The road stretches across the Kansas prairie, where endless sky meets a quiet city with a powerful past.

In this first episode of 50 States in the Rearview, Erin and her trusty truck Ike roll into Topeka to explore the Kansas State Capitol and the stories that shaped the Sunflower State. From the prairie women who helped build frontier communities to the violent clashes of “Bleeding Kansas,” and from Abraham Lincoln’s connection to the territory to the landmark Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education, Kansas has stood at the crossroads of American history more than once.

Along the way, we’ll reflect on life on the prairie, the quiet resilience of small towns, and why some people still choose to build their lives under the biggest skies in America.

Because here in Kansas, the motto says it all:

 ...