Travel Kansas 2017

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Chisholm Trail towns relive 150 years ago

A Closer Look

Bicyclists discover Kansas byways

Visitors flock to Cheyenne Bottoms

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Around Kansas

National spotlight on Kansas towns State adds 12th scenic byway Miro’s mural masterpiece returns to WSU Orphan train rider sculptures dot Concordia Big news for World’s Largest Collection Little Jerusalem to be opened to public

Fly Salina!

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A Closer Look

BIKE ACROSS KANSAS

Bicycling gains popularity across the state

With over 170

non-stop destinations from Denver, let Great Lakes Airlines help you make Great Connections to Great Destinations.

Kansas’ Native-American Heritage

Several historic sites offer glimpses into past cultures

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Film Festivals and Historic Theaters

The state offers many ways to view movies

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On the Chisholm Trail

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Cheyenne Bottoms

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Calendar Highlights

Many events mark the 150th milestone of the historic trail

Feathered and human visitors flock to country’s largest inland marsh PHOTO BY DAN WITT

Easier than ever to get carried away.

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Rodeos, festivals, fairs, concerts, parades and more abound

2017 Travel Kansas™A Wichita Times Publication ®

PUBLISHER/EDITOR

Cynthia Mines | ART DIRECTOR Susan Burdick

CONTRIBUTING WRITER COVER PHOTO

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Chase County at sunrise by Harland Schuster

OWNED, PRODUCED AND PRINTED BY KANSANS SINCE 1993.

Magazine accessible online at wichitatimesonline.com.

111 N. Mosley Ste. 201, Wichita, KS 67202 | 316-264-5850 | cmines@aol.com © 2017 Matrix Media Inc.

National spotlight on Abilene, Emporia and Lindsborg Read all about it: Kansas cities have recently been singled out by such national publications as USA Today, Cosmopolitan, Redbook and True West Magazine.

Abilene was named No. 3 on the 2017 Top Ten True Western Town ranking in the February edition of True West Magazine.

In the early 1870s, Abilene’s place as a railhead at the end of the Chisholm Trail made it the country’s top cattle town.

Old Abilene Town and the Dickinson County Heritage Center keep alive the days of Joseph McCoy and Wild Bill Hickok, according to Julie Roller, Abilene CVB director. Abilene hosted the 2016 kick-off to this year’s 150th anniversary of the Chisholm Trail.

“Abilene is one of the great names of the Old West,” said Bob Boze Bell, True West executive editor. “Local people haven’t forgotten that history, the characters and events that made this town what it is today. Just as important, they’ve made efforts to preserve and share that history.”

Emporia came out as No. 1 on a USA Today contest to pick America’s best Main Street. A panel of experts chose 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote last summer. Emporia was named the Best Main Street in USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

When Emporia’s Main Street organization was founded in 1991, it faced a 40 percent vacancy rate. Since then, over $86 million worth of development has occurred in the downtown area, which has focused on preservation of historic shopping and business districts.

“The unique nature of the local businesses, events, historic buildings and culture that emanates from a downtown defines the vibrancy of a city,” said Casey Woods, Emporia Main Street executive director. “Great rural communities start with a great downtown.”

Emporia is the founding city of Veterans Day as well as the home of two worldclass sporting events, the Dirty Kanza and the Glass Blown Open, which annually attract thousands of participants. The

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Dirty Kanza endurance bicycle challenge through the Flint Hills begins and ends on Emporia’s Main Street, and the disc golf tournament opens with a block party on Main Street.

In addition, the disc golf website konapanis.com ranked Emporia as the best disc golf city in the country after conducting a national survey.

Emporia also won the best disc golf tournaments category with the 2016 PDGA World Championships taking the No. 1 spot and the Glass Blown Open coming in second.

Cosmopolitan recently chose one place in each state as the best girlfriend weekend getaway. Lindsborg was the magazine’s top Kansas choice because “you can spend your day wandering art galleries and family-owned shops brimming with Swedish imports and unique crafts” as well as renting a quadricycle to tour the town. The article was picked up by Redbook and MSN.com.

Lindsborg’s art heritage is reflected in numerous galleries and studios, including the Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery, Red Barn Studio and Small World Gallery, which showcases the work of National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson.

The Swedish community is also home

Owner Molli Esping in 2017 relocated her Blacksmith Coffeeshop and Roastery to Lindsborg’s iconic blacksmith building.

INTERIOR PHOTO BY TIM STEWART

to the country’s longest-running production of the “Messiah” as well as the annual Midsummer’s Festival and biennial Svensk Hyllningsfest. A new event, Makers Street Artwalk, will be the second Friday of every month in 2017.

12th scenic byway highlights northwest Far northwest Kansas is home to the state’s newest Scenic Byway. Added last fall, the Land and Sky Scenic Byway’s 88 miles include the rugged landscape and canyons of the Arikaree Breaks.

The route along K-27 through three

The newest scenic byway goes through the Arikaree Breaks, an area of northwest Kansas distinguished by deep ravines formed thousands of years ago. PHOTO BY HARLAND SCHUSTER

counties – Wallace, Sherman and Cheyenne – features thousands of acres of rotating crops, livestock and wildlife, making it the only byway in the nation to focus on agriculture.

The route goes from Sharon Springs north through Goodland to the Nebraska border north of St. Francis. Along the way, travelers can visit the Wallace Branch of the Great Western Cattle Trail and see the highest point in Kansas at Mount Sunflower.

Of Kansas’ 12 byways, three are designated as historic and two are also National Scenic Byways. For more information and maps, visit travelks.com/ksbyways.

Miro mosaic mural masterpiece returns to Wichita State After being gone for five years for restoration, Wichita State’s Ulrich Museum of Art last fall re-installed its iconic mural masterpiece, “Personnages Oiseaux (Bird People)” by Spanish modern artist Joan Miró (1893-1983).

Installed on the façade of the Ulrich Museum in 1978, the Venetian glass-andmarble mosaic masterpiece is 52 feet wide

WSU’s Miro mosaic mural was re-installed in October after a five-year absence.

and comprises 1 million pieces.

After 30 years in Kansas weather, conservation was necessary, and in 2011 the massive mural was dismantled and shipped to experts to bring it back to its original condition.

“It was the last major work Miro personally supervised and one of the largest of his career,” according to Bob Workman,

museum director. “He was touched by the fact that thousands of students would pass the mural every day.”

“Miro is the star” of WSU’s 76-piece outdoor sculpture collection, according to Workman. Self-guided maps of the worldclass sculpture collection are available at the Ulrich Museum on the WSU campus, ulrich.wichita.edu.

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If you love adventure, family fun or a sophisticated getaway, Topeka has a festival for you. Plan your visit around what you love and see for yourself why we call it Top City.

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Sculptures bring orphan train days to life

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s new sculptures, each denoting an orphan train rider, were being installed around town, the city of Concordia passed a proclamation in January 2017 branding itself as The Orphan Train Town.

Concordia is home to the National Orphan Train Complex, which opened in 2007 and last year had a record-breaking attendance of 5,1000 visitors.

Starting last fall at the dedication of the town’s new Broadway Plaza, sculptures of children memorializing orphan train riders have been erected and dedicated throughout town.

Each has a plaque explaining about that particular rider.

As of February, 22 sculptures had been purchased with another 25 in the works, according to Shaley George, museum curator. This is in addition to the seven sculptures which were placed on the grounds of the train depot which houses the museum and research center when it opened in 2007. A self-guided map of the sculptures is also being produced.

Businesses, organizations, individuals and orphan train families can “adopt” a bronze statue that pays tribute to a specific orphan train rider. The statues come from the family-owned Randolph Rose Collection in Yonkers, New York, which specializes in handmade bronze statuary and

The statue in front of Concordia’s library pays tribute to Jessie Teresa Martin, who as a toddler was placed in Hays by the New York Foundling Hospital. It was not a good home and she was removed as a teenager. She graduated from high school at the age of 38 and went on to earn a master’s degree in library science and become Hays’ first children’s librarian. Four generations of her family were present for the unveiling. The statue was sponsored by the Charles H. and Isabell Blosser Foundation. which produced the statues placed at the train depot a decade ago.

The first seven statues were donated in 2007 by Bobby and Wanda Morgan in honor of Bobby’s mother, Clara Reed, who was an orphan train rider. The first sculpture is named “Clara.”

The first statue in the new collection, dedicated last fall, was sponsored by descendants of orphan train rider Miriam Zitur. The next month, riders Elmer and Ethel Barney were memorialized in a statue in front of Britt’s Fountain and Gifts. The

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third statue, recognizing Teresa Martin, was unveiled at Frank Carlson Library.

Most sculptures are life-size.

To give donors choices, a database of 100 orphan riders, including their occupations, hobbies and other information, has been compiled, according to George.

The National Orphan Train Complex houses the stories of more than 250,000 orphaned, abandoned or homeless children transported West by train from 1854 to 1929 in hopes of finding adoptive families.

The complex’s museum is the only one in the country dedicated to the movement.

Many children found homes in rural communities in the Midwest, and Kansas ranked eighth nationwide for the highest number of placements with an estimated 6,000 children, according to George.

The annual Orphan Train Celebration in Concordia this year will recognize the 10th anniversary of the local complex as well as the 30th anniversary of the Orphan Train Heritage Society of America and the centennial of the 1917 Union Pacific Railroad Depot, where the complex is located.

The sculptures can be viewed anytime.

The National Orphan Train Museum and Morgan-Dowell Research Center, 300 Washington St., is open 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday (Monday by appointment), 785-243-4471, orphantraindepot.org.

Big news for World’s Largest Things

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he World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things is moving to a storefront in Lucas, which bills itself as the Grassroots Art Capital of Kansas.

Erika Nelson’s brainchild had formerly operated out of a home-based site as well as a mobile museum, traveling sideshow and circus wagon she could take on the road.

Building displays and remodeling an 1894 building at 214 S. Main to house the

Nelson landed in Lucas, population 400, in 2002 after living full-time on the road exploring small towns with “integrated art components.” She’d stopped in Lucas to volunteer for a few

months and ended up buying the house next door to the Garden of Eden over the phone while living in the desert in Arizona. With Lucas as her home base, she began photographing the original World’s Largest Things, then building the miniature versions.

Upcoming projects for the new museum include the Eric Abraham Memorial Flying Pig Folk Art Resource Room and Superlative Celebratory Guest Gallery featuring curated and invitational exhibits showing artists engaged in the exploration of scale, replication and vernacular culture.

At presstime, hours and admission had not been set. Check out the Facebook page for the World’s Largest Things, Inc. for updates or email worldslargestthings@ gmail.com.

Largest Czech Egg collection will take much of the year, but she planned a space warming event for April Fool’s Day. “We’re transforming the space into an arts-based, visitor-friendly, slightly-askew examination of roadside vernacular architecture that makes our American landscape so quirky,” said Nelson, who began her exploration of roadside attractions 15 years ago, first with a Mobile Museum.

Among the first exhibits to be installed is a fully playable miniature of the muchloved Goony Golf course chain, one of which is still in operation in Topeka. Also on display will be the Whirlwind Wonderhouse of World’s Largest Things housing the Kansas Collection of miniature replicas of Kansas monuments billed as the world’s largest. In addition, more than 60 of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things currently housed in the traveling exhibits will be on display.

The original Mobile Museum as well as the Circus Wagon display units will also be part of the museum, which will itself become a roadside attraction.

Located 18 miles south of Lucas in Wilson is the World’s Largest Czech Egg. Standing at more than 20 feet, the egg was acquired in 2012, One of the new museum’s exhibits is a miniature replica of the Goony Golf Course.

Before opening a storefront museum in Lucas, Erika Nelson took her collection on the road via a traveling sideshow, circus wagons and her Jeepalope.

painted in 2015 and mounted upright under a gazebo last year. Wilson, the Czech Capital of Kansas, celebrates its heritage during a festival the last weekend in July.

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The Nature Conservancy of Kansas has acquired the tract of land containing Little Jerusalem in western Kansas. PHOTO BY BRUCE HOGLE

Little Jerusalem

Nature Conservancy acquisition will open land to public

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he Nature Conservancy of Kansas’ acquisition of the largest Niobrara chalk formation in Kansas, known as Little Jerusalem, means that the site will be accessible to the public after some infrastructure improvements. The natural landmark southwest of Oakley in Logan County is now only visible from a half-mile away.

When the Nature Conservancy of Kansas purchased the 330-acre tract featuring 250 acres of giant rocks and 100-foot-deep canyons in October 2016, the iconic rock formations became part of the conservancy’s nearby 16,800-acre Smoky Valley Ranch.

“The Nature Conservancy of Kansas is eager to offer public access to the uniquely beautiful property known as Little Jerusalem, and we are working diligently with partners to achieve this goal,” said Rob Manes, Nature Conservancy Kansas state director.

“Several infrastructure projects will be completed before opening in order to ensure public safety and protection of natural resources.”

The chalk formations, which date back millions of years, are the same kind of rock as those in the Badlands of South Dakota. The rocks in western Kansas were often mentioned by travelers through the nearby Smoky Hill River Valley in the 1800s.

