Coronado's Castle

On top of a rocky hill, resting in the middle of the Kansas prairie lies a stone castle: Coronado's Castle. It's a beautiful place where travelers can stop for a bird's eye view of its rich rural heritage and undisturbed acres of grassland.

Tucked away in my archives, buried in the year 2005, lives a post I wrote about the castle at Coronado Heights. It's a place that has always been dear to me; a place to go where I can find beauty, peace and an abundance of memories.

It is truly a breathtaking journey, this road that leads to the top of Coronado, and the stay is one that lingers in the mind long after the trip has ended. Along the winding road that leads to the top of the hill lies a marker that reads: "A Place to Share", and through that sharing comes moments which are never shaken, nor ever very far away.

My favorite time to visit Coronado is when no one else is there. It then becomes a treasured secret, a hidden escape that leaves no admittance to the outside world. Cares drift away on the Kansas wind and the soul finds a resting place of contentment among the rustling grasses and wildflowers.

There are trails to explore and something new to see each time. Remnants of past loves and memories are left in stones scattered around the hill, yet enhance instead of distract from the setting, as if they have always been a part of its history.

Inside the castle, one can make his way up the steep, spiraled staircase to the top of the world that can rival any city skyscraper in its view.
Fields lay like patchwork quilts along the landscape and small farms dot the top like colorful buttons, tying it all together. The busyness of the city lies far in a distant dream upon the canvas, and there is no room for ill thoughts in the vast loveliness.

Stone picnic tables are scattered on the edge of the hill, inviting intimate meals and quiet conversation. And if one is fortunate to be there at twilight he is treated to a private view of a spectacular display of colors, courtesy of God Himself.

The Rockies of Colorado are beautiful in their awesome height and glory, and it's hard to beat the brilliance of an Ozark mountain lit by Autumn. But give me the quiet hilltop off a lonely Kansas road for a place of peace and reflection. I will choose it every time.