So it's starting to look like a move to Kansas. As so many others, leaving Washington has become a priority, and the land of constitutional carry is calling.

My brother and his girl, (who I've shared a home and work with for years now) have put a bid on a property in Elk County. It's a half gutted 5 bedroom sitting on a couple acres, just outside of a small town of 600. It's on the green side of the state, and the entire area is studded with private hunting reserves.

The current plan is for my brother and I to move out there to work full-time to finish the remodel, while the little lady remains behind to finish close-out of her job, and the family contractor biz "Trusty Hammer GC".

You could say I'm stoked...
So, anyone have any experience in southeastern Kansas? My bro split his years growing up there just outside of Wichita at his dads. I was raised 2 hrs south in Tulsa, but have 0 experience with Kansas.

My only experience with Kansas was driving through - in winter - in a blizzard... So cold the snow really wasn't "sticking" but blowing horizontally. Flat. Windy. Cold.

If you don't mind a bucolic lifestyle, chasing chickens, or errant cows... growing a good garden.... Don't mind cold winters and hot summers and you're away from KC, why not?

These are your retirement years? Don't have to commute anywhere?

I’ve spent a cumulative several months working in Independence over the last 20 years or so on temp assignments. People are generally nice, very rural lifestyle. Winters are cold and snowy, summers are hot and humid. Tornados are not uncommon. Spring and fall are nice. If you are used to ‘ Big City’ stores and restaurants, it’s a trip to Wichita or farther. Can’t say much about hunting/ fishing/ shooting as I was working during my visits.

Spent a lot of time in Wichita. Nice town. Hot as hell in the summer. Cold and windy In the winter. Like zero degrees F cold. Lots of outdoor stuff to do. Good pheasant hunting and fishing. Shitty skiing.

Dorothy and Toto were from Kansas, so there’s that. LOL
On a serious note though, the western part of the state backs up to Colorado and you have the black hills with trees and good hunting. While stationed in Fort Carson Colorado years ago I went on a road trip with a couple of buddies to Kansas and it was so hot and humid that I did not enjoy the trip at all and I’m from the south.

Good luck leaving the communist state of Washington only too are leaving.

I grew up in Broken Arrow Oklahoma, so I'm familiar with the climate, pace, and culture of the region. I still have some family, and a life-long friend there as well.

I'm just now getting acquainted with the property that they've chosen, and this house is nuts. Turns out that it's only sitting on a single acre, but it's a corner lot. Originally built in 1870. 2 floor colonial, with a complete attic and basement. 12' accoustic drop panel ceilings, and maybe a couple feet from there to the actual floor joists. There's a brand new furnace, with 2 new additional vented wood burning stoves. A 20'x15' sunroom with a deck above, a separate 5'x10' widow walk...and stonework bar in the basement.

Holy crap, I can't wait to see this moneypit for myself.

That house looks awesome!

I have quite a lot of experience with that area, Wichita and Hutchison.

Tornados are real and they suck. The epitome of how much they suck is when you're hiding in your basement at midnight and you can't SEE the tornado and have no idea where it actually is but you can hear it. This is why I left.

They have huge venomous snakes and venomous spiders, get used to that. They come inside for warmth. They will try to bite you and your animals.

The summers are pretty hot, but the winters are worse than Alaska by far. The wind chill and ice storms will fuck you up. Expect to lose power often and to not be able to get out anywhere. Do not try to go outside when the wind chill is -20 or below, it hurts and will mess up your face. Most roads are dirt roads so get ready for that wear on your vehicles and the constant de-ice they use on the roads.

It's really flat as hell. No mountains, small trees and the trees are always near streams or ponds so few and far between. Some people have fear of crowded spaces, some people have anxiety about featureless wide open spaces.

The teenagers there get into a LOT of drugs, alcohol and weekend bad decision making, so watch your ass on the roads late at night.