Experts believe the formations began 85 million years ago when the area was part of the Western Interior Seaway and that glacial periods and wind erosion helped shape the rocks. Modern-day explorers have found fossilized shark teeth and complete aquatic dinosaurs at the site.

Since 1989, the conservancy has protected more than 100,000 acres of Kansas land, including tallgrass prairies, wetlands, mixed-grass prairies and shortgrass prairies. It acquired the Smoky Valley Ranch, located between Scott City and Oakley, in 1999 to preserve the ranch and surrounding shortgrass prairie.

Public access to Little Jerusalem will be developed in the coming year, according to the Nature Conservancy annual report. For more information on the Smoky Valley Ranch and Little Jerusalem, visit nature.org/Kansas.

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Cycling Offers a Closer Look

People of all ages and fitness levels are discovering Kansas’ bicycle trails

BY MELINDA SCHNYDER

ansas’ thousands of miles of trails offer something for bicyclists of every skill level and preferred riding type, whether it’s wide, tree-lined former railroad beds, rugged trails just wide enough for a single tire, or hilly gravel roads through the tallgrass prairie.

“We’re beginning to catch the attention of people from all over the United States that Kansas is no longer a fly-over or drivethrough state on your way to someplace to ride a bike. We are in fact a destination,” said Jim Cummins, a packaging engineer who turned his enthusiasm for riding back roads into a full-time job making Emporia a preferred cycling destination.

Emporia, which attracts more than 2,000 riders to its annual Dirty Kanza race, is one of several Kansas communities actively working to entice cyclists to their area. Others include Allen County in southeast Kansas, which is working hard to become known as the King of Trails, and Russell County, where a narrow track on the shores of Wilson Lake in north-central Kansas is a top-rated trail by the International Mountain Bike Association.

In 2015 when Topekans were asked to suggest event ideas, enough enthusiasm was shown for cycling that Cyclovia was created. The first event in 2016 attracted families and cyclists from across the region, according to Michaela Saunders of Visit Topeka.

“The turnout was great,” she said. “It speaks to the popularity of cycling and the passion of the cycling community. Our goal was

Above: Photo of Lehigh Portland Trails in Iola by Randy Rasa.

to promote cycling and wellness as a family activity and provide experiences for all ability levels.”

The 2017 event Aug. 11-13 will include a glow ride, cycling tours, a 50-mile county ride and a bike safety rodeo for young riders.

Kansas has a trail suitable for everyone, whether they want a leisurely scenic ride or some of the most daunting trails in the country. Kansas is home to nearly 3,000 miles of officially designated bicycle trails, including more than a dozen rails-to-trails routes. It’s also part of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, which crosses into Kansas near Pittsburg and exits west of Tribune.

Rail-Trails riding

Multi-use rail-trails are popular because they get riders away from motorized traffic, offer views not seen from the road, and are generally flat since they were built on former rail lines.

Among the state’s first converted rail-trails was the 38-mile Landon Nature Trail, whose north trailhead is at the Brown v.

Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka. The Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy, started by Lawrence resident Clark Coan 30 years ago, manages the Landon trail as well as the Flint Hills Continued on page 10.

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Continued from page 9.

Nature Trail, which stretches 117 miles across east-central Kansas. Flint Hills is the longest rail-trail in the state.

About 90 miles are open from Council Grove to Osawatomie, although trail surfaces are not consistent the entire route and some may be under construction. According to Coan, two especially scenic sections are the stretches between Ottawa and Osawatomie and between Council Grove and Admire.

In Ottawa, the Flint Hills Nature Trail crosses the Prairie Spirit Trail, a 52-mile path that runs south to Iola. Prairie Spirit is a family-friendly trail with a linear de“People really don’t understand the sign, crushed limestone surface, a mostly shaded path, and water and restroom stops. beauty of our state until they see it Vegetation ranges from prairie grasses and from the seat of a bicycle.” wildflowers to mature hardwoods, and the — Stefanie Weaver, executive director, Bike Across Kansas trail crosses several rivers and streams while taking riders through nearly a dozen small towns and into three counties.

One of those is Allen County, which has added more than 20 Trail as well as work on the Redbud Trail in east Wichita. miles of new trails in the past decade and is working to establish The goal is to be able to ride on a series of connecting trails itself as the “King of Trails” with one of the largest and most diver40-plus miles between Garden Plain and Augusta. “Both these sified trail networks of any rural county in the state. Its Southwind rails-to-trails in the Greater Wichita area have plenty of tree-lined Rail Trail starts where Prairie Spirit ends in Iola and takes riders shaded sections with deer, foxes, turkeys, hawks and native birds 6.5 miles south to Humboldt. There are several other extensions in all their splendor,” she said. in Iola, including the Lehigh Portland Trails for gravel riding and mountain biking.

With its proximity to Wichita, the Prairie Sunset Trail is one of the most-used rail-trails in the state. When completed it will be a Riding bikes on gravel roads is one of the fastest growing 15-mile corridor from Garden Plain to west Wichita. genres in cycling, said Cummins, the Emporia engineer who in “The Prairie Sunset Trail, with 12 miles open, 10 bridges, a 2006 helped organize a group ride that evolved into an endurance tunnel and a covered bridge as well as all its flora and fauna, can be challenge which last year attracted 2,300 participants from every breathtaking,” said Ruth Holliday, co-owner of Bicycle Pedaler bike state and several foreign countries. shop in Wichita. Holliday spearheaded successful grant-writing The Dirty Kanza challenge, held the first Saturday following efforts that are funding further development of the Prairie Sunset Memorial Day, has helped earn the local community the nickname

Gravel grinding

Above: Riders on the Prairie Spirit Trail near Garnett, photo by Harland Schuster. Top: Lehigh Portland mountain trail, Iola, photo by Randy Rasa. Opposite: Bridge on Southwind Rail Trail, by Randy Rasa.

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Gravel Grinding Capital of the World.

“Emporia, Kansas, has become an international vacation destination for cyclists because of the Dirty Kanza,” Cummins said. “We are very, very fortunate that we are literally at the front door to the Flint Hills and it’s a truly unique landscape. There’s nowhere else like it.”

Registration for the event opens in January and generally fills up in less time than it takes to complete the grueling 200-miler (fastest completion time is 10 hours 42 minutes). In addition to the marathon distance, there are options for 100-, 50- and 25-mile rides.

In addition to the Dirty Kanza (June 3, 2017), Cummins’ Dirty Kanza Promotions company puts on a 50-mile leisure night bike ride (Aug. 5, 2017) and has created 10 iconic routes for self-guided gravel rides, from beginning to advanced.

Gretchen Russell, who co-founded a riding group in Emporia called Babes on Bikes to encourage women of all skill levels to ride, said the area also appeals to non-competitive riders of all skill levels.

“Emporia is bicycle friendly when it comes to the streets and the greatest part to me is that you are five minutes from gravel no matter where you are in Emporia,” she said. “There are fewer cars, there’s wildlife and you can’t beat the crunch of the gravel.”

Mountain biking

While Kansas doesn’t have epic mountains it does have an epic mountain bike trail. Switchgrass Mountain Bike Trail made the list of International Mountain Bike Association-rated “Epics,” technically and physically challenging single-track adventures in a natural setting that are at least 20 miles long.

Switchgrass is on the southeastern edge of Wilson Lake in Wilson State Park just north of I-70. The 22-mile trail winds through bluffs overlooking the lake; it includes a highly technical area called Rock Gardens as well as a 5-mile loop for beginners.

In addition to Switchgrass, a 23-year veteran of mountain biking recommends the Lawrence area for beginning and advanced mountain bikers. Marco DeAngelis, co-owner of Velo+ bike shop in Lenexa, said he has seen a trend in small-mountain bike trail systems popping up around Kansas, citing the Lehigh Portland Trails in Iola where volunteers built 5.5 miles of single-track on the site of a former cement plant and quarry.

West Wichita’s new Air Capital Memorial Park is the only offroad riding in the city. Operated in conjunction with the Kansas SingleTrack Society, a chapter of the International Mountain Bike Association, the 2-mile trail includes three loops with enough quality and variety to encourage repeated laps.

“Kansas SingleTrack Society and the other trail builders do a great job of maintaining their trails,” said Lee Engler, a trail steward, KSS member and owner of Lee’s Bike Shop in Wichita.

FAVORITE

Scenic Rides

“We like Camp Horizon east of Arkansas City for its abundance of highly technical rocky areas and the many short punchy technical climbs as well as the fast flowing single track that spreads out over approximately 13-14 miles and also the long and very steep climb known as cardiac hill.”

— Albert Simon, Wichita

“The vistas in the Flint Hills either west of Emporia toward Cottonwood Falls or east and south of Augusta can’t be beat. Riding in the morning is like seeing the world all brand new.

You can imagine what the Plains Indians saw as they lived their lives.”

— Steve Sutton, Derby “The Lunar Kanza route is a beautiful ride out into the Flint Hills. You get a taste of everything: gravel, dirt, minimum maintenance roads and hills. You can see for miles on a clear day.”

— Rachel Andrews, Emporia

Road riding

Following a different route each year, Bike Across Kansas takes riders on an eight-day journey across the state each June. BAK is popular with all ages and level of riders, attracting participants from as many as 30 states and several countries.

Stefanie Weaver of Olathe has been riding in the event since 1999. While she sometimes joins for only a few days of the route, her husband and teenage son regularly ride the entire route.

“That first year was tough,” Weaver recalled.

“I’m not an athlete. Still, it was the best experience. It was my biggest accomplishment physically, and I fell in love with Kansas all over again: the people, the towns, the landscapes. I started learning about the history of my state even though I’ve lived here (most of) my life.”

Weaver joined BAK’s leadership team in 2003 and is now executive director of the 43-year annual event. Each year the route is announced one week before registration opens on Kansas Day, Jan. 29. The event is capped annually at 900 participants and regularly fills up.

The 2017 event is June 10-17 and will take riders on a 513-mile ride on roads from the Kansas-Colorado border east through towns such as Scott City, Lucas, Abilene, Junction City and Manhattan before ending in Leavenworth on the banks of the Missouri River.

Riders camp outside in tents or in high school gymnasiums.

“Our riders take the time to smell the roses along the route: the historical markers, the museums and other attractions,” she said.

“People really don’t understand the beauty of our state until they see it from the seat of a bicycle.”

“The Flint Hills Nature Trail from Council Grove to Osage City is pretty amazing, offering a very secluded and rural experience.”

— Andy Cramb, Kansas SingleTrack Society volunteer

“Badger Creek Mountain Bike Trail at Fall River Lake offers enough distance, rocky out-croppings, hard climbing and fast descents that it makes a very enjoyable afternoon of riding.”

— Lee Engler, owner of Lee’s Bike Shop, Wichita Continued on page 12.

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Scenic Rides, continued from page 11.

“We are just finishing up a section of the Flint Hills Nature Trail that we’re developing to be a destination location on the trail. It includes a very interesting bridge feature right outside Ottawa. It’s an old train bridge across the Marais des Cygnes River that we’ve rebuilt with lookouts and benches where you can sit and have lunch.”

— Trent McCown, park manager, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism “Some sections of the Prairie Spirit Trail from Ottawa to Iola are more scenic than others but all-in-all I find it a pretty rail-trail. I also use it for brief, two-day bike trips using the community of Iola as my overnight.”

— Ron Alexander, Overland Park

“If you’re looking for a real challenge, The Grind is one of our iconic routes that’s 140 miles. It’ll show you everything that makes up the Flint Hills: wide open expanses, rolling green hills for as far as you can see, rugged and remote landscape.”

— Jim Cummins, co-founder of Dirty Kanza, Emporia “For an urban trail, the Prairie Sunset in Wichita can’t be beat.” — Bob and Lucy Lavelle, Park City “The most interesting and beautiful trail in the state is the Switchgrass Mountain Bike Trail at Wilson State Park.

It has wide open views of the lake and the surrounding hills, and it winds through the prairie and along many rock bluffs overlooking the lake.”

— Mike Goodwin, Kansas Trails Council board member, Topeka

For more info

GetOutdoorsKansas, getoutdoorskansas.org. Created by the Kansas Trails Council and the Kansas Wildscape Foundation, this new website maps nearly 3,000 miles of trails and is searchable by trail user type, surface type, location and name.

Kansas Cyclist, kansascyclist.com. Guide to Kansas cycling clubs, bike shops, organized bike rides, touring and trails.

Cyclists rest on two-day ride on Prairie Spirit Trail, photo from KDWPT.

Kansas bicycle map. Visit a local bike shop for a free Kansas Department of Transportation bicycle map or request one at bikeped@ksdot.org or 785-296-8593.

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Exploring Kansas’ Native -American heritage

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hat is now Kansas was home to many Native American tribes for thousands of years, and the state was named for the Kansa (also known as the Kaw Nation) Indians who lived in the area. The vestiges of this era can be found across the state, in place names, historic sites and pageants.

