Lay off of Kansas! (Emporia, El Dorado: property taxes, to live, move)

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by RememberMee

Personally I feel claustrophobic when surrounded by "wide open land" of Kansas.

"Claustrophobic" in wide open spaces? Claustrophobia is the fear of small, closed in places. You know, like a Metro station in DC! Maybe you mean "agoraphobic".

In any event, I have been to many densely populated places and after a short time in a "big city" the wide open spaces of Kansas are beautiful sight to me!!

[kcmo]

God, there are so many states worse than Kansas, I wonder if people ever drive the country's interstates.

[catfishing]

Originally Posted by kcmo

God, there are so many states worse than Kansas, I wonder if people ever drive the country's interstates.

Maybe they don't...or maybe it's a lack of man-made visual stimulation. Many of the people that claim to say Kansas is boring, ugly, flat, and has nothing for people to do are the same people that think they'd just die if there wasn't a Starbucks, Wal Mart, and McDonalds within a mile or two of where they live.

[pioneer88]

Originally Posted by kcmo

God, there are so many states worse than Kansas, I wonder if people ever drive the country's interstates.

I knew I liked you KCMO .

For those of you that are new to the site. KCMO's street cred when it comes to the topic of travel is off the charts. Speaking of which, where are headed next?

[GraniteStater]

I-70 is much better than I-57.

However, Kansas has a nearly complete lack of public lands. That means you have to be friends with landowners or know some friends who have land that one can access for passive or active recreation. I think that is what the poster meant. You have plenty of wide open spaces, but 99% of them are all privately owned. This is entirely different from the Western states or in the Appalachians where you have huge tracts of conservation lands, national parks, or national forests that are public access.
Kansas has very few conserved areas other than CRP lands, and has some of the most disturbed lands by humans. However, a very small percentage of original tallgrass prairie remains in Kansas (Tallgrass Prairie Preserve- Chase County + Konza Prairie Preserve- south of Manhattan. I am a member and donor to that organization as their efforts are now international in scope.

[sirchickenczarsalad]

The drive between El Dorado and Emporia is like going on a moon scape, miles and miles of empty junk land.

[itsMeFred]

Originally Posted by catfishing

Maybe they don't...or maybe it's a lack of man-made visual stimulation. Many of the people that claim to say Kansas is boring, ugly, flat, and has nothing for people to do are the same people that think they'd just die if there wasn't a Starbucks, Wal Mart, and McDonalds within a mile or two of where they live.

Personally, I think it's just a complete lack of imagination. Only boring people get bored.

[pioneer88]

Originally Posted by sirchickenczarsalad

The drive between El Dorado and Emporia is like going on a moon scape.

Thanks! The US and USSR alone have spent billions on trying to get to the moon.

ps. if you think the prairie is "empty" then you have no clue. To the naked eye the ocean you and I both love is "empty." Like the ocean the Prairie isn't always obvious in all the wildlife, flora and fauna that it holds.

pps. (I'm not saying they're the exact same thing, so before you try )

[Shinedown]

I have relatives in Kansas, and while it's flat, it at least has trees and provides a moderately scenic landscape. The four seasons in Kansas are great, and I always have fun going out and hunting pheasant in the fall. The people are very friendly, but then again, I'm not a big fan of that "small town mentality" that's moderately prevalent in Kansas. But otherwise I enjoy Kansas, particularly western Kansas. It's a very relaxed environment.

[Nexis4Jersey]

I wouldn't mind Storm Chasing in Kansas , other then that , is there really anything? You guys need to build something Big unique and Attractive...