Nice report (makes me wish I had done something similar on my last
couple of trips cross country.)

I've done the same thing (buying a california vanagon) 3 times now.
Recognized quite a few of those locales you went through.

As to Kansas...Route 50 is a more interesting route across Kansas than
I-70. Parallels the Arkansas river. I travelled that route last August.
You also get to go through Dodge City (Wyatt Earp and all that).