Council Grove every two years hosts the Voices of the Wind People pageant, and Medicine Lodge this September will launch a year-long celebration leading up to the 2018 Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty pageant. Medicine Lodge will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the 1867 Treaty of Medicine Lodge at the pageant next September. With a cast of hundreds, the panoramic outdoor pageant has been performed in Medicine Lodge every three years since 1927.

Of Kansas’ 16-state owned or administered historic sites, many touch on Native American history, but four are dedicated to preserving the integral role the sites played in the lives of Kansas’ earliest inhabitants: the Pawnee Indian Museum, Kaw Mission, Shawnee Indian Mission, and Iowa and Sac & Fox Mission.

Explore those sites and others to get a better idea of that important history:

Council Grove

Council Grove is home to the mission where 30 Kaw boys lived and attended school from 1851 to 1854. The Kaw lived here along the Santa Fe Trail for about 30 years until the U.S. government relocated

Council Grove sites: Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park (above) and Kaw Mission (left). ALL PHOTOS BY HARLAND SCHUSTER them south to Indian Territory.

The mission was built by the Methodist Episcopal Church South to educate children from the Kaw nation, which had been moved to a smaller local reservation. The endeavor was expensive and the Kaw, who didn’t trust the white men, sent only orphan boys to the school, which was discontinued there years later.

Council Grove’s name derives from the 1825 negotiation and signing of the treaty between U.S. Commissioners and chiefs of the Great and Little Osage Indian tribes to establish the first safe passageway to caravans on the Santa Fe Trail. The signing took place beneath a tree later named the Council Oak. Council Grove, which became a rendezvous point on the trail, is home to more than 25 nationally recognized historic sites.

The Kaw Nation’s Allegawaho Memorial

Tripadvisor reviews:

Built around 1664 and abandoned about 20 years later, these dates coincide with Spanish heavy handed dealings with the multiple tribes of Pueblo peoples in the Southwest and the only subsequent successful Native American revolt in our country’s history. Stop by. It’s in Lake Scott State Park, a beautiful overnight. – Rebecca A.

El Quartelejo

Outstanding museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery in wonderful Scott City Kansas. . . . Great staff with wonderful stories to tell. I can’t wait to go back. I learned so much in a short time. It’s hard to put into words. This a must see experience.

– Backporchsue

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Heritage Park southeast of Council Grove tells the story of the Kaw Indian Tribe, whose reservation was located here from 1847 to 1873. Council Grove is also home to the Neosho Riverwalk and the biennial Voices of the Wind People pageant, which will be presented in 2018.

To download a guide to Council Grove’s historic sites, go councilgrove.com/ historicsites.

E l Quartelejo

An archeological site located in Lake Scott State Park in western Kansas as well as the nearby El Quartelejo Museum in Scott City provide a glimpse into what was Kansas’ only pueblo, built about 1664 by Pueblo Indians fleeing north to the Plains to evade Spanish rule. In 1706 when they were captured and forced back to New Mexico, the Spanish commander wrote that they were dwelling in permanent houses.

El Quartelejo (which means far quarter or district) was discovered by a Scott County pioneer in 1898. Excavation on the farthest north Indian pueblo revealed a structure that had seven rooms. The ruins were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. The National Park Service for the last decade has listed the site as “at risk” because of weather-related deterioration.

Operated by the Scott County Historical Society, the free museum in town traces the roots of western Kansas back 85 million years to when an inland sea covered the area. Fossils and historical records

chronicle the era of the Quartelejo Apache hundreds of years ago as well as that of European immigrant settlement. The adjacent Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection features Western art and was added in 2010.

For more information, go to VisitScott City.com or elquartelejo museum.org.

Iowa and Sac & Fox

Started in 1845 as a one-room log structure, the Presbyterian mission was built to educate the children of the Iowa and Sac & Fox. A three-story building was later constructed. After the reservations were moved farther away, the mission closed in 1863.

The site in Highland tells the story of the emigration of the Great Lakes Indians who were forced into Kansas in the 1800s. For more information, visit kshs.org/iowa.

Pawnee Indian Museum

Located near Republic in northern Kansas, this state historic site tells the story of a Pawnee village that existed in the late 1700s.

One of the most dominant tribes of the central plains, the Pawnee settled along the Republican River about 1820. The walled community housed more than 40 large earth lodges and a winter population of about 1,000 people.

The site was excavated by archeologists starting in the 1940s. A museum was built around the excavated floor of one of the lodges in 1967. A rare sacred bundle hangs above the altar. Sacred bundles have different levels of power and were used by village priests, doctors, warriors and certain families. Only women could own the bundles and only men knew the ceremonies.

Tripadvisor reviews:

Pawnee Indian Museum

This museum is off the beaten track, but a wonderful opportunity to learn about late Plains Indian life, regional history, and archeology. Thoughtful multi-media exhibits, with personal stories and a look at daily life, religion, children’s lives, and culture change. The curator is very knowledgeable and friendly. The Museum itself is built over a Pawnee house, and outside you can walk through the site of the village and see other house and activity areas. – Lin P. What a wonderful setting to let your imagination run to days gone by. The view from the museum is gorgeous.

It is a small intimate museum that is hosted by a very knowledgeable curator. Richard knows the history of the area and the connections near and far. – KSLOIS

The Pawnee Indian Museum is located eight miles north of U.S. 36 on K-266.

For more information, go to kshs.org/ pawnee_indian.

Shawnee Indian Mission

Shawnee Indian Mission in Fairway was established as a manual training school attended by boys and girls from Shawnee, Delaware, and other Indian nations from 1839 to 1862. The 12-acre National Historic Landmark in Fairway includes artifacts and exhibits telling the stories of those who lived there. For more information, go to kshs.org/shawnee_indian.

the nationally recognized artist Blackbear Bosin, who was one of the co-founders and the artist behind the 44-foot Keeper of the Plains sculpture that stands on a nearby rock pedestal at the sacred confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas rivers.

The Outdoor Learning Center includes a full-size tipi as well as native grasses and gardens housing native edible and medicinal plants. For more information, go to theindiancenter.org.

Mid-America All-Indian Center

Representatives from 11 tribes met in 1969 to make an all-Indian center in Wichita a reality. The center houses more than 3,000 artifacts, including paintings by

Pawnee Indian Museum excavated lodge floor.

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n eclectic collection of festivals brings local, regional and international films to both cities and rural communities, ranging from the state’s largest city to Lucas, population 393.

Kansas festivals tend to emphasize independent films made outside the major studio system, which provide unique viewing opportunities. Two festivals feature silent films.

Wichita’s Tallgrass Film Festival, the state’s largest, turns 15 years old this October. The festival features nearly 200 films screened over five days in a variety of venues in downtown Wichita in addition to panel discussions and other events.

“The independent filmmaking community has grown with us,” said Lela MeadowConner, creative director of the Tallgrass Film Association. “And we want to make it more accessible to more people.”

Giving filmmakers accessibility to engaged audiences is why nearly 2,000 films were submitted in 2016, according to Meadow-Conner. She credits making films

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not normally shown at the local multiscreen theater accessible to the public as the reason the festival attracted nearly 16,500 attendees last year.

This year’s milestone event will include invitations sent to an even larger group of film professionals and highlighting of the entrepreneurial spirit of independent film, she said.

Now in its 17th year, the Kansas International Film Festival celebrates Kansas City’s local film and arts communities with special events during its weeklong event.

The festival, which shows most films in Overland Park, screened 150 films in 2016.

“Last year we brought Ed Asner back to his hometown to screen his documentary ‘My Friend Ed,’” said Victoria Cherrie, who serves on the festival’s board. “And we hosted about 30 filmmakers from around the world, including six who virtually worked on a film together for nearly a decade in countries across the globe and met for the first time in person at our festival in Kansas.”

Mulvane, a rural town of about 6,000 people south of Wichita, is home to the Doc Sunback Film Festival & Art Crawl, which often shows films by Kansans.

“The film screenings, our shops, restaurants and art are all within a two-block area in our downtown,” said Nancy Farber-Mottola, co-founder of the festival. “We have

Washburn University hosts a silent film festival in February.

great events throughout the weekend but if you’re only going to see one block of films, I’d recommend Sunday when we show all of our award winners at one venue.”

Annual film festivals: June 22-25 | 3rd annual Doc Sunback Film Festival & Art Crawl, Mulvane, docsunbackfilmfest.com. Organizers received more than 500 submissions in 2016 and selected 156 films, including 14 from Kansas filmmakers.

June 29-July 2 | 7th annual Free State Festival, Lawrence, freestatefestival.org.

This small, independent film festival,

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which attracted 20,000 people last year, has grown into a celebration of music, art and ideas but is still film-centric. Last year’s event showed 14 feature films and 30 short films.

Sept. 29-30 | 25th annual Buster Keaton Celebration, Iola, iolakeatoncelebration. org. There are rumblings that this might be the last year for the festival, held at Iola’s Bowlus Fine Arts Center to honor the actor, director and writer born in nearby Piqua and best-known for his physical comedy in silent films.

Oct. 6-7 | 3rd annual Lid Off Film Festival, Lucas, lidofffilmfestival.org. Founder Peter Max Lawrence has created a festival centered around grassroots art and local/ regional/international films. Expect about five 80- to 120-minute programs followed by panel discussions.

Oct. 18-22 | 15th annual Tallgrass Film Festival, Wichita, stubbornlyindependent.com. The state’s largest film festival screened 194 films from 33 countries at a variety of venues in downtown Wichita in 2016. Tallgrass hosted 123 visiting film

professionals last year.

Nov. 3-9 | 17th annual Kansas International Film Festival, Overland Park, kansasfilm.com. Last year’s event screened more than 150 films.

Feb. 23-24, 2018 | 22nd annual Kansas Silent Film Festival, Topeka, kssilentfilmfest.org. This free festival on the campus of Washburn University showcases films from the silent era with live accompaniment.

There are typically five features and eight shorts shown over four sessions.

See a movie in a historic theater

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rass-roots efforts have saved and, in some cases, preserved, restored and modernized a number of historic theaters throughout the state. You can support these theaters by visiting for a tour or to see a show.

“It’s cool to experience a movie in a movie palace to see where movies started and where the theater was meant to be part of the experience,” said Josh Davies, director of theater operations at Hutchinson’s Historic Fox Theater, which opened in 1931 as the “State Movie Palace of Kansas” and in 2015 upgraded to a state-of-the-art digital system.

Emporia Granada Theatre | Opened in 1929 with 1,400 seats and reopened in 2007 with 800 seats after a renovation to its original Spanish Colonial Revival style. Notice the hand-painted ceiling, gold-leaf paint in the lobby and carpet specially milled to match a swatch of the original carpet, emporiagranada.com.

Hutchinson’s Historic Fox Theatre | The art deco Fox Theatre opened as a movie palace in 1931 and reopened in 1999 after a $4.5 million project to restore it to its original appearance. The building still has original light fixtures, including six large chandeliers, and its beautiful marquee, which the theater says was the first flashing display of neon in Kansas and is now one of the few surviving original and functioning marquees in the country, hutchinsonfox.com.

Junction City’s C.L. Hoover Opera House | The C.L. Hoover Opera House opened in 2008 after $7 million was spent restoring the opera house first built in 1882 in Junction City. The Romanesque style clock tower gives the exterior a historic look but the interior was changed to a multi-use facility with a 416-seat theater, jcoperahouse.org.

Grab some popcorn and take in a movie at one of these historic theaters: Augusta Theatre | Built as a movie palace in 1935, the theater has been completely restored to its 1948 appearance, which was the year a full concession stand was built in the theater’s lobby.

Volunteers operate the theater, which mostly shows current movies on Saturdays and Sundays, augustahistorictheatre.com.

Wichita’s Orpheum Theatre | The Orpheum Theater, built in downtown Wichita in 1922 as a vaudeville theater, closed in 1976. Since it reopened in 2000, more than $5 million has been invested in restoring the theater – the first in the county to feature a painted theme that gave theater-goers the illusion they were under a Mediterranean sky.

While restoration and modernization continues, the Orpheum hosts more than 100 events each year, including a monthly classic film series and quite a few films during the Tallgrass Film Festival each October, wichitaorpheum.com.

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150 years ago, cowboys first drove herds of cattle north from Texas to Kansas

ON THE CHISHOLM TRAIL s Texans struggled to find a way out of the depression that followed the Civil War, a promoter named Joseph McCoy convinced them they could get higher prices for their cattle if they were driven north and loaded on east-bound trains. Cattle prices at the time had plunged to $4 or $5 a head in Texas.

The logical route was a trail the half-Cherokee trader Jesse Chisholm had blazed north into Indian Territory to sell his wares and start a trading post in Kansas, where railroads were connecting with the East. In 1867, the first Texas drovers began the 1,000mile journey north to Kansas along what became known as the Chisholm Trail. They crossed into Kansas at Caldwell, then continued north to Abilene.

The cowboys celebrated each leg of the arduous journey in saloons and dance halls, and the former cowtowns along the route – which Highways 15 and 81 now

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roughly follow – are pulling out the stops in 2017 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the country’s most famous cattle route.

