The Big Egg

2025-09-02
MO, KS, CO

This morning I headed around Kansas City in the morning traffic. I should have cleared it last night. In my defense, I had originally planned to visit the WWI museum in KC and I didn't want to backtrack. Also, in the original plan it was Labor Day. I'll save the museum for another day.

But rather than the museum, I decided to visit the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. It was a little out of the way, but I was able to hike three miles on the prairie. I did not see the bison, but it's a big place. I also did not get rained on despite a threatening sky.

They have barns similar to PA bank barns, although the ramps to the second floor seem like a convenience.

"With a whole prairie to eat, I'm stuck in this tiny yard..."

The front ramps do look handy. There is a lower story that is accessible from the back.

After the prairie, I got back on I-70 heading to Pueblo. Google had me leave the interstate between the World's Largest Painted Czech Egg and the World's Largest Easel. The egg is pretty large and seems to only serve to draw in tourists like myself. It appeared to be made of concrete, so they didn't waste a precious dinosaur egg or anything. And if it ever does hatch, whatever comes out will be really tough.

Good thing there isn't a giant mother to sit on this thing!

I didn't go past the easel, so we will have to settle for the verbal picture painted by my friend Marcus who has seen it: "It's a big easel." [Marcus commented on this post: "Your giant egg is nicer looking than the largest painting on an easel, you made the right choice."]

My car is due for an oil change. I didn't want to get it done 1500 miles early, so I figured Pueblo would be the place and I would schedule online. However, when you go to their web sites, every Subaru dealer in Colorado is booked for at least two weeks, some more like a month. Yesterday I tried calling around to see if any had the "first come first serve" oil changes, and the chatbot for the one in Colorado Springs did. The Pueblo one was closed, but they called me back this morning and scheduled me for 8:00 tomorrow which should be just great. Definitely some anxiety as a result of the trip being mostly unplanned, but it seems like it could work out. Fingers crossed.