http://www.usresident.com/content/articles/us-travel-guides/kansas/ Sat, 19 May 2012 19:12:11 +0000 43200 http://www.usresident.com/content/articles/us-travel-guides/kansas/wichita-kansas-overlooked-tourist-destination-r118 New York, Los Angeles, or even Kansas City do, the Wichita metropolitan area is a wonderful place to visit, with plenty of activities to entertain the whole family.

Wichita is located in south-central Kansas, about 50 miles north of the Oklahoma border. It is the largest city in Kansas, with approximately 365,000 residents. While Wichita is known as the Air Capital of the World, it also has deep roots in the soil, with visitors only needing to drive about 15 minutes in any direction to reach the open farm country.

Perhaps the most famous attraction in Wichita is the Sedgwick County Zoo. Recognized as a world-class institution, the zoo is home to over 2,500 animals representing nearly 500 species. Over the last few years, the zoo has added two new large-scale attractions: Penguin Cove, which was opened in 2007 and is the zoo’s first marine exhibit, and Tiger Trek, which debuted in 2009, and houses Amur tigers, Malayan tigers, red pandas, and many more animals.

For those who like to visit museums, Wichita has several to offer. The most unique of these is the Old CowTown Museum, which traces the history and development of Wichita from its beginnings as a small town in the middle of the Wild West to the cultural center that it has become today. Staffed by several hundred volunteers, many of whom wear traditional pioneer dress, CowTown offers visitors a chance to live and understand Kansas’ history in a way that few places are able to.

Located just across the street from CowTown, on Museum Drive, is the Wichita Art Museum, which is the largest art museum in the state of Kansas. It contains over 7,000 works, predominantly by American artists, in its permanent collection. While they have several important pieces of art, one of the most magnificent displays is the large Chihuly glass bridge and ceiling, which is displayed on the second floor of the museum.

There are three other museums and attractions also located off of Museum Drive: Exploration Place, which is a science and discovery museum that provides hands-on displays for visitors of all ages to explore; Botanica, Wichita’s botanical gardens; and the Mid-America All-Indian Center, which houses a museum and Gallery of Nations, as well as an outdoor Plains Indian Encampment display. The Mid-American All-Indian Center also holds several powwows over the course of the year, which draw crowds from all over the Midwest.

The one neighborhood in Wichita that is truly a must-see is Old Town, a recently revitalized area that has developed into the city’s arts district. If you are visiting Wichita over the last Friday of the month, Old Town plays host to a monthly event called Final Friday, an exceedingly popular art crawl through 20 to 40 gallery spaces spread out across the city. Local artists are given a chance to display and sell their work, with the galleries providing refreshments and music, while the city provides a free shuttle to carry attendees from destination to destination.

If you do not happen to be visiting over the last Friday of the month, though, there are other Old Town attractions to experience, including multiple restaurants, galleries, boutique shops, and a movie theatre, as well as two additional museums.

The Museum of World Treasures provides visitors with a chance to “travel through time” while viewing their exhibits, which range from artifacts recovered from ancient civilizations, to a piece of the Berlin Wall, to a lock of George Washington’s hair. With three floors and hundreds of pieces on display, the Museum of World Treasures is truly one of a kind.

The Great Plains Transportation Museum is also located in Old Town and it allows visitors the opportunity to see six retired locomotives, as well as multiple pieces of rolling stock, and view exhibits filled with railroad history.

If you want to take in a show while in Wichita, there are multiple venues in which to do so. Wichita is home to a symphony orchestra and an opera company, both of which perform at the Century II Convention Center. Wichita is also home to a ballet company and the Stage One theatre company. Just outside of Old Town is the city’s newest venue, the Intrust Bank Arena, which is bringing big name acts and musical performers right into the heart of the city.

If sports are more your thing, Wichita is also home to the Wichita Wingnuts baseball team, the Wichita Thunder hockey team, the ICT Girls roller derby team, and a wide range of Wichita State University NCAA-affiliated sports.