The trail not only popularized the figure of the American cowboy, but it also is credited with bringing Texas out of a post-Civil War depression, boosting the economies of the three states it crossed, providing beef to the country, and establishing Kansas’ role as a cattleproducing state. It is ranked in importance in American history alongside the Santa Fe Trail and the Oregon Trail.

A highlight of commemorative events is a longhorn cattle drive which will originate in Pond, Okla., on Sept. 12 and cross into Kansas at Caldwell on Sept. 16. The cattle and drovers will stay there for two nights before continuing to the Wellington Lake/Mayfield and Clearwater. The cattle drive will end south of Wichita on Sept. 23.

Orchestrating the Kansas events has taken two years of planning by representa-

tives from several communities. Driving longhorn cattle now is “even more impossible than it was 150 years ago since we have to cross highways and railroad tracks,” noted Lonnie Steiben of Clearwater.

The formerly rowdy town of Caldwell will kick up its heels with a full chuckwagon of entertainment – including saloon dancers, parades, music, Wild West street shows and a concert by the Sons of the San Joaquin – at events in May and September.

At the Chisholm Trail Festival on May 6, riders from Oklahoma and Kansas will meet at high noon on Caldwell’s Main Street to exchange proclamations honoring the trail. To amp up the celebratory spirt, the May 6 event will also offer a champagne lunch and Spirit of the Trail Tasting Parlor featuring Kansas distilleries, craft beers and wine. Among the souvenirs to be offered for sale is a replica of a coin that could be traded in for a pint of whiskey or a visit to the local brothel.

Visitors to Caldwell at any time of year can take a self-guided tour of 22 historic

markers and see “The Ghost Riders of the Chisholm Trail” silhouettes south of town on Highway 81.

At the other end of the trail in Kansas, Abilene’s Trails, Rails & Tales festival Sept.

2-3 will feature cowboys driving longhorns through the streets and loading them on the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad. Other events include a parade, musician and poet Red Steagall, a Buffalo Bill Wild West Show and a concert by Sons of the Pioneers.

2017 Event Highlights umerous events are planned to recognize the 150th anniversary.

For more details on Kansas events, check out the website ct-150.org or contact host communities. For more information about events in the tri-state area, visit chisholmtrail150.org.

March 18-May 13 Western Art exhibition, Carriage Factory Art Gallery, Newton, 316-284-2749.

April-May 2018 “Chisholm Trail 150th: The Cowtown that Raised a President,” exhibition at Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene, tells of the origins of the “real McCoy,” “square meal,” the cowboy boot and why Eisenhower loved all things western.

April 1 Food Trucks at the Train Depot, Newton, ToNewton.com.

April 1 Kick-off for Chisholm Trail celebration, Wellington Lake.

April 1 Chisholm Trail Bus Tour, leaving from Wichita, organized by Historic Delano April 28-29 Sanctioned Chisholm Trail BBQ Cook-off, Wellington.

May 5-7 Chisholm Trail Festival, Caldwell, street shows, ghost tours, saloon girls, cow camps, Women of the West re-enactments, stagecoach rides, beard contest, quilt show, pub crawl, Texas Hold ‘em contest, speakers, art show, street dance, chuckwagon dinner, guided tours to Chisholm Trail ruts, cowboy church, Spirit of the Trail Tasting Parlor.

May 12-13 Celebrate the Chisholm Trail in Marion County: The Mennonite Heritage Museum in Goessel hosts wagon rides, longhorn cattle, chuckwagon cooking, music, food, stories, children’s activities.

July 12-16 Wellington’s 117th annual Wheat Festival has a Chisholm Trail theme with street dances, carnival, parade, quilt show, arts and crafts, pioneer exhibit, blacksmith, cotton gin.

July 22 National Day of the Cowboy, Dickinson County Heritage Center, Abilene.

Aug. 18-19 Cowtown Days, Ellsworth.

One branch of the Chisholm Trail split off to Ellsworth, which this year is also celebrating its 150th anniversary. A rodeo, cattle drive, parade, concert and opening of the National Drovers Hall of Fame are planned.

ABOVE: Map

of the Chisholm Trail, Dickinson County Historical Society.

OPPOSTITE: An illustration by Henry Worrall from Joseph McCoy’s Historical Sketches of the Cattle Trade of the West and Southwest (1874) is part of the Chisholm Trail exhibition.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20.

Abilene, the final railhead on the trail, kicked off the 150th anniversary year with a Trails, Rails & Tales event in September 2016. The celebrations continue throughout 2017 in communities along the Chisholm Trail. PHOTO BY JEANA LAWRENCE

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19.

Aug. 26 Celebrate the Chisholm Trail in Marion County: Wagon rides, longhorn cattle, chuckwagon cooking, music, food, stories, children’s activities in Durham.

Nearby is a limestone marker showing where the Chisholm Trail crossed paths with the Santa Fe Trail. Wagon ruts are also still visible in the county.

Sept. 2-3 Trails, Rails & Tales Festival, Abilene, historical reenactors, parade, longhorn cattle drive, music by Red Steagall and Sons of the Pioneers, NativeAmerican demonstrations, Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, chuckwagon meals, cowboy church, mechanical bull riding for kids, silversmith, hat maker. Most activities at Old Abilene Town.

Sept. 2-3 A Day on the Chisholm Trail, Cowtown, Wichita Chuckwagon cooking demonstrations, cowboy music, cow chipthrowing contest, stagecoach rides and gunfights.

Sept. 12-23 Oklahoma-Kansas Cattle Drive. The longhorn cattle reach Kansas on Sept. 16 with overnight stops in Caldwell,

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Wellington Lake/Mayfield and Clearwater before ending south of Wichita.

Sept. 16 Caldwell celebrates as the longhorn cattle and drovers reach town.

Festivities include concert by Sons of the San Joaquin.

Sept. 16 Clearwater Fall Festival has a Happy Trails theme. The town that got its start as a trading post on the trail celebrates with a parade, cowboy poets and storytelling.

Oct. 6-8 Delano Fall Fair: A Chisholm Trail Celebration, Wichita. Stroll the streets of historic Delano where cowboys collected their pay and spent it in the saloons.

Western parade, old-fashioned games, cowboy music, chuckwagon food and more is planned by Historic Delano.

Oct. 7 Chisholm Trail Days, Dickinson County Heritage Center, Abilene.

October-December “The History of Jesse Chisholm,” exhibit about the partCherokee trader who blazed the trail, Mid-America All-Indian Center, Wichita.

Oct. 21 Fall Fest and Cowboy Chili Feed, Wellington

Flint Hills Design creates exhibition.

Exhibit travels to former cowtowns new traveling exhibition, “The Chisholm Trail: Driving the American West,” opened on Kansas Day in Cottonwood Falls and will be on display in Wichita, Caldwell, Abilene, North Newton and Dodge City.

Created to honor the trail’s sesquicentennial, the exhibit chronicles the evolution of the Chisholm Trail and its importance in history as well as its role in making the cowboy an American icon. Highlights include an interactive musical exploration of the cowboy song “The Old Chisholm Trail,” video and audio clips of movies and songs that reference the Chisholm Trail, and several artistically rendered life-size metal longhorn cattle.

“We were looking for a way to tell the story of the Chisholm Trail in our Cottonwood Falls Gallery,” said Christy Davis, executive director of the symphony. “When we learned that no one was working on a traveling exhibit, we partnered with Flint Hills Design and Lost Trail Soda to create this unique display that incorporates wood, metal and leather — items commonly associated with the time period.”

The dates and locations confirmed for the traveling exhibition at presstime were: Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum March 9-May 2; Caldwell Opera House May 5-June 22; Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene, Aug. 24-Oct. 17; Kauffman Museum, Newton, Dec. 14-April 3, 2018; and Boot Hill Museum, Dodge City, Sept. 20, 2018-Nov. 13, 2018.

The Symphony in the Flint Hills on June 10 in Geary County also will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Chisholm Trail. Learn more at symphonyintheflinthills.org.

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Visitors flock to the country’s largest inland marsh ust as birds stopover in central Kansas on their migratory routes, humans from across the country make their own migration to see the tens of thousands of feathered inhabitants who at any given time are resting and feeding at Cheyenne Bottoms, the largest inland marsh in the country.

The biennial Wings ’n‘ Wetlands Festival in the Great Bend area in 2015 attracted nearly 200 serious birders from 16 states who documented more than 150 kinds of birds. The 2017 event is April 28-29, timed for the peak of spring shorebird migration.

While these workshops and expert-led tours at Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge are geared to serious enthusiasts, more casual birdwatchers – or those just wanting a lovely drive – are welcome every day of the year.

The Cheyenne Bottoms complex, which comprises 41,000 acres in central Kansas, has been designated a Wetlands of International Importance because it is a crucial stopover for migrating birds along the Central Flyway. More than 340 species of birds have been documented in the wetlands.

Prime viewing of spring migration happens the last of April and first of May, according to Curtis Wolf, site manager. There is so much activity, Wolf said, that viewing is good any time of day.

“The sheer numbers that come through are what’s spectacular,” he said. The longest distance traveled by the birds that stop in Kansas would be from South America to the Arctic Circle, said Wolf, who estimates it takes two months for a one-way flight.

He pointed out that the wetlands see activity in every season.

“This was a good eagle year,” he said. “In the middle of December one birder counted between 85 and 115 bald eagles. It’s an easy meal so eagles nest here. If we freeze up they head south.”

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It’s not uncommon to see a half-million ducks and geese in the winter, according to Wolf. “We also have a diverse hawk population.”

The first groups of sandhill cranes arrived at Cheyenne Bottoms in early February this year, according to online bird sighting updates.

Sandhill cranes, sandpipers, whooping cranes and pelicans tend to be among visitor favorites, Wolf said.

The natural wetlands date back hundreds of thousands of years and have been managed since the 1950s, according to Wolf. The Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism manages the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and The Nature Conservancy manages the Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve.

The Kansas Wetlands Education Center opened in 2009 on the southeast edge of Cheyenne Bottoms to educate visitors and orient them as to what they’ll see as they drive through miles of marsh land. Operated as a branch museum of Fort Hays State University, the 11,000-square-foot center houses an exhibit gallery, classroom with live animal exhibits, auditorium and gift shop. The center offers nature workshops and programs, including 400 school programs a year. A Butterfly Festival is planned for Sept. 16.

There is no charge to visit Cheyenne Bottoms or the Kansas Wetlands Education Center, which is located on K-156 highway about 10 miles northeast of Great Bend. The center is open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. (closed on Mondays in the winter), but the wetlands are always open.

For more information on public programs and to see recent bird sightings, visit the website at wetlandscenter. fhsu.edu. Ninety-minute van tours are available for $5/adult and $3/child; for reservations call 877-243-9268.

To register for the Wings ’n‘ Wetlands AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS - DAN WITT Festival April 28-29, go to kansasbirdingfestival.com. Registration includes guided birding fieldtrips, some meals, shorebird ID workshop and programs. Greater Prairie Chicken tours are an optional add-on.

– Cynthia Mines

CHEYENNE BOTTOMS - HARLAND J SCHUSTER

SNOWY EGRETS - DAN WITT

GREEN HERON - DAN WITT

MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD - JIM GRIGGS

AMERICAN AVOCET - DAN WITT

YELLOWHEADED BLACKBIRD - DAN WITT

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Explore South Central Kansas

Rice County www.ricecounty.us 620-257-5166

www.visitsouthcentralks.com

Looking for something new this weekend?

Explore Newton!

Newton offers art, attractions, restaurants and exciting family events. Learn more and plan your next visit at:

ToNewton.com

to

Newton Convention & Visitors Bureau

Inside Newton City Hall (316) 284-3642 • ToNewton.com facebook.com/VisitNewtonKS 24 l

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KANSAS

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Come see us on streets of golden wheat!

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See the city under the city on Underground Tunnel Tours Restaurants & Shopping Lodging at The Historic Wolf Hotel

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Located in Central Kansas, in the flyways of Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Refuge

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ellinwoodchamber.com

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March March 1-31 17th annual Parade of Quilts, Yoder, hand-stitched quilts displayed throughout this Amish community, YoderKansas.com.

March 1-April 2 The A-Maize-ing Popcorn

Adventure, Stauth Memorial Museum, Montezuma, stauthmuseum@ucom.net.

March 1-April 23 119th annual Midwest

Art Exhibition, Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery, Lindsborg, sandzen.org.

March 1-April 29 The Poetry of Nature:

Hudson River School Landscapes from the New York Historical Society, Wichita Art Museum, wichitaartmuseum.org.

March 1-March 2018 Eisenhower and the Great War, exhibition, Eisenhower Museum, Abilene, 877-RING-IKE. March 1-Aug. 31 Rattlerssss: From Fear to Fascination, Sternberg Museum, Hays, 785-628-4286.

March 11 Opening of The Curiosity Shop, a

new children’s area featuring 20+ interactive activities, Smoky Hill Museum, Salina, 785309-5776.

The Pretty Prairie Rodeo celebrates its 80th anniversary during the 2017 event July 19-22.

PHOTO BY FOTO COWBOY

March 11 Opening of the Curiosity

Shop, Smoky Hill Museum, Salina, smokyhillmuseum.org.

