Kansas Road Trip – Episode 675

Hear about a road trip in Kansas as the Amateur Traveler talks to John McKenzie of johnthetraveler.com about the state of his birth.

John says of Kansas, “I originally am from Kansas. I lived there for 25-26 years. I grew up in a small town in the northeast part of Kansas called St Marys. Kansas is one of those states that has a lot of subtle, interesting, kind of peculiar sites. It is certainly a representation of Americana. The terrain is usually known as flat but it is a very diverse state.”

John starts us in Wichita, the largest city, and then gives us a driving loop that explores mostly the western part of the state. Some people will also start in Kansas City (Missouri).

Witchita is known for its aviation industry and the wild west. The Arkansas River flows through the city. There is an old Cow Town museum which is a living history museum located near Old Town. Both Wichita and Dodge City were at the end of trails that led up from Texas. Cowboys would drive cattle up to Kansas where they would meet the railroad for shipment to the east. Wichita also has the Kansas aviation museum as many aviation companies are or were based in Wichita.

From Wichita, John sends us to Hutchinson which is the home for the Cosmosphere space museum and the Kansas state fair. There is also an underground salt mine that gets salt from the ancient ocean that used to be in Kansas. There is a small Amish community called Yoder nearby, a bison ranch, and an exotic animal farm.

From there we head to Dodge City. On the way, we can stop in the Cheyenne Bottoms wetlands. You can see Pawnee Rock and Fort Larned which commemorate the history of the native peoples in Kansas and the wagon trains. You can also stop at the world’s largest ball of (sisal) twine and the world’s largest hand-dug well.

Dodge City is known for its boot hill, its cowboys, and its gunfighters. It still hosts the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo.

One of John’s favorite parts of Kansas is the chalk formations of the badlands.

We talk about parks and wineries, the Evel Knievel Museum, the Eisenhower Presidential Library, and the World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things.

Listen to this episode and see if you don’t schedule a trip to Kansas.

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Show Notes

John The Traveler
Kansas
Travel Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas
Old Town Wichita
Arkansas River
Old Cowtown Museum
Pizza Hut Museum
The Keeper of the Plains
River City Brewing Company
Public at the Brickyard
Museum of World Treasures
Kansas Aviation Museum
Botanica
Kansas Landscape Arboretum
Antique Stores
Kechi
Hutchinson
Cosmosphere
Strataca
Yoder
Indian Creek Bison Ranch
Hedrick Exotic Animal Farm
Hutchinson Zoo
Hutchinson Grain Elevator
Dodge City
Cheyenne Bottoms
Claflin
Millers of Claflin
Pawnee Rock
Fort Larned
Kinsley
Biggest ball of twine
Santa Fe Trail
Oregon Trail
Baldwin City
Blackjack Battlefield
Greensburg
The Big Well
Boot Hill
Fort Dodge
Famous Gunfighters Wax Museum
Dodge City Roundup Rodeo
Garden City
Scott City
El Quartelejo Museum
Keystone Gallery
Monument Rocks
Oakley
Buffalo Bill Cultural Center
Fick Fossil and History Museum
Don’s Drive-In Cafe
Hays
Castle Rock
WaKeeny
Butterfield Trail Museum
Overland Trail
Pony Express Museum
Shiloh Vineyard
Ellis
Sternberg Museum of Natural History
Fort Hays State University
Pfeifer Kansas
Gella’s Diner
Victoria
Cathedral of the Plains
Abilene
World’s Largest Czech Egg
Lucas
Garden of Eden
Bowl Plaza
World’s Largest Collection
World’s Largest Collection of World’s Smallest Versions of World’s Largest Things
Denmark, Kansas
Fly Boy Brewery & Eats
Sylvan Grove, Kansas
Mushroom Rock State Park
Rock City
Eisenhower Presidential Library
Greyhound Hall of Fame
Museum of Independent Telephony
Dickinson County Museum
Seelye Mansion
Lebold Mansion
Russell Stover Candies
Council Grove
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Cottonwood Falls
Matfield Green, Kansas
Cassoday
Lawrence Kansas
Comanche
Topeka
Evel Knievel Museum
Kansas Historical Society
Combat Air Museum
Equality House
Truckhenge
Coffeyville, Kansas
The Final Four

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