Front Street at Dodge City, KS. This is their old west town. It sits just off Wyatt Earp Blvd.
I had planned to be on the road at 11 AM, spending two hours in town. But we enjoyed ourselves so much, at least I did, that we spent an extra half hour there. We made a pit stop in Arkansas City, KS, about 1 ½ hours later. Jessi started complaining and crying that her back hurt, and she was cramped, and she was stuck with two people who couldn’t breathe right. I got after her again. More sternly, but just a few sentences to get my point across. I thought she was being not only a bit selfish, but disrespectful. In her defense, we had that mini-van packed pretty full and there was not much room to spread out. Both her and Arielle had been dealing with it for 10 days now. We rearranged some and moved the seat up a notch to give them some more room, But, Jessi did not seem the least bit grateful for the effort.
Gunfight on Front Street
So now I’m in a bad mood. I brooded, thinking about how that she is right, that we are all being inconvenienced by taking Mom and Dad. But, that is balanced by the fact that this vacation was about getting Dad back home once before he dies. So, I’m becoming angry because Jessi is not sucking it up, and I’m pissed because I couldn’t do anything about the situation. So, y the time we pulled into Wichita about an hour later, I’m ready to bite.
It didn’t take long. We planned to stop in Wichita to eat. At dinner Jessi said something, and I don’t even remember what she said. But, I had worked myself into hair-trigger mode. She got both barrels. She was in tears in seconds.
Mom and Dad with the gunfighters in front of the Long Branch. Marshal Dillon would be proud.
Margo came to her defense and she got some too. I regretted yelling at them almost immediately, but I was tired too. Margo talked to her some; we finished eating, and got back in the mini-van.
We had about three more hours of driving before we get to Dodge City. That was a long time to be in a bad mood. I made up my mind I had to try and fix this. I couldn’t swallow my pride and apologize, which would have been the right thing to do. So, I had to think of something else. We had brought along several CDs of music to listen to help shorten the drive. I popped in the one I had made, that I used to work out to. It is filled with very upbeat and energetic music. It always improves my mood. When that was done, I put in one of the Paul Harris CDs we had just bought. It worked. By the time we got to Dodge her mood (& everyone else’s) had improved.
The bar at the Long Branch. We had sasparillas, because we were tenderfoots.
She even laughed at a joke or two.
We pulled into Dodge City at about 5:30 PM. This was better than an hour later than I had planned.
I’ll interrupt this narrative to defend my, or at least explain, my seemingly anal retentive attitude towards these trips. Through friends and family I have listened to tales of trips they have taken and horror stories that reoccur. Tales of really wanting to do something, but finding out they were closed when they got there. Stories of waiting endlessly in lines because it was “free day”. Whining that they did not know a certain festival, event or attraction was there or going on.
We saw a variety show at the Long Branch after eating our Chuckwagon Supper. These were the Can-Can dancers
And of time wasted driving endlessly trying to find a suitable hotel. All of this under the guise of being spontaneous or not being tied down to a schedule. “We’re on vacation!” I respond, with two words “Horse Shit” There are a certain number of hours in the day and so many things to see and do. To not try and allocate time to make happen what you want to happen is just stupid. To me, if you don’t know what you want to see and do before you leave, you’re either lazy or deluded. Good trips don’t just happen. Now, can you over plan and make yourself crazy. You betcha. I try to avoid that and leave room to make changes as we see fit. But, if it’s 100 miles from Point A to Point B, I am going to know if I am going to know if it should take a bit under two hours to drive or more like three. When I get there I am not going to have to waste time searching for a hotel. I will know when the things are open that we want to see and will make arrangements so we are there in time. So when I say I was better than an hour behind schedule doesn’t mean life will now come to an end, it just means that we will now have to see what needs to be changed to make the most out of what time is left.
Miss Kitty
Isn’t it funny, that on a trip you have that luxury? But, in real life you don’t.
Our Dodge City plans included looking around the Boot Hill Museum and Front Street. They have gunfights scheduled throughout the day there. We also wanted to attend the Chuckwagon Supper they do there each night, and then see the Variety Show at the Long Branch Saloon. So as soon as we got into Dodge we skipped checking into our hotel (I always confirm late arrival with my credit card) and went straight to Front Street.
Front Street was the main road in Old West Dodge City.
There were guys too.
It was patrolled by the likes of Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and Bill Tilghman back in the day. Now a big section of it has been “preserved’ as their old town. There is a museum, an old west city street with shops and gunfights, a stagecoach, and a replica of the old Boot Hill Cemetery. Nothing is original, but it feels TV western enough to be fun.
I went inside the Boot Hill Museum gift shop and checked the schedule of things for the rest of the day. The Chuckwagon Supper was at 6 PM, the final gunfight of the day was at 7 PM, and the Variety Show was at 7:30 PM.
