Photos from Kansas roadtrip, November 2001

How many endpoints can a linear feature have, anyway?

Actually, one of these is a goof. You can challenge yourself to figure it out now... or you can see the answer at the bottom of this page.

This sign was on eastbound US 36 heading into Norton.

November 2001

There was an identical sign for westbound traffic on the other side of town. This is an "upgrade" from the sign I observed there nearly 10 years earlier:

February 1992

Note that, on the earlier sign, each city had been painted with the colors of their respective pro football teams. Anyway: it appears that, for several years now, some economic booster in Norton must believe that the key to prosperity for the town lies in getting traffic between Denver and Indianapolis to use US 36 instead of I-70. I hate to burst their bubble, but - while US 36 may be a bit shorter in distance - it certainly wouldn't come close timewise. Besides that: is there really that much commerce between Denver and Indianapolis? If it's any indication, I've lived in Denver all my life, but I've been to Indianapolis only once! Still, I like the optimism... and I like to see non-interstate towns thriving.

As you're heading northeast on K-383, control cities on the mileage signs vary between "ALMA NE" and "ALMENA". (Almena is in Kansas, and Alma NE is about 30 miles further, a few miles north of the Kansas line.)

I was hoping to find a sign with both towns on it. This one (posted just outside Almena KS, at the junction with K-60) is the only example I noticed, but on this particular one they added the letter "B" to the abbreviation for Nebraska.

There's a unique geographical site in north-central Kansas: the center of the 48 contiguous states, near Lebanon.

I have a separate page dedicated to this site; click here to view photos and get more info.

There's a new US 56/US 283 bypass around southeast Dodge City. US 400 traffic is routed onto it for about a half-mile, creating a few double-take sign assemblies. The one in this photo is looking south. (See also in Dodge City photos of the historic west end of US 154.)

This is the name of a golf course in Dodge.

You may have heard that southwest Kansas is one of the windiest places in the country. And - if you've seen the movie "Paint Your Wagon" (starring Clint Eastwood, back when he was just a young pup) - you'll remember "The Wind is Called Mariah".

Somebody in Mullinville has a lot of acreage fronting the highway. They've used the location to display hundreds of their metalwork creations. Most of them are whimsical and kind of silly, many poking fun at political figures.

Several of these sculptures are kinetic, and they get quite a workout in the Kansas wind. (See also in Mullinville photos of the historic east end of US 154.)

This grain elevator is actually in Colorado, not Kansas. Granada, to be exact, which is about 15 miles from the Kansas line.

I was in town for only about five minutes, but I thought it was opportune timing for the sun's angle on these surfaces - reminded me of Charles Sheeler's art. (See also in Granada photos of the west end of US 400.)

OK, here's the answer to the quiz above:

This is a sign-goof on eastbound US 36. K-383 is co-signed with US 36 for a few miles on either side of Norton. But here, a few miles east of Norton (where K-383 splits off again to the northeast) there was an "End" sign! Instead of that, it should actually have a left arrow (you can also see the signage for southwestbound K-383 traffic, at far left).

Continuing that direction (northeast), K-383's real end is at its junction with US 183, a fraction of a mile south of the Nebraska line (below).

Alma NE is about 7 miles north (left), and Phillipsburg KS is about 18 miles south.

The shot below shows the other end of K-383, at its junction with US 83 outside Selden.

K-383 is a remnant of historic US 383; click here to view its historic endpoints.