to St. Benedict, Kansas [mostly photographs]

[schoon]

Thank you, your reports are always worth the read!

[Jason F.]

If I can remember to ask my Mother next time I call her I will get the name of the German town were several of the families immigrated from. Many were from the same region. I can not remember the name of the small farming town but the closest major city would have been Bremen or Hamburg.

A couple of my Mothers Cousins and Aunts went back to Germany  a decade or so ago and tried to find the town their family was from. They were running into some difficulty with the signs and the language so they ended up in a pub or cafe of some sort. When trying to converse with the patrons their they drug out a photocopy of the page from Ellis Island with the names of their ancestors. To their surprise two of the patrons were actually distant Cousins and despite the language barrier took them to the original family farm which still had some of the buildings standing. It was a pretty amazing thing for them.

Oh and the Church there in St. Benedict got some nice recognition recently. http://www.stmarystbenedict.org/news/newsdisplay.asp?key=13

 

[pearsonm]

In our zeal to find the perfect road, curves, rises and falls etc.. Are we missing out on some nice straight roads? Clear the mind, look at the scenery, relax. I think we are and Daniel has answered that question.

It’s funny that as many tens of thousands of miles I rode chasing twisty roads and the thousands of dollars I’ve blown at track days one of my favorite memories is topping a hill coming out of Dexter, KS and into a golden sunset. It was a surreal moment that made me feel like I was flying. I haven’t felt it since.

[Daniel Kalal]

...one of my favorite memories is topping a hill coming out of Dexter, KS and into a golden sunset. It was a surreal moment that made me feel like I was flying. I haven’t felt it since.

Here  you go: Grouse Creek road, south of Dexter, Kansas

[pearsonm]

I bet you know the spot I'm talking about. CR 20 south out of town. You go over the bridge, through the right/left up the hill then plunge down. I crested that one time into a brilliant sunset. I had to squint my eyes a little which made the prairie look like the top of a cloud bank.

I picked me up a '78 CB750F last month. It would be perfect for that area. I need to haul it out.

[Orson]

There are exceptions, certainly, but after many years of riding I've noticed that people who ride only for the thrill--the curves, the power, the exhilaration--eventually ride less and less, until they ride no more.  The road isn't (or shouldn't be) why you ride; it's where the road takes you that really matters.  

---that, and a Guzzi.

Aye  

there's sumthin about a Guzzi that takes you back to your first years of motorcycling, when the mechanical workings of a motorcycle were still fresh and everything was a new experience.

A Guzzi seems to reawaken those feelings

While I'm guilty of riding for the thrill of the curves, I also have a strong sense of wanderlust  

[County Tar]

Don't forget another reason:  exploring.  Where does this road go?  What is at the end of it?  I don't need a destination when I start out, just a road to ride.  

[djgarrett21]

There are curved roads in Kansas if you search hard enough. I think the flint hills area is one of my favorites. If you are ever in the Wichita area make sure you hit up Thunder Road. Hope you don't mind me adding a few pictures I took today.