I had that in me.

That's when I noticed the staircase to the dome.  It was a very narrow one.  Steps are really hard on my recovering shattered heel.  I decided I would forget the dome tour.

As we left the capitol, we decided to walk to the National Historic Site Brown v. Board of Education.  We walked a few blocks and I wimped out and said "let's go back and get the truck."  After we arrived at the historic site I realized it was a lot further than I thought.  

I'm usually very impressed with the National Park Service but I have to say, I wouldn't recommend this site.  There were at least 3 park rangers in this tiny school but not one of them offered any input.  

The good thing was that the ac was working well when we watched the video.

We drove over to the Great Overland Station but I think we were so disappointed with the historic site, decided not to do the station.

Instead we drove to the Combat Air Museum.  I think Bill might have inherited some of his nephews love of airplanes.  

Even though it was not air conditioned this was a great museum.  

They had huge fans running and the first hangar wasn't bad at all.  Maybe it was because it was so interesting.

Bill had me stand beside this training rifle that was used in Vietnam to show the size of it.

Now that's a big helicopter.

There were two hangars full of planes and we started to leave when the docent showed us the other displays they had on the other side of the gift shop.

This would have been representative of a prisoner of war camp.

They had some interesting letters to family regarding MIA's.  I did notice a couple of the bracelets that were worn with the names of the MIA's.  I still have mine that I wore all the time during the Vietnam war era. 

It was a very busy day, but we tend to cram a lot in when we go someplace we're not sure we'll return to.  

I have my $25.00 on my player's card I need to use up.  I think we'll just crash the next few days.  We decided to extend our time here until we go to Lee's Summit on Sunday.  I know we'll be very busy when we get over there. 

I'm sure tomorrow will be a laundry day.  Washers are a dollar and 75 cents to dry.  

If I don't blog tomorrow, I didn't win in the casino.

Turtle Safely...........