FORT SCOTT

Every time I say Fort Scott, in my head it sounds like Doc Brown saying "great Scott". Fort Scott is a small town in Kansas. I pass through it every time I go to visit Mom and Dad and I always look over at the actual fort part of the city and think "that looks interesting", but never take the time to stop. Since it's about an hour and a half south of me and about two hours north for the family, I suggested that we meet there to celebrate Janell's birthday. I thought this would be a great idea because Janell teaches history and talks about all things history. The thing I didn't plan on was the weather. It wasn't necessarily cold, but it was windy. Walking down the main strip of shops was fine because the tall buildings blocked the wind. But out on the Fort the wind knocked you down and kicked you in the ear. We opted for the trolley tour of the town. The trolley tour is actually a great way to see the entire town of Fort Scott. It's also a great way to find out how much all the houses cost. The trolley driver/tour guide pointed out houses right and left tagging the price tag to each. "Look to your right. That house cost $50,000. Look to your left. That house cost $3,000 in 1918 and retails now for $120,000." It was like watching the Price is Right of tennis. But if we hadn't taken the trolley tour, I never would have known that Fort Scott is the home of a National Cemetery. The Ft. Scott National Cemetery is No.1 of the original 12 dedicated by Abraham Lincoln. This was a nice surprise. After the tour we ate pizza at a family owned restaurant right on the main strip. The women running the place were so nice and the pizza reminded me of the Ken's Pizza place we'd go to in Owasso all the time. We ate pizza and told J.R.'s girlfriend, Summer, embarrassing stories of J.R.'s childhood. It was great fun.

After our late lunch we wandered the little shops and antique stores. I bought a new table (that's still in my car. don't worry...I've made plans to get it out of my car). Summer bought her prom dress (exciting!) and we eventually fought the wind to the Fort and poked around a few of the buildings. The Fort is a National Park (Talaura, you can get your passport stamped there!) and it's free (though I put $5 in the donation bin because, well..civic duty). You can go into every single building out there. Some are set up with educational information while other buildings are set up as replicas. I'd love to go back and spend more time (when it's not windy), but I think everyone had a great time. I am constantly surprised by the rich history that surrounds me. I can throw a rock and hit a National Park or historic site or historic trail. This makes the Lisa Simpson in me very happy.