IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

We continue onward.  I always like crossing the Missouri river, usually I'm on my way to Michelle's house.  This time is different, we are on our way to Kansas.  Bypassing Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, MO -we are beginning to see massive expanses of land, with the vegetation and landscape varying by different types of scrub grasses and bushes. 

Billboards promising viewing the largest hand-dug well in the world, lured us off the highway.  

As we are driving into the town of Greensburg, Kansas I was curious as to why the town looked so new.  Why would anyone build a brand new town way out here?  We found the well and down the street was a "Green" house tour.  A roundish house sits on the corner and the tour guide was just starting a tour.  Unknowing to us when entering, there was a reporter taping the tour for St. Louis public television. 

Three years ago a tornado destroyed 95% the town and homes in Greensburg, Kansas. A challenge was laid in the laps of Greensburg residents and business owners.       Rebuilding. 
On the tour we learned the town made the decision to rebuild using as much "green" technology as possible. Residents needed places to live and brought in prefab homes/each with some "green" qualities/as each could afford.  What a great decision-what a great decision, especially with such an appropriate name for the town!


The downtown area looks like a town from the future! 

See what I mean?  The town has clean lines and "green" is used everywhere.  
We were fascinated by the driveway of the home we toured. It looks like blacktop with little stones in it.  The tour guide showed us a small piece of the driveway and how the water flows through-due to the small holes in the driveway.  Rain drains through, snow melts and drains, water drains as you wash your car. What an amazing invention.  

The toilet has two flushes, using less water when needed.  The back of the toilet is a sink, using clean water.  
Sleek design!  The places that we live in are very small, this might be the ticket.  Hmmmm...brushing the teeth may be an issue? 


Water flowing through a piece of the driveway. If I had a driveway, I would want it to be like this one!

The school was one of the first buildings replaced.  If people were going to stay in Greensburg, their children needed a school.  It is a great new building, built "green." 

The tour guide explained the school has it's own windmill to generate power/ backed up on the grid if needed. 

One unique, unusual feature in back of the house reminded me of the bomb shelters of years gone by. 
An old propane tank was cleaned up and refurbished to be a tornado shelter. Cemented to the ground, a door, windows, lock, and holes for air. The house was designed by the architect that designed the roundish, dome homes in Florida that I previously posted on my blog. The house has rounded walls so the winds skim by, past and around/hopefully.  
       If not, the propane tank shelter is available. 

Inside of propane tank/shelter.

ROAD TRIP ~ ~ ~ ~

            TWO WEEKS ON THE ROAD ~ YES ~ WONDERFUL TRIP 


Planning our first trip together, my sister Geri and I decided to go to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  I knew she never saw Mount Rushmore, so I suggested we go north on the way back, as we were ending our trip in Wisconsin Dells, just another state over to the Dells!
Leaving on Labor Day was a great choice.  Very little traffic!  
Setting the GPS for the shortest distance was a choice we later laughed about.  It took us forever to leave WI!  Forty miles per hour isn't feasible for a trip that was going to be thousands of miles.  When the GPS said continue 120 miles and the speed limit was 40, we decided to reset the GPS and look at a map!  
Finding a more reasonable route/and speed/we were off! 

Our first stop being the Amana Colonies, where Geri met the lady on the postcards there.  She has worked in this store over 35 years.  She autographed the post card that Geri purchased.

 Amana General Store

         
Besides the shops there is a family type restaurant and small villages that are only a few miles down the road. 








Having a stop to stretch and explore we continued down the road to our next adventure.