On the plus side the people who live there are WAYYYYYYYY friendlier than any on the coasts. They really will drop everything to chat with or help a stranger. I made the best friends of my life there.

If you stumble across and 1920's or 1930's fords at a good price, i know a guy that likes to buy cars in kansas and bring them west. He hasnt made a run in a few years, but he sold me a couple gems.

I grew up in Manhattan, I miss it some days but often don’t


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Fuck Kansas. Fucking fuck everything about Kansas.

I grew up in Missouri. I lived in Oklahoma for a while. I’ve been all over the Midwest and I have been through Kansas more times than any human should.

There should be no speed limit in Kansas. You should be allowed to drive through that wasteland as fast as possible.

The only redeeming thing about Kansas is that it reminds you that literally anywhere else in the US is better.

If you want to move there, that is your choice. But so help me, if I ever have to drive that direction I will go 20 hours out of my way to avoid the whole state.

I hope the house isn't a historic site or require the renovations be done in the old style. I love the old farm/plantation style houses, as I lived in one for a while. It looks awesome.. Be prepared for small rooms, weird layouts, and lots of electrical and plumbing issues. Most of these houses were built before plumbing and electrical, and most of the time it was just thrown in whichever way to make things work.

You should have a root cellar.. and old school cellar...under the building.. where people stored jarred goods year round. It should be about 60* year round and is a great escape from the 100*+ summer heat..

Winters are cold. Summers are hot. You have 4 full seasons. Tornados are a thing. You'll have E85 at every pump, and cheap beef.

If you like older cars, barn finds, or cheap cars in general, you'll love KS.

I grew up in southern Nebraska, so I'm not a stranger to Kansas. There's a lot of nothing in Kansas, super flat. If you see trees, there is probably a house nearby.

I grew up on a farm, 4 miles from a town of 600-ish, 15 miles from a town of 10K. Get used to small town livin' - since you'll be new, expect stares from everyone, since they won't know who you are. My wife had a hard time with this. We'd go to a place to shoot pool, or eat out, and everyone would stare at us. It wasn't a rude thing, it was people thinking "I've never seen them before, who are they?" In a small town, everyone knows everyone. As a stranger, expect a few confused looks at first.

In Washington, there really aren't a lot of bugs compared to the midwest. When you drive at night in KS, expect your windshield will be covered in bug splatters. Just a thing... Really fun on a motorcycle (not).

Weather is a thing. In the summer the humidity is a killer. Not uncommon to have 100 degree temps, with 90 percent humidity. You're sweating as soon as you step outdoors. Winter weather is another thing. Always keep a store of food. Ice storms can take the power out for weeks. Always good to have a wood burning stove or fireplace as a backup. Tornados happen, but their damage typically isn't wide spread.

Snakes... Well, I hate snakes, because I grew up in Nebraska. I would imagine KS has it's fair share of rattlesnakes and bull snakes. Keep a spade or a shotgun handy. I have killed so many rattlesnakes - probably close to 100. I've killed them with cars, 22 birdshot, shotguns, chains, even a Coke bottle once.

Not sure about the wind in KS, but in NE, you just have to get used to it. I used to compare summers to a hot hair drier - 100 degree wind.

This may sound like a slam on KS, or the midwest, but it's more of a "eyes wide open" sort of post.

On the plus side, I shot a rifle of some sort almost every day. Never shot a pistol while I lived in NE - thought they were stupid at the time.

Pheasant and quail hunting is a blast, especially if you get a good dog.

Traffic is non existent! Love being able to drive care free. If people see 10 cars on the road, they think it's busy.

Best of luck, looks like a super cool house!

Well since snakes have been mentioned, especially rattlesnakes, I would definitely be at a disadvantage because I would not hear the MFrs before they bit me...
Did I mention that I hate snakes???

Good luck with your endeavors.

I share that same hate and discontent for Kalifornia, I worked there off and on for a few years and despised the cancer...
Fukk the Kalifornication that has happened to the beautiful states of Washington and Oregun.