Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (or as I knew it Z Bar Ranch)

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, a photo by KS Girl on Flickr.

We started out from Topeka going south to Emporia, then to 50 HWY to Strong City, and worked our way out to Cottonwood Falls, then back through Strong City, then on K177 N through Council Grove, and up to Lower McDowell Creek Road to Manhattan. Which helped to avoid the KSU game day traffic, although it wasn't bad. We spent some time in Manhattan, then drove to Topeka, on HWY 24, although it was dark by that time.
Ponds were all but empty up until north of I-70 on Lower McDowell Creek Road, although I wouldn't call them full by any means, just not bone dry. We could use rain really bad. Tallgrass also had up information about invasive cedar trees, which I was glad to see. I grew up in the Flint Hills, and they can be so beautiful, but if they are left to become overgrown with cedar the beauty will be gone.