By KAREN MADORIN
William Least Heat Moon sold a book promoting the idea of traveling Blue Highways.
For those who don’t remember paper maps, these two-lane highways carry rural travelers from one burg to another across the United States. Some villages boast a stop light. Other don’t even have a stop sign to control intersection traffic. Those officials trust that locals know enough to follow state driver manuals and hope common sense is a bonus.
Most such tiny towns have sights worth seeing and stops for folks who make time to travel slow routes, enjoying exploration at a snail’s pace.
Recently, we took a favorite drive to scenic Morland, situated near the South Solomon River. Getting there either via Highway 24 or driving country roads offers impressive views of weathered limestone filled with fossils, vast horizons replete with waving prairie grasses and wheat, wood, brick, and stone homesteads—age confirmed as roofs fall, windows and doors vanish, and barns collapse under the weight of time. Occasionally, travelers luck out and spy a well-kept original homestead that’s survived harsh winters and summers.
Driving into Morland, note a railroad line once passed through. It’s old-time depot recalls memories of travelers with camel back trunks and metal milk cans and huge egg containers waiting for trains to stop.
With a hop and skip, visit the Veterans Memorial and a public park designed to encourage young imaginations.
Travel south to explore a two-story stone bank where investors deposited cash and earned interest. Currently, it serves as a museum where visitors can appreciate sturdy 19th century architecture and displays that tell stories of former residents. The school memorabilia surely initiates lively reunion conversations.
Several old brick buildings serve as more than sentinels on Main Street. Cottonwood Digs has a bas relief depicting an impressive fossil collection dug nearby several decades ago. Inside, you’ll find meeting rooms and areas that local enterprises utilize.
Across the street, wide enough two big wagons could meet and pass back in the day, community planners revitalized the old Merc into a grocery, deli, community kitchen, and post office. Visionary supporters/grant writers qualified for funding that enabled them to reopen the old mercantile in 2013 with well-stocked aisles so locals needn’t leave town to buy essentials.
The manager orders not only basics but also intriguing items sightseers might want to buy such as Charlotte Keith paintings, Graham County honey, homemade jams and jellies, Jack’s Gourmet seasonings, Hoganville Family Farm sauerkraut, and local Rock Creek Meats. The well-stocked deli supplies lunch meats and cheeses that satisfy finicky diners and those wanting a sandwich for a fishing trip to nearby Antelope Lake.
My favorite is the lunch special.
Anna Hutchinson prepares specials Monday through Friday that make Blue Highway travel worth the drive. Her polish sausage with Hoganville sauerkraut, fancy beans, and scalloped potatoes is delicious and filling. I couldn’t eat everything, but I wanted to. Wednesday is fried chicken day. I never thought I’d find fried chicken as good as Grandma Lottie’s, but Anna has the gift. Quantities are limited so call ahead to reserve some. I’m eager to visit on the other three weekdays to sample those meals.
This delightful trip into quieter and slower times offers much to explore. I’ll leave Penokee, Cottonwood Ranch, Antelope Lake, and Sheridan State Fishing Lake for other columns.
Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan.