Yoder, Ks (Hutchinson), June 15-17, 2012

With wanting to see a museum in Wichita and not being able to find an RV park there we liked, we ended up staying in Yoder, about 40 miles away.  Nice RV Park called the Hitchin Post for $20/night, full 50 amp hookup. 

The museum in Wichita that was a must see for me was the Museum of World Treasures.

Here I am touching an actual fossil of a Triceratops, something not everyone gets to do.

Here is IVAN,a T-Rex whose skeleton is 60% complete, he was just found in 2005 in North Dakota.  It is awesome to see the actual fossil and not a cast.

This museum has a little bit of lots of things. Mummies, shrunken heads, signatures of all the presidents (JFK’s handwriting was impossible to read), pitch fork from Wizard of Oz, plus lots of other items,

 

 

 

 

 

including the signature of Marilyn Monroe (on her neck).

 

 

 

 

Plus, we had an opportunity to visit with the Founder, Dr. Jon Kardatzke.  He even showed us his first antiquity item he ever purchased, a coin from Jerusalem, it was in a very worn plastic case in his pocket.  Below is our photo with the Founder with Ivan in the background.

Sunday we visited the Underground Salt Mine in nearby Hutchinson, KS.  Amazing, is the best word to use.

We were outfitted with hard hats and emergency breathers (black strap with pouch at bottom).

First we descended down 650’, then viewed various displays with an opportunity to take a train and tram ride.

Plus we were given the chance to collect our own salt from a large pile.

This two thumbed glove was found from when it was used in the 50’s.  The miners would use the glove on one hand until the thumb wore through, then move the glove to the other hand and use the other thumb until it wore out.

An underground storage company now uses 88 of the underground rooms for document storage.  Medical records, Hollywood films, county and state records are some examples of the types of records kept below.

They reassure their clients with a guarantee shown above.

Certainly a nice way to spend an afternoon.

Tomorrow we head on down the road to Bartlesville, OK.