Wondering where I have been for the last few weeks? Everywhere! I have been working like a mad woman back and forth between Kansas and Missouri for both my jobs. This resulted in a lot of traveling, but absolutely no free time to talk about it. So I'm going to work on getting caught up, starting with my trip last Tuesday to the Kansas Capitol building in Topeka!I went to Topeka for a rally and to join many supporters of women's access to health care in delivering petitions to Governor Parkinson. But, this is not my political or ideological forum so enough about that and on to the Capitol building itself.
A significant portion of the capitol building is currently under renovation so there is little to see on the south side except for scaffolding. The original capitol building took thirty-seven years to complete from 1885 to 1922 and cost $3,200,588.92.
Like most state capitols, the Kansas Capitol building features a prominent dome. The tradition of the dome is meant to model a state's capitol after the nation's capitol building in Washington D.C., though there are a few notable exceptions. The Kansas dome keeps with the Corinthian and French architecture style and was part of the original 1885 design of the capitol, but the figure on top of the dome is new.
The figure is named Ad Astra, meaning "to the stars." The bronze statue, added in 2002, is 22 feet and 2 inches tall and weighs 4,420 pounds. (Fun Fact: The oldest known graffiti on the dome dates back to 1903.) I didn't have time, what with my political activities and all, but you can tour the inside of the dome. If you can make it up 296 steps to the top of the dome that is.
Total Trip Time: 6 hours
Total Travel Distance: 140 miles
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You've been busy! And yes, I had been wondering where you'd been.
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