March 11 St Patty’s Day Parade, Emporia,

visitemporia.com.

March 17 St. Patrick’s Day Parade,

Leavenworth, 913-682-2566.

March 18-May 13 Western Art exhibition,

Carriage Factory Art Gallery, Newton, 316284-2749.

March 19 Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony

Orchestra Spring Concert, Newton, ToNewton.com.

March 21 41st Annual Farm City Banquet,

agricultural celebration, pie-baking contest, entertainment, Atchison, visitatchison.com.

March 24 Kansas in Concert, Stiefel

Theatre, Salina, stiefeltheatre.org.

March 24 Dust Bowl Marathon, Ulysses,

ulysseschamber.org.

March 25 BBQ, Bread & Brew, fund-raiser

The Smoky Hill River Festival June 8-11 in Salina offers four days of artist demos, music, fine art and craft shows and sales, and food in Oakdale Park.

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featuring local barbecue, craft beer and coffee, fry bread and other pastries, Mid-America All-Indian Center, Wichita, theindiancenter.org.

March 25 Våffeldagen, celebrate the waffle

in Lindsborg, 888-227-2227.

March 31-April 2-23 “In the Heights,”

Salina Community Theatre, salinatheatre.com.

April April 1 Season Launch Party at Cowtown, Wichita, 316-350-3323, oldcowtown.org.

April 1 Opening of Explore Kansas, a new permanent exhibit which includes a storm chaser vehicle, Exploration Place, Wichita, exploration.org.

April 1 Food Trucks at the Depot, Newton, ToNewton.com.

April 1 Little House on the Prairie Museum opens for season, south of Independence littlehouseontheprairiemuseum.com.

April 1, 8, 15 Tulips, Fairies and Forts,

Botanica, Wichita, botanica.org.

April 1-22 Prairie Chicken Lek tours, Kansas Wetlands Education Center, Cheyenne Bottoms, 877-243-9268.

April 1-25 Paintings by Diane Curtis, ceramics by Terry Corbett, Final Friday opening March 31, Gallery XII, Wichita, 316-267-5915.

April 6-16 136th annual Messiah Festival

of the Arts, art, concerts, theater, Lindsborg, 888-227-2227.

April 7-8 Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale, quilt auction, ethnic foods, Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson, kansas.mccsale.org.

April 7-8 Eisenhower Marathon & 5K, Abilene, 800-569-5915.

April 7-9 32nd annual Belle Plaine Tulip Time Festival, arboretum tours, food, 30,000 tulips, belleplainechamber.com.

EXPERIENCE

ATCHISON HISTORY. MYSTERY. ENTERTAINMENT.

April 8 Riverside Park & Ralph Mitchell

Zoo Opening Day, Independence, 800882-3606.

April 8 Once Upon a Time, Cowtown, Wichita, 316-350-3323, oldcowtown.org.

April 8 Kegs ‘n’ Eggs, Bonner Springs, bonnersprings.org.

April 8 Brews on the Bricks, downtown Hays, 785-421-4171.

April 8 Zoorific Eggstravaganza, Rolling

Hills Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

April 8-Aug. 6 Robert Pruitt: Benediction,

large-scale drawings, Ulrich Museum of Art, WSU, ulrich.wichita.edu.

April 9 Gary Kirkpatrick, Junction City native and winner of International Piano Competition, C.L. Hoover Opera House, Junction City, jcoperahouse.org.

April 14 Easter Egg Hunt, Big Brutus, West

Mineral 620-827-6177.

April 15 Easter Egg Hunt/Roll, Eisenhower

campus, Abilene, 800-569-5915.

April 15 Easter Eggstravaganza, Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, scz.org.

April 15 Easter Egg Hunt, Columbus,

620-429-1492.

April 15 Easter Egg Hunt & Dog Easter Hunt, Bonner Springs, bonnersprings.org.

April 15 Taste of Downtown, Hays, 785-

621-4171.

April 15 Easter Bunny Games, Atchison, visitatchison.com.

April 15 Spring Crank Up! Tractor Show, Ag Heritage Park, Alta Vista, AgHeritagePark.com, 620-767-2714.

April 15-May 6 Verdigris Valley Young Artist Exhibit, Independence Historical Museum & Art Center, Independence, independencehistoricalmuseum.org.

Continued on page 28.

Located approximately 45 minutes north of Kansas City, Atchison offers you an exciting variety of year-round events, museums, tours, shopping, dining, arts and entertainment options that provide exciting, affordable, and unique experiences for the whole family!

Birthplace of Amelia Earhart • Lewis & Clark Historic Site Muchnic Art Gallery • Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad • Cray Historical Home Museum • Haunted Atchison Tours • Shopping Amelia Earhart Festival • Historic Trolley Tours

SOLAR ECLIPSE

Join us August 21st, 2017! Experience a Total Solar Eclipse!

Atchison is the place to be for this once in a lifetime event!

ANNUAL EVENTS JANUARY-MARCH Atchison Chocolate Tasting Theatre Atchison Stage Play Atchison Area Bridal Show St. Patrick's Parade & Leprechaun Loot Children’s Art Show APRIL-MAY Funky Junk Flea Market Open Air Fair Railroad Festival Kiwanis Club Flea Market Theatre Atchison Stage Play Farmers' Market (through Oct.) Citywide Garage Sale

JUNE-AUGUST Summer Sounds Concert Series Juneteenth Celebration Forest of Friendship Celebration LakeFest Outdoor Concert Amelia Earhart Festival Ladies Summer Night Out Atchison County Fair Solar Eclipse

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER Muchnic Art Show Small Business Saturday Christmas Stroll Cash for Christmas Contest Santa House on the Mall Theatre Atchison Holiday Play Sights & Sounds of Christmas Ladies Night Out

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER Haunted Atchison Season Kiwanis Club Fall Flea Market Theatre Atchison Fall Musical Taste of Atchison Catfish Chasers Tournament Oktoberfest Witches Night Out

PLUS SO MUCH MORE! For a complete list of events and things to do in Atchison, visit the "Events Guide" on our website. Also, be sure to sign-up for our weekly eNews to stay in the know!

Call us today and let us help you plan your trip!

WWW.VISITATCHISON.COM ‫( ׀‬800) 234-1854

l 27

Continued from page 27.

April 19-22 36th Annual William Inge

Theater Festival, Independence, ingecenter.org/festival.

April 20 Earth Day at the Zoo: Party for the Planet, Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, scz.org.

April 20 Art & Music in the Heart of Newton, ToNewton.com.

April 21-23 Fort Hays State University

NIRA Rodeo, Hays. 785-628-4689.

April 21-23 Vintage camper/glamper show

and rally, Abilene, abilenekansas.org.

April 21-23 Kansas High School Rodeo,

Dodge City, 620-225-2244.

Symphony in the Flint Hills salutes Chisholm Trail

T

he 12th annual Symphony in the Flint Hills, this year on June 10 in Geary County, will pay tribute to the Chisholm Trail, which blazed through Kansas 150 years ago. The sunset concert will feature the Kansas City Symphony with country western singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey.

“Murphey is not only an iconic western musician, he’s also an advocate for protecting and preserving grasslands,” said Christy Davis, executive director. “It’s an honor to feature an artist who shares our passion for this landscape.”

This year’s day-long event, which culminates with the evening concert, will take place at Deer Horn Ranch. Activities include an art show and auction, presentations about the Chisholm Trail and the Flint Hills, covered wagon rides, cowboy poetry, and food and beverage. Dancing, stargazing and a story circle follow the concert.

Tickets are $90 for adults. For more info, visit symphonyintheflinthills.org.

April 21-23 35th annual Spring Fling,

Ulysses, ulysseschamber.org.

April 22 Midwest Open Geocaching

Adventure, world’s largest geocaching competition, Manhattan.

April 22 Spring Fling Outdoor Market,

Abilene, abilenekansas.org.

from permanent collection, Mid-America All-Indian Center, Wichita, theindiancenter.org.

April 22 Party for the Planet, Rolling Hills

Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

April 27-30 “Grease,” Junction City Little

April 22 A Band Called Honalee,

Theater, C.L. Hoover Opera House, Junction City, jcoperahouse.org.

April 22 Family ArtVenture: Earth Day,

Wichita Art Museum, wichitaartmuseum.org.

McPherson Opera House, 7:30 p.m., 620241-1952.

April 22 Pottery: Formed and Fired,

Aug. 26 Street Dance with King Midas,

opening of exhibition showcasing pieces

April 27-29 Glass Blown Open Disc Golf Tournament and block party, downtown Emporia and City Parks, 620-208-3472, dynamicdiscs.com.

Lindsborg, 888-227-2227.

April 28 Spring Fling: Gallery Exploration,

Final Friday event, Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University, ulrich.wichita.edu.

Live Music and Festivals

Shop The Bricks in Downtown Hays

Act like a German at Oktoberfest

Cheer on the Fort Hays State Tigers

PLAN YOUR TRIP! 800.569.4505

28 l

www.VisitHays.com

April 28 Spring Gallery Walk, downtown

Hays, 785-625-7522.

April 28-29 Sanctioned Chisholm Trail BBQ Cook-Off, Wellington, wellingtonkschamber.com.

April 28-29 Wings ’N’ Wetlands Birding Festival, Great Bend area, kansasbirdingfestival.org.

April 28-30 Seth Fest, BBQ cook-off,

music, historical tours, disc golf tournament, Council Grove, 620-767-5413.

...with attractions and festivals for all

April 29 Print Symposium and C.A.

Seward Dinner, Wichita Art Museum, wichitaartmuseum.org.

April 29 Civil War, Cowtown, Wichita, 316-

350-3323, oldcowtown.org.

April 29 Lindsborg in Bloom, all things

1960s, 888-227-2227.

April 29 2nd Annual Train Festival, Atchison, 800-234-1854.

• • • • • • •

Little House on the Prairie Elk City Reservoir Riverside Park & Ralph Mitchell Zoo William Inge Theater Festival Riverside Beach Family Aquatic Center Independence Historical Museum & Art Center Neewollah Festival

For more information visit www.indkschamber.org

April 29 Spring Valley Historic Site Open House, Junction City, gchsweb.org.

April 29 Volkswalk and Victory Day at

POW Camp, Concordia, 785-243-4303.

April 29 Great Oasis Cookoff, smoked

meat and BBQ competition, Colby, oasisontheplains.com.

April 29 Sunflower Visual Arts Festival, Lucas, 785-525-6288.

April 30 “Titan,” Gustav Mahler’s First

Symphony performed by the Salina Symphony, 4 p.m., salinasymphony.org.

May May 5-7 Caldwell Chisholm Trail Fest,

caldwellkansas.com.

May 6 Downtown Car Show, Newton, ToNewton.com.

May 6 Blessing of the Bikes, Russell, 877830-3737.

May 6 Abilene Fly-In, abilenekansas.org.

May 6 11th annual Marble Day, Bonner Springs, marbleday.com.

May 6-7 Millfest, 1898 Smoky Valley Roller Mills in operation at McPherson County Old Mill Museum complex, musicians, quilt show, wood carvers, one-room school, Lindsborg, 888-227-2227.

May 6 Cinco de Mayo in the Square, parade, Great Bend, 620-793-4111.

Continued on page 30.

l 29

Explore Kansas

and stay at these exclusive

Hotels & Motels

Cardboard and duct tape are the only two materials allowed for the Float Your Boat Cardboard Boat Races, this year Aug. 26 in Junction City.

managed by

Burlington

Country Haven Inn | 1-800-942-8369

Coffeyville

Sleep Inn & Suites | 1-877-424-6423 Defenders Inn | 1-620-688-6900

Garnett

Garnett Inn, Suites & RV Park 1-877-448-4200

Herington

Herington Inn & Suites 1-800-597-4581

Hesston

AmericInn Lodge & Suites 1- 620-327-2053

May 16 Blues at the Zoo, 7 p.m., Garden

Continued from page 29.

May 6 Haunted Trolley Tours, 6 and 7 p.m.

(first Saturday of month through August), Atchison, 800-234-1854.

May 6 Cinco de Mayo Block Party, Emporia, downtown 620-342-5293.

May 11 Art & Wine Walk, 4 p.m., Great

May 20 Flatland Cruisers, Emporia, 620344-2063.

225-0240.

Bend, 620-793-4111.

Hoisington

May 13 The New Red Onion Jazz Babies,

Lyons

Celebration Centre Inn & Suites 1-866-372-0882

Parsons

Chorus, McPherson Opera House, 7:30 p.m., 620-241-1952.

C.L. Hoover Opera House, Junction City, jcoperahouse.org.

May 13-14 Friends of the Wichita Art Museum Art and Book Fair, Wichita Art Museum, wichitaartmuseum.org.

May 13-14 Spring Farm Tours, agritourism businesses, including wineries and cider mill, in Miami County, a dayonthefarm.com.

Sleep Inn & Suites | 1-877-424-6423 Super 8 – I-70 | 1-800-800-8000 or local 785-823-8808

May 20 Bill Snyder Half Marathon, Manhattan, billsnyderhighwayhalf.com.

