Modoc

Modoc is a small community with just a few homes and some old buildings. We saw a tent and grill set up where one family was apparently camping in their own front yard. I was a bit distracted in this town, because I was negotiating the sale of our home!

Scott City

"Welcome to Scott City," the sign says, "All-America City." That's not just a motto; this place named for General Winfield Scott is so American it actually won the All-America City award in 2011!

One thing that makes this town special is that it was founded by a woman in 1884! Maria DeGeer was a temperance activist who saw a special chance in Kansas to found a dry town.

It's a nice, well-maintained town, with many shops and car dealerships. Downtown, there's a super cool park with wooden fence type construction. Main Street seems pretty healthy, with very few vacant buildings. There are grain elevators, as you would expect out in this part of Kansas. There are also some fun community events, including the Scott County Free Fair, the Whimmydiddle Arts and Crafts Fair, and the Beefiesta (which is a celebration of beef, not bees, in case you were wondering).

One other thing that stood out to us was how much community art there was here. We saw three murals and an art gallery!

Shallow Water

Shallow Water has three or four streets, some tidy little houses, an old school and playground, some elevators, and some churches. 

The playground grass was mowed, but it’s in disrepair and significant parts of it are overgrown with weeds. It’s someone’s job to mow it, but nobody’s job to care about or improve it. We've seen this sad story many times in rural Kansas, but that didn't make it any less sad this time. 

But on the plus side, the bug critter was fun to climb on!

Chevron

As is its habit in some remote areas of Kansas, the GPS tried to direct us down a road that is completely overgrown with weeds. The road was right next to an old broken down gas station. Maybe a Chevron station? Or maybe there was a Chevron refinery near here?

One thing was certain: The Poky Feeders feed lot across the highway was not abandoned in the slightest. The smell of cattle wafting through the heat of the July afternoon is not something you soon forget.