Colby to Custer

Hi and welcome back for post #2: Colby to Custer! After a way-too-short of a visit to Nashville, we got back on the road and made our way toward Colby, Kansas. Initially, we had planned an overnight stop in Kansas City, but we were a little bit behind the schedule we were trying to keep so we forged ahead.

After cruising through St. Louis and Kansas City we headed west on Interstate 70 to Colby, Kansas. This cute town boasts a population of roughly 5,400 people and it’s claim to fame is being home to the largest barn in Kansas. So what enticed us to go out of our way to visit this quaint town? Well, I like big barns and I cannot lie.

Also- this town and my son share the same name. For 18 years, Colby (my son) has never been able to find his name on anything in a souvenir shop. Not a keychain or a magnet or any other kitschy trinket that commonly bears the names “Cole” or “Colton” or “Cody”, but never “Colby.”

So, we did one better, we gave him the chance to have his picture taken in front of “Colby City Hall”, “Colby Glass”, “Colby College” and a slew of other “Colby” landmarks. The one thing we didn’t get a picture of- the big ass barn. It was nighttime when we rolled in to Colby and, despite being the biggest barn in the state, we couldn’t see it. The barn is part of a property that also includes the Prairie Museum of Art and History and both were closed that late at night. I had read really great reviews about the museum and was looking forward to visiting, but it just didn’t work out timewise for us. Regardless, we accomplished what we set out to do- rectify an injustice to the name “Colby.”

After our photo-op excursion in Colby, KS- we forged ahead into Nebraska and continued to make our way to Custer State Park in South Dakota. By this time, Brian had been driving for about 19 straight hours but was eager to get to Custer as soon as possible. The mid-west is beautiful, but after looking at corn fields for what seemed liked days- we were all eager for a change of scenery. After driving through more corn fields in Nebraska, my sleep-deprived beau was in dire need of a break. Rest stops are pretty much non-existent on Highway 25 but we found a beacon of light in a Sinclair Gas Station just outside of Trenton. We pulled in, found a parking spot in the back next a semi-truck and, after 21 hours of driving, crashed out to the rumbling of our neighbor’s diesel engine.

The next morning we awoke with fresh eyes and enthusiasm to make it to Custer and 6.5 hours later- there we were. We pulled into Custer State Park and jumped on the Wildlife Loop where, after about 30 minutes of some of the most beautiful scenery this country has to offer, we came across a huge herd of Bison. They were hanging out right next to the road- a couple of them decided to hang out ON the road! They were so close, you could hear them grumbling and snorting!