For events in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the Chisholm Trail, see pages 19-20.

Just a short drive from Kansas City!

Trails

Supporting economic development for over 20 years by providing quality lodging in Kansas communities.

High Plains Management and Development, LLC

May 20 Evening in the Past, Chautauquastyle event, Finney County Museum Courtyard, live music, history re-enactment, Garden City, 620-272-3664.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

Salina

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Athletic Association’s Division I Golf Championship, Buffalo Dunes Golf Course, Garden City, finneycountycvb.

May 19-21 NHRA Kansas Nationals, Topeka, VisitTopeka.com.

Hillsboro

Rodeway Inn & Suites Choice Hotels 1-888-489-9290 or local 1-877-406-6022

May 16-19 2017 National Junior College

May 7 Cinco de Mayo, Dodge City, 620-

May 12 The Men in Harmony Barbershop

Country Haven Inn | 1-877-404-2836

City, 620-276-6243.

Quilt Block Barn Tour

History

Shopping

VISITOTTAWAKANSAS.COM | 785.242.1411 30 l

May 20 CKPC Nature Photography workshop with Craig McCord, Kansas Wetlands Education Center, Cheyenne Bottoms, 877-243-9268.

May 20-Sept. 10 Ritual and Desire, glass exhibition, Wichita Art Museum, wichitaartmuseum.org.

May 20-Dec. 31 Hall of Heroes, national

traveling exhibit, from superheroes to a replica of the Batmobile built by George Barris, Exploration Place, Wichita, exploration.org.

May 20-Sept. 4 “The Robot Zoo� exhibit,

Rolling Hills Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

May 21 Run For The Wall, pilgrimage to

the Vietnam Veterans Memorial stops in Junction City, 4 p.m., junctioncity.org.

May 23 Storyteller Garrison Keillor, Stiefel

Theatre, Salina, stiefeltheatre.org.

May 25-27 Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo, Garden City, beefempiredays.com.

May 26-29 Little Britches Rodeo, Dodge

City, 620-225-2244.

May 27 Steampunk Day, Cowtown,

Wichita, 316-350-3323, oldcowtown.org.

May 27 Boot Hill Museum Season Kick-off,

Dodge City, 620-225-8188.

May 27 Labor Day Dodge City Trolley

Historic Site Tours, 1-800-OLD-WEST.

Continued on page 33.

The June 3 Symphony at Sunset features the Salina Symphony performing against the backdrop of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Abilene.

l 31

r o w g e w ith us in M m o C arion County When you find yourself in Marion County, you will find communities enriched with deep historical heritage dedicated to preserving the past and embracing the future.

Located in central Kansas, Marion County is a great place for shopping, driving the Santa Fe Trail, exploring museums, having a picnic at any of our beautiful parks, swimming at the County Park & Lake or boating at the Marion County Reservoir. End the day with a meal at any of the 25 restaurants and relax at one of the more than 10 bed & breakfasts or motels. But first take a moment to watch the dramatic sunset and see stars that appear brighter than they do in the city.

LODGING

Country Dreams B&B 2309 Clover, Marion • 1-800-570-0540 countrydreamsbedandbreakfast.com

Historic Elgin Hotel 115 N. 3rd St., Marion • 620-382-3200 historicelginhotel.com

Country Haven Inn 804 Western Heights, Hillsboro 1-877-404-2836 countryhaveninn.com

NorthShore Guest House 1475 240th, Marion • 620-382-7275 Northshore-guesthouse.com

Doyle Creek Bunkhouse 2704 110th, Florence • 620-878-4294 Doylecreek.com

The Outdoors Inn 25 Jerome St, Marion • 620-382-3228 Prescott House B&B 1864 E. 4th, Peabody • 316-215-1864 prescotthousebnb@gmail.com

Eight buildings in a village-like setting tell the story of Mennonites who emigrated from the Ukraine in 1874 Open Tues. - Sat. March-November Closed Dec. - Feb. except by appointment 200 N. Poplar, Goessel • 620-367-8200 • Goesselmuseum.com Enjoy special events, shopping, museums and history at each of Marion County’s 12 unique communities: Burns, Durham, Florence, Goessel, Hillsboro, Lehigh, Lincolnville, Lost Springs, Marion, Peabody, Ramona, and Tampa

GrowMarionCounty.com

Marion County Economic Development • 230 E. Main • Marion, KS 66861 • 620-382-8830

32 l

Continued from page 31.

May 28 Fort Wallace Rodeo, 785-821-1564.

June 3 Main Street Festival, Dodge City,

620-227-9501.

May 29 Antique Tractor & Engine Show,

June 3 Wine in the Wild, Sunset Zoo, Manhattan, visitManhattanKS.org.

May 31-June 1 Quilt Show, Lucas, 785-

June 3 Dirty Kanza 200 Bike Race and Finish Line Party, Emporia, 913-982-7958, Dirtykanza200.com.

Lehigh, 620-483-3370.

525-6288.

June

June 3 Skunk Run 5K and Optimist

Youth Duck Day, Ottawa/Franklin County, ottawamainstreet.org.

June 1 Craft Show & Quarter Mania, Lucas, 785-525-6288.

Concordia, orphantraindepot.org.

June 2-4 K96 June Jaunt, travel K-96 from Ellinwood through Great Bend and Scott City to Tribune, antiques, crafts, music, k96junejaunt.com.

wichitariverfest.com.

June 2-12 Beef Empire Days, Garden City,

beefempiredays.com.

Continued on page 34.

Marion’s 39th annual

outdoor movie, vendors, music, games, beer garden, Great Bend, 620-793-4111.

June 2-10 2017 Wichita Riverfest,

June 3 Mud Bogg, Junction City, sundownsalute.org.

48th ANNUAL

June 2-4 June Jaunt, Main Street Cruise,

382-3425, chingawassadays.com.

June 3 Miner Day Reunion, Big Brutus, West Mineral, 620-827-6177.

S A T U R D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 16

June 1-4 National Orphan Train Celebration,

June 2-4 Chingawassa Days, Marion, 620-

June 3 Symphony at Sunset, Salina Symphony performing at Eisenhower Presidential Library Campus, Abilene, salinasymphony.org.

FIND US ON

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Exhibitors from 16 states | German Food Fest 620.947.3506 | hillsboroartsandcraftsfair.org

& CRAFT SHOW 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shady, relaxed atmosphere F O O D CO U RT • F R E E S H U T T L E 620.382.3425 • marionparksandrec.com

1 D AT E 2 F A I R S I N M A R I O N C O U N T Y

l 33

Continued from page 33.

June 3 National Biplane Fly-In, vintage and

modern biplanes, pancake feed, Junction City, nationalbiplaneflyin.com.

June 3, 10 Spring Wildflower Tour,

Maxwell Wildlife Refuge, Canton, maxwellwildliferefuge.com.

June 4 Capitol City Family and Food

Truck Festival, Gage Park, Topeka, VisitTopeka.com.

June 4 A Sculptour Affair: A Celebration of

Sculpture, tour the Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection, Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State, ulrich.wichita.edu.

June 8-11 Smoky Hill River Festival,

Oakdale Park, Salina riverfestival.com.

June 9 Fire on the Frontier, downtown Hays, 785-621-4171.

June 9-10 Horsepower on the Plains, Great

Bend Expo Complex, 620-793-4111.

June 9-17 Sunflower Music Festival,

June 10 Wichita Children’s Theatre

presents “Three Billy Goats Gruff,” McPherson Opera House, 7:30 p.m., 620241-1952.

June 10 Arkalon Assault (5K & 1 Mile

Obstacle Runs), 13 miles northeast of Liberal, active.com.

June 16 Summer Gallery Walk, downtown Hays, 785-625-7522.

June 10 Juneteenth Celebration, Junction

June 16-17 Territorial Days, celebrate Lecompton’s territorial past with parades, reenactments, food, carnival and special exhibits, lecomptonterritorialdays.com.

City, 785-375-4715.

June 10 Symphony in the Flint Hills,

Deer Horn Ranch, Junction City, symphonyintheflinthills.org.

June 10 Prairie Days at Little House on the

Prairie Museum, south of Independence, littlehouseontheprairiemuseum.com.

June 10-11 Juneteenth Celebration,

Atchison, atchisonjuneteenth.com.

June 11 Wichita Grand Opera presents “Noah’s Flood,” 6 p.m., McPherson Opera House, 620-241-1952.

June 14-18 “Thoroughly Modern Millie,”

Topeka, VisitTopeka.com.

Music Theatre Wichita, Century II, 316265-3107.

June 9-25 “9 to 5,” Salina Community

June 15-17 Kansas City Regional Quilt

Theatre, salinatheatre.com.

34 l

June 16 Tunes + Tallgrass. WAM and Tallgrass Film Festival present the 5th annual outdoor live music and film night, free, Wichita Art Museum, wichitaartmuseum.org.

Show, Overland Park, 913-232-8732.

June 16-18 Washunga Days, parade,

carnival, music, flea market and Native American dancing, Council Grove, 620767-5413.

June 16-18, 23-25 “State Fair” presented

by McPherson Community Theatre, McPherson Opera House, 620-241-1952.

June 17 10th Annual Lavender Harvest

Festival, Prairie Lavender Farm, Salina, 877-425-4625.

June 17 Midsummer’s Festival, national

Swedish holiday celebrated in Lindsborg with music, dancing, food, art, games, Lindsborg, 888-227-2227.

June 17 Bluegrass on the Lake, Marion

County Lake, 5 to 10 p.m., 620-382-3240, marioncountyparkandlake.com.

June 17 Festival of Breads, Manhattan,

nationalfestivalofbreads.com.

June 18 Father’s Day Car Show, Rolling

Hills Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

June 18 Father’s Day Car Show, fathers admitted free at Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, scz.org.

EARL RICHARDSON/VISIT TOPEKA

June 22-24 Country Stampede,

Tuttle Creek State Park, Manhattan, countrystampede.com.

June 22-July 15 Verdigris Valley

Art Exhibit, Independence Historical Museum & Art Center, Independence, independencehistoricalmuseum.org.

June 24 Marion Garden Tour, 620-38282442, mlibrary@eaglecom.net.

Paying tribute to the love of chocolate – plus the Peanut M&Ms and Snickers made in Topeka – the city founded the Kansas Chocolate Festival last year. This year’s event is Sept. 30.

June 24 Tap That: A Capital Brew Festival, Topeka, VisitTopeka.com.

July 7-9 IPRA-ICRA Rodeo, Columbus,

July 14-15 Junction City Rodeo, Geary

Scott City, scottcityks.org.

July 8 Jungle Run Car Show, Garden City,

June 28-July 2 “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” Music Theatre Wichita, Century II, 265-3107.

July 14-16 Pickin’ on the Plains Bluegrass Festival, Colby, oasisontheplains.com.

July 8 8th Annual Flea Market Festival

June 28-July 4 Wild West Festival, Hays Municipal Park, concerts, fireworks, parade, veterans’ tribute, carnival, 5K run/walk, wildwestfestival.com.

July 11-15 Fiesta Mexicana, Topeka,

July 15 Birthday Bash, old-fashioned ice cream social, community art project, Wichita Art Museum, Wichitaart museum.org.

June 24-25 Summer in Scott Barrel Race,

June 30-July 4 Sundown Salute, carnival,

car show, food, bands, fireworks, parade, Junction City, sundownsalute.org.

July July 1 Celebrate America, Cowtown, Wichita, 316-350-3323, oldcowtown.org.

July 4 Freedom Fest Celebration, Russell,

620-674-8820.

620-276-6243.

of Antiques, Collectables, Arts & Crafts, Garden City, finneycountycvb.com.

VisitTopeka.com.

County Fairgrounds, junctioncity.org.

Continued on page 36.

July 11-16 117th Kansas Wheat Festival, Wellington, wellingtonkschamber.com.

July 12-16 “Hairspray,” Music Theatre

Wichita, Century II, MTWichita.org.

July 13-15 Annual After Harvest Festival, Ellinwood, ellinwoodchamber.com.

July 14 LakeFest at Warnock Lake, kick-off for Amelia Earhart Festival, Atchison, 800-234-1854.

877-830-3737.

July 4 Fourth of July Celebration, 5K run, games, fireworks, Columbus, 620-429-1492.

July 4 Play Day in the Park/Old-Fashioned Fourth of July, Salina, visitsalinaks.org.

July 4 94th Annual 4th of July Celebration

and largest ground fireworks display in Kansas, Peabody, 620-983-2174.

July 4 Ramona Redneck Parade and 4th of July Celebration, RedneckinRamona.com.

July 4 Fireworks & Salute to the Union, Fort

Leavenworth, 913-684-1702.

July 7-8 Ranch Rodeo, WRCA-sanctioned youth rodeo, Council Grove, 620-767-5413.

‘Expect the Unexpected in Lucas’ Grassroots Arts Capital of Kansas Discover 25 “Outsider Art” Environments

785-525-6288

lucascoc@wtciweb.com www.lucaskansas.com

Garden of Eden • 785-525-6395 www.garden-of-eden-lucas-kansas.com

Grassroots Art Center • 785-525-6118 www.grassrootsart.net

Visit our Bowl Plaza public restrooms and Miller’s Park

$1 Off All Tours with Ad

l 35

Continued from page 35.

