Nomad Life - Day 368

With no need to drive anywhere, it was nice to be able to just do a "normal" telework day...  I was up at the new (Central Time) 0545 (before alarm) and got on my computer right after that.  Since the Nendels Inn & Suites (Dodge City) didn't offer breakfast, I didn't eat a morning meal.  Meanwhile, outside, there was a terrible wind blowing all morning.  But I was warm (despite a visible crack of light showing through the door jamb) in my room.  I ended up skipping lunch too, hoping for a chance to eat a more substantial meal at a restaurant nearby.  As a result, I worked until 1445 (Central Time Zone) and then called it a day.  Soon after that, I left my hotel and drove west into the Downtown area of Dodge City.  By then, it was mostly sunny (56 F) but it was still very windy.  After looking for some places where I might be able to add air to my tire (all charged money), I deferred that action until later in the week.  Instead, I parked near a huge gateway arch that read "Wickedest Little City in the West".  In the same area, I found lots of statues of Wild West figures (Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Doc Holiday, etc.).  I also found one alley named "Gunsmoke Street" and there were murals and other signs of history (actual and TV).  Everything looked like it had been renovated recently so it was a nice thing to see.  Before long, I arrived at a large building and saw that it was called the Boot Hill Museum.  Hoping to learn more about the frontier past of Dodge City, I bought a ticket (1515) and started walking through the exhibits.  Everything was very interactive and I learned far more than I expected about the founding of the town, the wild and untamed period of its heyday and the modern advancements that this little city on the prairie had in the early Twentieth Century - it was well ahead of its time for the era, I think.  The highlight of the visit was climbing up to the top of Boot Hill, where I found dozens of grave markers (and some ceramic boot tips).  Each marker also had an explanatory historical sign next to it and it really showed the character of the people who settled the area.  Even though most of the burials had apparently been moved to a new cemetery over 100 years ago, the whole effect of simulating the famous historical cemetery was really great.  After that, I visited the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame (another building on the Museum property).  In the same building, I found an homage to the TV Series "Gunsmoke" (lots of autographed photos and memorabilia).  There was even an old TV showing the classic program on (I presume) a continuous loop.  Next, I made my way to the mock up of old Front Street, Dodge City.  Every store front represented a historical business and, inside, I saw all kinds of artifacts and biographical context.  One of the highlights in this area was finding beer (1872 Lager by Dodge City Brewing) and and liquor (Red Eye Whiskey by Boot Hill Distillery, which came with a commemorative shot glass).  After ordering one of each (1550), I stood at the bar in the Long Branch Saloon and tried to imagine myself back in the Wild West days...   The bartender was a young woman about the age of my daughters and it was interesting to hear her perspective about her job, the history of the town, life on Dodge City and, at one point, some philosophy about life in general.  When I was done with my visit to the saloon, I completed walking through the mock-up block and then entered several original buildings that had apparently been moved into the Museum property.  Everything I saw was well presented and I really felt like I'd gotten a real slice of history by buying the ticket.  Even better, I reached about 1.5 miles of walking while I was exploring all the exhibits.  With my museum visit concluded, I drove west on Wyatt Earp Boulevard and started looking for food.  By that point, I really wanted to find a steak house but hadn't bothered to look on my Google Maps app.  As a result, I only saw fast food food options.  Feeling quite hungry (no meal all day), I decided to stop at Dairy Queen for dinner (1700) and ate inside the restaurant.  Once my "hangry" feelings had subsided (1720), I drove east again and located a large expanse of green on the south side of the main drag - for the next hour, I went walking in and around Wright Park.  Along the way, I located a KOA, an active polling place (it was Election Day) and some birds.  The sun set over the distant horizon (much earlier than I expected) 0 it looked very pretty.  During this walk, I added 2.5 miles to my overall total of four miles for the day.  When it was finally too dark to continue, I got back in my car and headed to the hotel (arrived at 1835).  The rest of the evening was consumed by watching Election Results.  America surely spoke through their voting today...  Ultimately, I didn't go to bed until about 2315 and was sure I'd have trouble sleeping.  Regardless, I'm very glad I explored Dodge City today!