Bravery on display between rides...
"Well, someone is getting the picture..."
The distance across Kansas from Kansas City, MO to Burlington, CO, is approximately 2,350 miles.
Okay, so that's a slight exaggeration. But not by much. I spent the night half-way across, and it still took all day to get through to Colorado. That was with a 45-MPH cross-wind that actually broke a trim piece off of the car. Yikes!
Even once you're past Kansas, it's still a long way to Denver. But there is a stopping point at Burlington, CO. Burlington is just across the border, and it is home to the Kit Carson County Fairgrounds. On the fairgrounds is a carousel with an interesting history. It's PTC #6, a non-jumping stationary carousel that originally operated at Elitch Gardens. The County Commissioners bought the carousel when it became available, and created a bit of a scandal. The carousel became the property of Kit Carson County, at a few thousand dollars expense that wrecked the political careers of several of the commissioners. The carousel operated for a few years at the County fair, and was maintained by the highway department.
Over the years, the figures on the carousel were never re-painted, but were varnished when they started to show wear. So instead of hundreds of layers of park paint, the figures were covered with many layers of varnish. Eventually, the carousel fell into disuse, and the County used the building as a granary, dumping grain in right on top of the machine. Many years later, the grain was removed from the building and the carousel was cleaned up. Over the years, it has received a new respect from the county, the layers of varnish have been stripped from the figures to reveal the original paint, and in 1976 the ride's Wurlitzer band organ was restored. Today, the carousel operates daily, giving rides at about ten minute intervals. Each ride costs $0.50, and includes a historical talk and a quick tour of the machine and its drive system. Adjacent to the carousel is a small museum and gift shop. The whole operation is funded by Kit Carson County, and is well worth a visit if you're in the area. If you're coming from Kansas, it's just a welcome relief to stop!
Bravery on display between rides...
Oh, there is one more thing. As I was about to leave, a young man posed for a photo. Unfortunately, the person in his group who had a camera was experiencing some kind of a camera failure (flash not working or something like that). I caught the moment on videotape, and pulled an appropriate frame. Here is the shot, and you can click on it for a larger version. If you happen to be (or to know) the person pictured here, please let me know that you've stumbled across your photo!
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
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