July 15 21st Annual Amelia Earhart Festival, arts and crafts, entertainment, aerobatic performances, fireworks, Atchison, visitatchison.com.

July 22 National Day of the Cowboy, Cowtown, Wichita, 316-350-3323, oldcowtown.org.

July 27-30 KKOA Leadsled Spectacular

July 22 Dog Days of Summer Goes

July 28-29 Dam Music Festival, El Dorado,

July 17 Drums Across Kansas, El Dorado,

Wet ‘n Wild, Rolling Hills Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

July 19-22 80th annual Pretty Prairie

July 22 Gladys Knight, Stiefel Theatre, Salina, stiefeltheatre.org.

316-321-9100.

Rodeo, Kansas’ largest night rodeo, dance, pprodeo.com.

July 21-22, 28-29 Broadway RFD

presents “Beauty and the Beast,” Swensson Park, Lindsborg, 888-227-2227.

July 22 Indians in the Arts, Mid-America

All-Indian Center, Wichita, theindiancenter.org.

Car Show, Oakdale Park, Salina, kustomkempsofamerica.com.

316-321-9100.

July 28 ASVRR Silver Flyer Railbus, Abilene, 785-263-1077.

July 28-Aug. 6 Dodge City Days, PRCA

Rodeo, parades, fiesta, arts, crafts, car show, longhorn cattle drive, dances, 620-227-3119.

July 22 National Day of the Cowboy,

Heritage Center, Abilene, abilenekansas.org.

July 29 Benefit bridge tournament at

July 22-23 Wichita Mini Maker Faire,

Eisenhower Presidential Library, Abilene, 877-RING-IKE.

Exploration Place, Wichita, exploration.org.

July 26-30 “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” Music Theatre Wichita, Century II, MTWichita.org.

August Aug. 2-6 Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo, Abilene, abilenekansas.org.

Welcome to Miami County

Aug. 4-5 National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo, Abilene, abilenekansas.org.

Visit over 20 agricultural destinations in Miami County and beyond.

Call 913-294-4335 for more information or visit us at www.adayonthefarm.com.

Aug. 4-6 Country Threshing Days, Goessel, wheatco.org.

Aug. 5 Smoky Valley Classic Car Show, Lindsborg, 888-227-2227.

Aug. 5 Lunar Kanza, Emporia, dirtykanzapromotions.com.

2017 FARM TOURS: May 13-14 and Oct. 21-22

Aug. 5-6 ASVRR Steam Engine Rides,

Abilene, 785-263-1077.

Aug. 9-13 Tri Rivers Fair, Rodeo & Draft

Horse Pull, Salina, 877-425-4625.

Friday Friday&& Saturday; Saturday;11-5 11-5 Sunday; Sunday;12-5 12-5

Aug. 11-13 Cyclovia Topeka, open streets/ cycling festival, VisitTopeka.com.

Aug. 11-20 “Ragtime,” Great Plains

Theatre, Abilene, 785-263-4574.

Aug. 11-20 “Newsies,” Music Theatre

Wichita, Century II, MTWichita.org.

NightHawk NightHawkWinery Winery• •16381 16381West West343rd, 343rd,Paola, Paola,KS KS 913-849-3415 913-849-3415• •www.nighthawkwines.com www.nighthawkwines.com

Aug. 12 Gorham Street Dance, 877100 100

830-3737.

Aug. 12 95Party in the Park, mud run, parade,

100car

show, 95 concert, fireworks over the lake, Great Bend, 620-793-4111.

95

75

75Perseid Meteor Shower viewing Aug. 12

75 party,

Kansas Wetlands Education Center, Cheyenne Bottoms, 877-243-9268.

25 Aug. 18-19 Seward County PRCA Rodeo, 25

25 Liberal,

sewardcountyprcarodeo.com.

5 Aug. 18-20 5 5

2017 Ciderfest Weekends: Sept. 23-24, Sept. 30-Oct. 1 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

36 l

0

BeefFest, ranch rodeo, smokeoff, steak dinner, dance, Lyon County 0 Fairgrounds, Emporia, 620-342-0138, 0 beeffest.com.

Aug. 19 Doggie Poolooza, Bonner Springs,

bonnersprings.org.

Aug. 19-20 Rod Run & Show, Lake Scott, scottcityks.org.

Sept. 2-4 Labor Day Parade and Festival,

Florence, florenceks.com.

144 pro women golfers from around the world earning their LPGA cards, 620-276-1210.

Aug. 25 Fall Gallery Walk, downtown Hays,

Sept. 2-Oct. 15 Renaissance Festival, Bonner Springs, bonnersprings.org.

Sept. 8-10 Huff N Puff Balloon Rally, Topeka, VisitTopeka.com.

Aug. 25 Zoo Brew! Rolling Hills Zoo,

Sept. 2-Nov. 4 Haunted Atchison Season, narrated trolley tours, cemetery tours, murder mysteries, Atchison, 800-234-1854.

Sept. 8-10 Power of the Past Antique Engine & Tractor Show, Ottawa, Franklin County, powerofthepast.net.

785-625-7522.

Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

Aug. 25-27 Tumbleweed Festival,

music, kids’ activities, art, Garden City, tumbleweedfestival.com.

Aug. 26 Adam’s Apple Festival, Lucas, 785525-6288.

Aug. 26 Street Dance with King Midas, Lindsborg, 888-227-2227.

Aug. 26 ASVRR Silver Flyer Railbus Rides, Abilene, 785-263-1077.

TravelKS.qxp_TravelKS AM top Page 1 Continued on page 38.

Sept.

6-10 Garden City2/8/17 Charity9:15 Classic,

Little Apple ...

BIG OUTDOORS Stirring sunsets on the plains.

Our scenery, your adventures.

Aug. 26 Big Brutus Summer Fest, West Mineral, 620-827-6177.

Aug. 26 Float Your Boat Cardboard Boat Races, 2 p.m., Junction City, 785-238-2885.

Aug. 26 Evening on the Riverwalk, stroll along the Neosho River, Council Grove, 620767-5413.

Aug. 31-Sept. 1 Purple Power Play in the

Park, Manhattan, purplepowerplay.com.

September Sept. 1-2 Cowboy Days, downtown Ottawa, Franklin County, ottawamainstreet.org.

Sept. 1-3 Trails, Rails & Tales, Chisholm

Trail 150th anniversary celebration, Abilene, abilenekansas.org.

Call for a free Visitors Guide 800-759-0134

Sept. 2-3 ASVRR Steam Engine Rides,

VisitManhattanKS.org

Abilene, 785-263-1077.

Picture by Kansas State University Communications and Marketing

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Continued from page 37.

Sept. 9 A Wild Affair, Lee Richardson Zoo fundraiser, Garden City, 620-276-6243.

Sept. 9 33rd Annual Sunflower

Piecemakers Quilt Show, Ottawa, Franklin County, sunflowerpiecemakers.wix.com/ quiltguild.

Sept. 9 Great American Market, downtown Emporia, emporiamainstreet.com.

Sept. 13-17 46th annual Walnut Valley Festival and international flat-picking contest, five stages of music, art, food, Winfield, wvfest.com.

Winfield hosts 28th and final Kansas Sampler Festival

T

he he 28th version of the Kansas Sampler Festival, an event started on a farm near Inman in 1990, will be May 6-7 in Winfield.

The annual showcase of all there is to do, see, eat and experience in Kansas will evolve into a new event known as the Kansas Road Festival, according to Marci Penner, director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation.

The foundation also is finishing an updated version of its “Kansas Guidebook for Explorers” which will be published this year. Research included visiting each of Kansas’ 626 incorporated cities in Kansas.

Festival admission is $5 for adults. For more information, go to kansassamplerfestival.com.

Sept. 15-17 31st Annual Ol’Marais River

Run Car Show, Ottawa, Franklin County, olmarais.com.

Sept. 16 Fall Fest, arts, crafts, food, music,

Garden City, gcdowntown.com.

Sept. 16 Mariachi Festival, Topeka,

VisitTopeka.com.

Sept. 16 48th annual Hillsboro Arts &

Crafts Fair, 620-947-3506.

Sept. 22-23 Fabulous Finds on Highway 99, 233 miles through the Flint Hills.

Sept. 16 KWEC Butterfly Festival, Kansas Wetlands Education Center, Cheyenne Bottoms, 877-243-9268.

Sept. 22-24 The Land Institute’s 40th

Sept. 19 Home Products Dinner, Ulysses, ulysseschamber.org.

Anniversary Prairie Festival, Salina, 877425-4625.

Rolling Hills Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

321-9100.

Sept. 22-24 Indian Summer Days, powwow, ranch rodeo, parade celebrating 150th anniversary of the signing of the Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty, peacetreaty.org.

Sept. 16 39th annual Art in the Park and

Sept. 22-23 Jammin’ in JC Blues & BBQ

Sept. 23 Lantern Festival, El Dorado Lake,

Sept. 16 Fall Apple Day Festival, Fort Riley,

785-239-3733.

Sept. 16 Art Gone Wild Plein Air Event,

Craft Show, Marion, 620-382-3425.

Sept. 22 Oktoberfest, El Dorado, 316-

Festival, Junction City, jammininjc.com.

lanterfest.com.

Experience

Leavenworth

Explore the Western Vistas Historic Byway The First in Kansas Buffalo Bill Cultural/ Visitor’s Center and 2X life size bronze sculpture.

Shopping

Fick Fossil and History Museum

History

Attractions Contact us today to plan your next visit! (913) 758-2948

FirstCityofKansas.com

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Hospitality

Monument Rocks the badlands of Kansas

DiscoverOakley.com www.DiscoverOakley.com

785-671-1000 785-671-4839

Sept. 30 Vesper Vintage, Vesper, junque

repurposed, antique, rescued, primitive, 785-527-0465.

Sept. 30 William Allen White Legacy Day,

Emporia, 620-342-1600.

Sept. 30 Old Settler’s Day, Marion, parade,

food and games, 620-382-3425.

Oct. 7 Oakley Shucks Corn Festival, discoveroakley.com.

Oct. 7 Flatland Car Show/Bricks Broncs

BBQ, Russell, 877-830-3737.

Oct. 7 Jazz and Food Truck Festival, Topeka, VisitTopeka.com.

Oct. 7 Lincolnville Octoberfest, 620924-5208.

October

Continued on page 40.

Oct. 6 Oktoberfest, celebration of the Germans from Russia who settled in Ellis County, 785-625-3002.

Oct. 6-8 Hot Air Balloon Regatta, Friday balloon glow at dusk, three races, Columbus, columbusdayballoons.com.

Oct. 6-8 24th annual Mountain Man

Rendezvous, Maxwell Wildlife Refuge, Canton, maxwellwildliferefuge.com.

Oct. 7 Chisholm Trail Day, Abilene, abilenekansas.org.

The Cyclovia Topeka festival this year is Aug. 11-13. PHOTO BY EARL RICHARDSON/VISIT TOPEKA

Oct. 7 Columbus Day Festival & Hot Air Balloon Regatta, Columbus, columbusdayballoons.com.

Sept. 23 Smoky Hill Museum Street Fair,

Oct. 7 BOOtanica, Botanica, Wichita, botanica.org.

Salina, 785-309-5776.

Sept. 23 ASVRR Silver Flyer Railbus

Russell County

Rides, Abilene, 785-263-1077.

“Alive with History, Culture, & Commerce”

Sept. 23-24, 30-Oct. 1 Ciderfest,

Wilson Lake

Louisburg Cider Mill, arts and craft vendors, live bands, donut and cider making, food vendors, pumpkin patch, louisburgcidermill.com.

Sept. 23-24 Sharing Cultures, Exploration Place, Wichita, exploration.org.

Sept. 23-25 Wild West Fest, Dodge City,

Switchgrass Moutain Bike Trail

Bowl Plaza

620-682-7734.

Sept. 24 KC Catfish Midwest Open

Championship, Atchison, visitatchison.com.

Sept. 28 Taste of Atchison, 800-234-1854.

Sept. 29-Oct. 1 Kansas Pro Rodeo Assn.

Rodeo, Dodge City, 620-225-2244.

Russell County Economic Development & CVB (877) 830-3737 • www.russellcoks.org

Russell Kansas

Travel Ks Ad 2017.indd 1

1/11/2017 9:33:47 AM

Sept. 30 Sunflower Visual Arts Festival,

Lucas, 785-525-6288.

Sept. 30 Kansas Chocolate Festival,

downtown Topeka, VisitTopeka.com.

Sept. 30 Whimmydiddle Arts & Crafts Fair, 200 exhibitors, Scott City Park, scottcityks.org.

Sept. 30 Smoky Hill Museum Street Fair,

Salina, smokyhillmuseum.org.

Sept. 30-Jan. 7 “Irving Penn: Beyond Beauty,” photography exhibit, Wichita Art Museum,. Wichitaartmuseum.org.

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Continued from page 39.

