I decided early on to build in some time to explore on my own while on tour. But I don't always hit the usual spots. While in Wichita for a signing at Watermark, I hit up Cassoday, the Prarie Chicken capital of the WORLD. The cafe there was full of real cowboys slamming down fried chicken - not prairie, but regular.


It's interesting how attitudes change. This is the original jail in Council Grove, Ks. It's all metal. There's no ventilation. The day I visited, it was 102 degrees. This was considered an acceptable thing only 50 years ago. Now, we couldn't put the people at Guantanamo in something like this. I'm not taking sides on the Gitmo thing here - just pointing out that the meaning of the word "torture" definitely is fluid.