I think Dad had a good time
We could do the museum tomorrow before we left for home. Perfect. As we had a half an hour before dinner, we went into the Long Branch. The Long Branch, made famous on the TV show “Gunsmoke”, was a real saloon, although it wasn’t run by Miss Kitty. But, Gunsmoke was one of Dad’s favorite shows so we had to have a drink in the Long Branch. Dad had quit drinking a couple of years ago, but for greenhorns and tenderfeet the Long Branch served their own Sarsaparilla. We all were relaxing nicely and in a much better mood. I tipped the bar lady $5, partially because of this change in spirits. I usually over tip a bit, anyway. I have a bit of sympathy for those that have to earn a living on the whim of those they serve. Dad really liked his drink and got an unopened on to take back home with him.
We headed over to the Occident Saloon for the Chuckwagon Supper.
The girls, too
They served a meal of BarBQ, corn, and biscuits. Lemonade or tea to drink and baked apples for dessert. It was really pretty good. They served it on old tin plates and cups, which added to the ambiance. We finished up in plenty of time, walked around the shops a bit, and then found a place to watch the gunfight. I have seen plenty of these gunfights. Places like Old Tucson in Arizona, Buckskin Joes in Colorado, and as recently as Abilene, KS on this trip all put them on. The one here in Dodge had plenty of action, but was lacking a bit on dialogue to tell the story. Still how wrong can you go watching the black hats vanquished by the white hats?
Back in 1994 when we were Dodge City on another trip we had taken in the Variety Show then.
I know I did!
We all really liked it. It had a great mix of comedy, skits, and Can-Can dancers. Dad did not go with us back then, and through Mom’s descriptions it was the one thing he really regretted not seeing. The show did not disappoint him. Miss Kitty came out and got things going. One of the first things she did was to introduce the Can-Can girls, and gave the patrons the opportunity to buy garters from the ladies. One $1 you got a garter and got to take it off the ladies leg. Well, who could pass that up? The ladies in the crowd (really not much of a crowd, maybe 15-20 people) got to buy garters from the male bartenders, who would later sing a bit. So after we had insured that everyone in our group had at least one garter, and the other tables did the same, the show began. Miss Kitty had a solo number and she went out into the crowd and serenaded one guy from the crowd. For some reason, doubtless my incredible looks, she picked me. I imagine I was red in the face by the time she was done. Margo was laughing so hard she forgot to preserve the moment for posterity with the camera.
Arielle, Jessi, and Margo doing their Shamu imitaion at the pool of the Dodge House, where we stayed that night.
And later on, she provided a piece of information that cleared up the mystery of why I was chosen. Miss Kitty was our barkeep from earlier! Best five bucks I ever spent, even if my ego did have to take a bruise. After the show was over they all hung around for pictures. We all got our picture take with either the guys or the girls. We would have a hard time getting the grin off of Dad’s face.
It was still pretty early, but we were all dead tired. We went to the Dodge House, our hotel and checked in. We had stayed there in 1994 and liked it’s odd layout and feel. It had an indoor pool in the courtyard, which the girls took advantage of. The only thing we didn’t like was the twin beds. But it wasn’t like that was going to keep us awake. Once we climbed into bed, sleep came very easy.
Old West Fans DO NOT MISS! Everyone else will love it, too!
The Boot Hill Museum and Front Street is great way to spend a day! The title of the attraction is woefully inadequate to describe what they have to offer. Front Street was the avenue in old west Dodge City where all of the action happened in the 1870s. Here they have recreated a block’s worth of that street, complete with the Long Branch Saloon (Gunsmoke!) and a schoolhouse. There are gunfights a couple of times a day, plus a street show, featuring a snake oil salesman. On Front Street, a stagecoach can be had to take you on a ride around the near area of Dodge City.
The museum itself has several quality exhibits. My favorite was their gun exhibit, with many examples of firearms found in the last quarter of the 19th century. Other exhibits cover the railroad, Indians, the television show Gunsmoke, and other Dodge City subjects. Out in the back of the museum is a recreation of the old Boot Hill Cemetery. This is where the indigent or unclaimed were buried. The cemetery got its name because many of its occupants got there while still fully clothed, as opposed to nice comfortable death, in bed, at an old age.
Later in the evening a Chuckwagon Supper is offered. The menu while not varied is very delicious. It is served on authentic looking tin plates and cups. Finishing out the day is the Variety Show at Long Branch Saloon. This show with Can-Can dancers, and various skits is much more wholesome then it sounds and is very good.
Would I do it again? Yes, absolutely. I’ve been to Dodge City twice now, and I wouldn’t consider not stopping by if I am there again. Even if you have no interest in the Old West, the gunfights, snake oil show, stagecoach ride, chuckwagon supper, and variety show will keep you entertained.
