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It's strange to have a 21-year relationship with something but to hardly know it at all. I grew up in this state, but Kansas and I haven't ever known each other intimately. To me, it seemed like Kansas didn't want to get to know me. It hid its beautiful face behind boring chapters in history textbooks, flat fields that appeared to be full of nothing and some of the most yawn-filled turnpike driving in the entire country.

Only after I spent a few months in Germany this summer did I realize the importance of place. I spent just one day in Berlin, a city of way too many people for my mind to handle, sitting on a bench feeling a little like Zach Braff in the couch scene in the 2004 film "Garden State," life flying by me without anything sinking in.

That's when I knew that Lawrence and Kansas had to be different. They meant something to me. Berlin didn't, no matter how many silly sight-seeing tours I went on.

So what about a sight-seeing tour of Lawrence? What sights elude KU students who think that the world ends at Mass Street? (I used to think that too, but now that I live on Mass, I'm forced to break outside of that boundary.) It took me three years to realize that I knew so little about the place that I call home.

My partner Ally Shaw and I drove to different sights around Lawrence, possibly hoping to rekindle that relationship with Kansas. Here's what we found:

1. Plow at 27th and Crossgate http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... ...OK, or maybe what we didn't find. Ally and I drove past the plow a few times before we finally broke down and Googled better directions, and we happened to realize we were right where we were supposed to be. Technology may be killing us, as one side of the plow's graffiti reads, but for us, it kept the plow alive.

2. Water Tower on Sixth Street in West Lawrence http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... We are unsure why this is an important Lawrence landmark, but we did enjoy the scenic drive to get there!

3. Wading Pool in South Park http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... Unfortunately, we came too late to see anyone wading.

4. Bowersock Dam http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... The Lawrence City Commission recently approved plans to spend up to $2.4 million to repair the Bowersock Dam. The dam is more than 100 years old and is leaking, according to federal regulators.

5. Amtrak Station near Seventh and New York http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... This is a place that I hold near and dear to my heart, especially after being amazed by the train system in Germany. I've taken the 12:32 a.m. train to Newton and lived to tell the tale. The group Depot Redux has started restorations on the depot, and each day, it looks a little more lively.

6. Watkins Bank Building http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... I'm such a sucker for architecture in Kansas from the late 1800s. This is an absolutely stunning building that now houses the Watkins Community Museum of History.

7. Former Liberty Memorial High School http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... Formerly Liberty Memorial High School, Central Junior High is one of the oldest schools in Lawrence. The school's mascot is the mustang.

8. Giant metal sphere used to make paper http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... This landmark took us the longest to find, despite all the claims that we read about it being "giant." We still aren't sure about where it came from or how it ended up resting near the parking garage near Seventh and Rhode Island.

9. El Matador http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... El Matador Cafè is one of the oldest still-standing buildings in Lawrence. However, the Cafè seems to be in two separate buildings and we were unsure which of the two is older.

10. Former Lawrence Fire Station #4 http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... The Underground Railroad Association of Douglas County would like to turn this former Lawrence Fire Station #4 into The Grover Barn Underground Railroad Interpretive Center/Abolition Museum. The building would house information about the history of the structure as well as the history of the Underground Railroad and would be used to teach schoolchildren and tourists.

11. Polaris Missile in Centennial Park http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... The Polaris Missile was constructed during the Cold War. Money to purchase the land for the park was raised by school children then sold to the City for $1 in 1954. The park is currently a hot spot for college students to play disc golf.

12. Mural at Hobbs Park softball stands http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... This mural on the back of the stands of Municipal Stadium was put together by the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association in 2004. The mural showcases this history of the neighborhood, depicting images of Quantrill’s raid and games played at the stadium.

13. Clinton Lake http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... It was hard to resist the pull of swimming, boating and hiking on the lovely Sunday afternoon that we visited Clinton Lake.

14. ATSF Locomotive in Watson Park http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... It's amazing how the importance of trains diminished so quickly in the United States, and we now view them like they're zoo animals: something that we observe behind the gates.

15. Bandstand in South Park http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... The William Kelly Bandstand celebrated its centennial in March of 2006. Today the bandstand still serves its purpose as the City Band performs concerts during the summer.

16. Former Union Pacific Depot http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... This former train station now houses the Lawrence Visitors Center. This depot was a passenger station until 1971 and used to be a major community gathering place.

17. KU Boathouse in Burcham Park http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... The Boathouse in Burcham Park is used by the University’s rowing teams. The area surrounding the Boathouse is full of activity as locals fish and picnic along the river.

18. Japanese Friendship Garden http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... This treasure near 11th and Massachusetts, completed in 2000, was created for the 10th anniversary of Lawrence's sister city status with Hiratsuka, Japan. The garden is one of the best places to relax in town.

19. The Granada http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... The Granada has been a vaudeville theater, a movie theater, a comedy club, and a concert venue in its 70 years. In the upcoming months, the Granada will host the Airborne Toxic Event, Tech N9ne and Young Buck, among others.

20. The Pat Dawson Billings Nature Area http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/e... Getting turned around in West Lawrence led us to find this slice of nature in the middle of a neighborhood. The area includes native grasses, cycling and walking paths and areas to fish.