Madison

Madison's welcome sign proclaims it to be a "Hidden Valley of the Flint Hills," which it really is. You have to drive down into a valley to get there, and then, if you go up a nearby hill, you can see the whole town spread out before you.

There are many houses on hillsides throughout the town. There are also a lovely pool, some nice parks, and a historic downtown with brick roads.

We saw an old Gulf station, which gave me great joy. Old gas stations always make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. It's probably a misplaced nostalgia for a simpler time that never really existed, but knowing that doesn't lessen the feeling any.

We stopped at Chubby's to grab some snacks, and settled on graham crackers. Then, with our Tallgrass Express String Band CD playing, we continued driving through the Flint Hills toward our next stop.