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June 29, 2:00 PM.We started yesterday by heading back to Cahokia to check out the Visitors' Center, which was really well done. They had very detailed full-size dioramas of Mississippian life, as well as the usual artifacts, maps, renderings, archeological re-creations, etc. I don't think I mentioned that it is one of only about 20 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the continental U.S.Definitely worth a visit.
Next, we went over the Mississippi River and into St. Louis to see the Arch. Not to be too blunt, but the Arch experience amounts to 2 hours waiting underground with no cell service in order to spend 10 minutes at the top peering out the little windows and thinking, "Yep, this is pretty much how it looks in Google Maps." But it's one of those things one "must" do, and now we have.We got a little added excitement with our visit, as the RV parking lot was flooded out, leaving Rob to navigate St. Louis as best he could, while unable to reach the rest of us, since we were underground without cell service. Good times!
A quick diversion to the famous frozen custard shop and we headed across the state to go to my cousin's house in Kansas City. Heidi and Brian, and their daughter Paige and their on-the-way daughter Kate are Pittsburgh transplants who have been out there nearly a year, and Kansas City not being hot on the tourist circuit, I think we were among their first visitors. They fed us royally and we had a lovely evening on their back patio.
This morning, we struck out across Kansas. First stop was the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, a Park Service - Nature Conservancy partnership preserve in the heart of the Flint Hills. I have been in some remnant tallgrass prairies in Illinois back when Rob was working for the TNC out there, but this was my first time in a really big chunk of prairie. Very cool. I've never seen so many meadowlarks, and it was also my first time seeing dickcissels (yes, that's a real bird). Lots of those out there. Didn't manage to glimpse a prairie chicken-- that would have been quite a rarity this time of year. We did, however, manage to have a little adventure.
The Preserve has a herd of 14 bison, and we struck out on the main path hoping we might get to see them. No luck the entire way up the trail. We climbed a big hill, looked back the way we had come, and saw them in the distance . . . blocking our way back out. Along the entire 2.5 mile route we hiked, the dirt road passed through a single electric fence—and that was the exact point the bison had chosen to aggregate.They were completely blocking the way and seemed to have no intention of moving.We got to within about 50 yards, hoping they would wander away, but nope. We thought about all the possible unhappy endings that could result from getting any closer. . . and we called the Park office. Their response: We are sending the Park supervisor out in a Jeep.Even with the Jeep, it took a little while to get the herd to move. I felt compelled to preface the conversation with: "Allow me to state for the record, this is the first time we've ever had to be rescued out of a National Park."
Eric the Rescuer was very good-natured about it, though, and actually said it was a learning experience for them. They have only had the herd since last fall, and since the trails are open 24 hours and the office only till 4:30, there is a real possibility someone could get into trouble up there.He also said Youtube has myriad examples from Yellowstone of what can happen when due caution around bison is not exercised. Oh, and we got some fantastic pictures.
We are now headed to Cheyenne Bottoms, a world-class wetland site.We have left the hills and prairie behind, and are in the land of endless flat and agriculture. Lots of controlled burns going on, we think they are burning off wheat stubble.
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