There are also two annual events that are more than worth a special trip to Wichita to enjoy. The first of these is Wichita’s Riverfest, which is held over the course of a week and features big name musical guests, special contests and attractions, block parties, and so much more. It attracts approximately 350,000 visitors annually. The second of these events is the Tallgrass Film Festival, which screens nearly a hundred films over a three-day period, and has close to 7,000 attendees.

So, while Wichita may not be the first place you think of when someone says the words ‘tourist destination,’ if you find yourself in the area, you will be more than pleased with the events and attractions that Wichita has to offer.]]> Sat, 12 May 2012 16:03:20 +0000 c60d060b946d6dd6145dcbad5c4ccf6f http://www.usresident.com/content/articles/us-travel-guides/kansas/middle-kansas-hidden-treasures-r119
Just short of midway across the state at Salina, you will find a turn to the north to Minneapolis, Kansas. Thinking yourself way off course, you begin looking for a portion of the 10,000 lakes touted by Minnesota. Soon you find yourself mesmerized by the continuing beauty of the rolling countryside in the Smoky Hills.

Rolling into the town of Minneapolis, a thriving little farm community, you are first impressed by the cleanliness and well kept streets and parks. The city has all the conveniences and diversity needed to support the surrounding countryside and the people are friendly and genuinely happy to welcome you. As you walk the safe streets, you get a sense that the community has pride and purpose in its place in the heartland.

Not far south from the city limit sign, you will find a little public park called Rock City. Maintained by a local non-profit corporation, you will find some 200 behemoth-sized rocks of calcium carbonate ‘concretions’ that long ago were deposited bit by bit in the softer Dakota Sandstone by underground streams. As the land eroded and weathered away over the course of 100 million years, these rocks, some measuring 27 feet in diameter were left on a surface area covering about two football fields. It is thought by geologists that the spherical remains perhaps began by forming around a small fossil or grain of sand, much like the pearl of an oyster will begin to form around an irritant. This is the largest collection of such geological concretions in the world. Kids and adults are encouraged to experience the rocks fully by climbing upon and walking among them. The suggested three-dollar visitor fee for maintaining the park may be dropped in a coffee can at the door of the visitor center if no one is in attendance.

South and then west from Rock City brings you to Lincoln, Kansas, the post rock capital of Kansas. Much of the industry in Lincoln centers on the quarrying of quartzite. You will get a hint of what the post rock capital means as you begin to notice mile upon mile of the fences along Highway 18 are supported upon posts made of limestone and quarried from ledges in the area. These posts were used extensively to transform the open prairie into manageable farms and pastureland. Many homes, barns and public buildings are seen made of this material.

An enjoyable 25-mile drive west from Lincoln brings you to Lucas, Kansas. Billed as the 8th wonder of the Kansas art world, Lucas is home to the Garden of Eden. Created of concrete in the early years of the 20th century by retired school teacher, S.P. Dinsmoor, the Garden of Eden is a must see in central Kansas. Displaying a ‘log’ cabin constructed of limestone logs, trees 40 feet tall of concrete, the Garden is imaginative and inspiring. You may even catch a glimpse of Mr. Dinsmoor as he is interred in a mausoleum on the property. Lucas is a beautiful, quirky town with artists gathered from many walks of life.

South of Lucas, on Highway 232, you will find Wilson State Park. Consisting of a 9000-acre scenic lake, you will enjoy hiking, camping, fishing and many other forms of outdoor recreation. Known as the clearest lake in Kansas, Wilson Lake is cut out of fossil rich limestone and has a rich and varied shoreline to explore.

Next time traveling in Kansas, be sure to vacate the Interstate highway, slow down and experience the cultural heritage of the Midwest. It will give you a fresh perspective of the Heartland of America.]]> Sat, 11 Dec 2010 12:52:37 +0000 8597a6cfa74defcbde3047c891d78f90