When we decided that Kansas was our destination for our vacation I got very excited. People thought Kansas was a weird place to get excited about, but to me this was going home. Kansas holds my heart it’s what made me well me. Dave started making lists (he loves researching places) of the things he wanted to see and do. One of the places I wanted to go was the Garden of Eden.
When I was around 10 years old we lived in Lucas for a short time. I remember going to the Garden everyday it wasn’t open to the public but for some reason I was allowed to wander around the grounds and it was spectacular. I would sit on the benches and make up stories in my mind about all the statues I was fascinated. At that time there was a caretaker, Jake Wolbert, he and I became unlikely friends. He would tell me about the different pieces and just walk around with me and answer all my questions.
When Dave and I drove up to the Garden I had tears in my eyes I was so thrilled to be there again. Things had changed a bit from my childhood memories, it was so much bigger and grander in my mind, but I was still fascinated. Now the house is open as a museum and there’s a tour of the grounds. As I was talking to the girl that runs the museum I told her my story from childhood, she asked my name and I was so surprised that she remembered my brother Mark but I guess they don’t get very many people in town with the last name Cowherd.
I fell in love with the place all over again when I heard the stories about the place and how it was restored.
