Monument Rock, Middle of No Where, Kansas

This has quickly become one of my favorite pictures. 100% boy!

Over last weekend the gypsies and I loaded into the car for a two hour trek to Monument Rock. Monument Rock is basically a giant rock formation in the middle of the prairie right along the Sante Fe Trail. It was a popular stopping point for the SF Trail travelers because it marked roughly the halfway point of their trip.

We had a bit easier time getting there; straight north on US 83 then 7 miles east on a dirt road, cross two cattle guards and you are there. On our atlas Monument Rock was labeled Chalk Pyramids. What a sight it is!

Those two little figures are DR and my brother, who lives in northwest Kansas.

My brother needs a name...let's see....I think I'll call him Mountain Man. I could easily picture him tromping the Rockies with Jim Bridger.

Look! A family photo! I think that's the first we've had taken since last December.

This view was only half of the rock formations. I was telling Mountain Man how I missed the colors of fall but he replied, "Yeah, but check out this view. It's a tradeoff missing the fall leaves in Indiana but what a good tradeoff it is!" I agree! I love it out here.

Overall we spent about three hours at Monument Rock hiking, climbing, talking and eating out the back of the car. Cheetos, Yahoo's new favorite. She wasn't too impressed when her daddy tried to hide them!

I think DR enjoyed having another guy to talk to, he and Mountain Man spent the whold day together. I didn't notice some of these photos until later and how it seems as though the people are almost sitting on a flat vertical surface. The light was beautiful that day and made everything bright. I'm still playing with my new camera and learning to make it do what I want it to without "fixing" the images later, so none of these photos are edited. 

I love how dirty my kids get when we visit places like this. The dirt on kids and clothes will wash off but you can't get rid of a good childhood memory....like climbing a big old rock!  

Climbing was all Yip and Yap did all day. I took 300 pictures that day! Oh, how I wish I could share them all with you. The few posted here don't begin to do justice of the beauty and fun we found at Monument Rock.

There were little crevices everywhere for the kids to climb into. Of course whatever the boys did Yahoo thought she could do to. I have a feeling she will be my wild child. Not in a rebellious sort of way but I think she'll be a thrill seeker. She's not afraid of anything.

Oh, there's my Kansas sky! Beautiful isn't it?

In a few places we even found names carved into the rock. Some were hard to read and I wouldn't have a clue to how long they've been there but it's fun to think that a settler carved his name in the rock a hundred years ago.

I'm so glad Mountain Man found this place and invited us along. Really, he just wanted my camera to take pics. Yucca plant that he's messing with by the way. Those things are sharp!

Mountain Man is as much of a gypsy as we are if not more considering he's 21 and single! A road trip for him takes no more preparation than someone suggesting the idea. Hey Mountain Man, if we ever make it to Australia would you want to come along? Imagine the places we could find Down Under!