Oct. 7 Marion County Lake annual Chili

Cook-off, horseshoe tournament, 620382-3240.

Oct. 7 Fall Fest and Car Show, Ulysses,

Lindsborg’s Swedish Dancers perform at the Midsummer’s Festival and Svensk Hyllningsfest.

ulysseschamber.org.

Oct. 7 OZtoberFest, Wamego,

visitwamego.com.

Oct. 7-28 Zombie Toxin Haunted House, weekends, Junction City, zombietoxin.com.

PHOTO BY JIM RICHARDSON

Oct. 13 Museum of the Undead 5,

Exploration Place, Wichita, exploration.org.

Oct. 13-14 Svensk Hyllningsfest, biennial celebration honoring Swedish immigrants to the Smoky Valley, art, crafts, ethnics foods and music, folk dancing, parade, smorgasbord, Coronado Heights Run, Lindsborg, 888-227-2227.

Oct. 13-15 3i Show, Dodge City, 620-

227-8082.

Oct. 14 Topeka Science & Tech Fest,

VisitTopeka.com.

Oct. 14 Ozfest, games, contests, food

vendors, live entertainment, Dorothy’s House and the Land of Oz, Liberal, visitliberal.com.

Oct. 14 Monster Myths by Moonlight,

Oct. 20-28 Neewollah, Kansas Largest

Oct. 14 Pumpkin PaZoola, Rolling Hills Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

Oct. 21 Boo! At the Zoo, Lee Richardson

Milford State Park, ksoutdoors.com.

Oct. 14-15 Antique Engine & Steam Show,

Yesteryear Museum, Salina, 877-425-4625.

Oct. 20-21 Blues Masters at the

Crossroads, Blue Heaven Studios, Salina, 877-425-4625.

Oct. 20-21 Fall Festival, Wellington, wellingtonkschamber.com.

ALWAYS OPEN, ALWAYS FREE

Take a self guided tour of the 76-piece Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection or call ahead and plan a free group tour. Maps available at the Ulrich.

Joan Miró, Personnages Oiseaux (Bird People), 1977–78.

Museum Hours: Tuesday–Friday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Saturday–Sunday: 1–5 p.m. @ulrichmuseum | ulrich.wichita.edu | Free Admission | 316.978.3664 | 1845 Fairmount

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Annual Celebration, Independence, neewollah.com.

Zoo, Garden City, 620-276-6243.

Oct. 21 Halloween Spooktacular,

Bicentennial Center, Salina, bicentennialcenter.com.

Oct 21-22 Fall Farm Tours, agritourism businesses, including wineries and cider mill, in Miami County, a dayonthefarm.com.

Continued on page 42.

ONE DOLLAR OFF ADMISSION

Offer good at • • • • •

Botanica Exploration Place Mid-America All-Indian Center Old Cowtown Museum Wichita Art Museum

(Limit 4 admissions per coupon) Not valid for special events and cannot be combined with any other offer.

No cash value.

SAVE

Travel Kansas 2017

Wichita, Kansas • Visit all the Museums on the River today! l 41

Continued from page 40.

Oct. 21-22 Spooky Science, Exploration

Place, Wichita, exploration.org.

Oct. 27-28 Downtown Emporia Haunted

Tours, 620-340-6300.

Oct. 28 Zoo Boo, Great Bend, 620-793-

4111.

Oct. 28 ASVRR Silver Flyer Railbus Rides, Abilene, 785-263-1077.

Oct. 28-29 Hay, Hooves and Halloween,

Cowtown, Wichita, oldcowtown.org.

Oct. 31 Haunted Boot Hill, Hays City

graveyard, 7 p.m., 785-628-2624.

November Nov. 1-11 All Veterans Tribute Celebration, Emporia, founding city of Veterans Day, talent show, art exhibit, Freedom Fest RunWalk/Ride, parade, visitemporia.com.

Nov. 1-Dec. 31 Largest Indoor Christmas Tree Display in the Midwest with over 125 Christmas trees with vintage and antique ornaments, Territorial Capital Museum, Lecompton, lecomptonkansas.com.

Nov. 3-5 Gathering in the Grove, Flint Hills art show and sale, Council Grove, 620-7675413.

Nov. 4 Candlelight Charm, carriage rides

and stores lit up, historic downtown Council Grove, 620-767-5413.

Nov. 4-5 French Market, Baker Arts

Center, Liberal, bakerartscenter.org.

Nov. 11 Veterans Day Parade, Leavenworth,

913-651-0410.

Nov. 17-Dec. 25 Christmas in Old Dodge

City, including Front Street decorations, Parade of Lights Nov. 27 and Breakfast with Santa at Boot Hill Museum Dec. 2, 1-800-OLD-WEST.

“Spirited: Prohibition in America,� a special traveling exhibit organized by the National Endowment for the Humanities, will be on display Nov. 10-Jan. 7 at the Coronado Quivira Museum in Lyons. The exhibit looks at the days of speakeasies and bootleg liquor. This photo, taken on the eve of the Prohibition Act of 1919 in Detroit, is part of the exhibit.

Nov. 18 Christmas Festival & Parade of Lights, downtown Salina, 877-425-4625.

Lights, Blue Earth Plaza, Manhattan, mhkfestivaloflights.com.

Nov. 18-19 Tumbleweed Bazaar Arts & Crafts festival, Ulysses, ulysseschamber.org.

Nov. 25 Lighted Christmas Parade, Russell, 877-830-3737.

Nov. 24 Christmas Parade, 5:30 p.m., Junction City, jcacc.org.

Nov. 25-Dec. 22 Santas Around the World, 23 life-sized Santas showcase Christmas stories and traditions from around the world, Great Bend, 620-793-4111.

Nov. 24 Miracle on Kansas Avenue Parade, Topeka, VisitTopeka.com.

Nov. 24-25 Winter Art Mania, Wichita Art

Museum,. Wichitaartmuseum.org.

Nov. 24-Dec. 31 Illuminations, Botanica,

Wichita, botanica.org.

Nov. 24-Dec. 31 Winter Wonderland

lights, Topeka, VisitTopeka.com.

Nov. 24-Dec. 31 Festival of

Nov. 25-Dec. 31 Trail of Lights, animated lights start at Brit Spaugh Park, Great Bend, 620-793-4111.

Nov. 27-Dec. 31 Seelye Mansion Christmas Tours, Abilene, 785-263-1084.

Nov. 28 Christmas Parade, downtown

Emporia, 7 p.m., 620-342-1600, visitemporia.com.

Nov. 29 Christmas Celebration, parade, Columbus, 620-429-1492.

Nov. 30 Miracle & Magic Light Parade, Ulysses, ulysseschamber.org.

December Dec. 1-2, 8-9 Victorian Christmas, Cowtown, Wichita, oldcowtown.org.

Dec. 2 WinterFest, Topeka, VisitTopeka.com.

Dec. 2 Night of Christmas Magic,

downtown Abilene, abilenekansas.com.

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Dec. 2 Holiday Open House & Gingerbread

House Decorating, McPherson Museum, 620-241-8464.

Dec. 2-3 Home for the Holidays Tours,

Abilene, abilenekansas.org.

Dec. 2-3 Opening of Design Build Fly,

Exploration’s Place’s new 5,100-squarefoot aviation exhibit display with hands-on experiences, Wichita, exploration.org.

Dec. 3 Friends of the Wichita Art Museum Holiday Open House, Wichitaartmuseum. org.

Dec. 3 . Christkindlmarket, Ellinwood,

ellinwoodchamber.com.

Dec. 3 Cookies With Santa, Rolling Hills Zoo, Salina, rollinghillszoo.org.

Dec. 14-17, 21-22 Trolley Holiday Lights Tours, McPherson, 620-241-3340.

Dec. 18 Cheyenne Bottoms Christmas Bird

Count, Kansas Wetlands Education Center, 877-243-9268.

Dec. 26-28 Winter Art Mania, Wichita Art Museum,. Wichitaartmuseum.org.

Dec. 30 Rock the Dome, Pink Floyd Cosmic

Light Shows, Exploration Place, Wichita, exporation.org.

The index includes locations and advertisers, but not events or calendar listings.

Abilene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 8, 11, 18, 19, 20, 31 Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad . . . . . . 8, 19 Admire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Allen County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 10 Amtrak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Arikaree Breaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Arkansas City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Atchison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Augusta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 11, 17 Belle Plaine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Biking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12 Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery . . . . . . . 2, 6 Blacksmith Coffee Shop & Roastery . . . . . . . 2 Bonner Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Boot Hill Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Botanica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Brookville Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Caldwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 19, 20, 25 Carriage Factory Art Gallery . . . . . . . . . . 16, 19 Chase County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cover Cheyenne Bottoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 22-23, 25 Chisholm Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 18-20, 25

Chisholm Trail Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Choice Hotels . . . . . . . . . . . . inside back cover Clearwater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 20 Cloud County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 37 Coffeyville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Colby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Columbus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Concordia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 37 Coronado Quivira Museum . . . . . . . . . . 24, 42 Cottonwood Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 20 Council Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 11, 14, 15 Cowtown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 41 Dodge City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 29 Eisenhower Presidential Library . . . . 8, 20, 31 Ellinwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Ellsworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Emporia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 17 Exploration Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Fairway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Fick Fossil and History Museum . . . . . . . . . 38 Finney County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 31 Continued on page 44.

History Comes Alive in Ulysses & Grant County

V

isitors who take the Cimarron Cutoff from the Santa Fe Trail find themselves at the Lower Spring campsite nestled in the heart of the Cimarron River valley, a site now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Stop and Stay Awhile Frazier Park features hiking & wildlife viewing. Dining options include Kansas-fed beef, a wide variety of the BEST Mexican food and catering for visiting groups.

ABOVE: Jeff Trotman portrays early settler Jedediah Smith

along the Santa Fe Trail.

Historic Adobe Museum An interpretive center for the Santa Fe Trail which includes the Hotel Edwards. 300 E. Oklahoma, (620) 356-3009.

Open daily (except major holidays).

8

wonders of Kansas!

H I S T O RY

For information on planning your visit call (620) 356-4700; or visit us on the web at www.ulysseschamber.org

KANSAS SAMPLER FOUNDATION ©

M E N T I O N T H I S A D F O R V I S I TO R D I S C O U N T S

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Continued from page 43.

Flint Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 11, 12 Flint Hills Nature Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 11, 12 Franklin County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Gallery XII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Garden City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 31 Garden Plain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Goessel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 25, 32 Goodland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Grant County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Great Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 22 Greyhound Hall of Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Hays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 28 Hemslojd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Heritage Center & Museum of Independent Telephony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 High Plains Lodging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Highland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Hillsboro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 32, 33 Hillsboro Arts & Crafts Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Historic Elgin Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 33 Holiday Inn Express & Suites . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Hoot Owl Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Humboldt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Hutchinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

44 l

Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Iola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 11, 12, 17 Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum . . . . . 8 Junction City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 17, 30, 39 Kansas City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Kansas Originals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Kansas Sampler Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Kansas Star Casino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Land and Sky Scenic Byway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Lawrence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 11, 16 Leavenworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 38 Lecompton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Liberal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Lindsborg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2, 6-7, 40 Little Jerusalem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Logan County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Louisburg Cider Mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Lucas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 5, 11, 17, 35 Lyons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24, 30, 42 Manhattan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 37 Marion Art in the Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Marion County . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 20, 25, 32, 33 McPherson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Mennonite Heritage & Agricultural Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 25, 32

Miami County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Mid-America All-Indian Center . . . . 15, 20, 41 Middle Creek Winery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Midsummer’s Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 16 Mulvane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Museums on the River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Music Theatre Wichita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 National Orphan Train Museum . . . . . . . . . . 4 New Lancaster General Store . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Newton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 19, 20, 24 Nighthawk Vineyard & Winery . . . . . . . . . . 36 Oakley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 38 Osawatomie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Ottawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 12, 30 Overland Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 17 Paola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Pawnee Indian Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 15 Prairie Band Casino . . . . . . . . . . . . . back cover Pretty Prairie Rodeo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 42 Quivira National Wildlife Refuge . . . . . . . . . 22 Republic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Red Barn Studio Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 6 Renaissance Cafe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Rice County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Rolling Hills Zoo . . . . . . . . . . inside front cover Russell County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 39 Salina . . . . . . . . . . . inside front cover, 1, 26, 30 Salina Symphony . . . . . . inside front cover, 31 Scott City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 11, 14, 15, 43 Scott’s Hometown Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Seelye Mansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sharon Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Small World Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 6 Smoky Hill Museum . . . . . . inside front cover Smoky Hill River Festival . . . . . . . . inside front cover, 26 South-Central Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24, 25 St. Francis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Sumner County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Svensk Hyllningsfest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 6 Swedish Country Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Swedish Crown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Symphony in the Flint Hills . . . . . . . . . . 20, 28 Tallgrass Film Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 17, 40 Topeka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 9, 16, 17, 35, 39 Tradhuset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Trollslanda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Ulrich Museum of Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 40 Ulysses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Vetehuset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Wellington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 19, 20, 25, 35 Wichita . . . . . . . . 3, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 20, 40, 41 Wichita Art Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Wichita State University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 16 Wilson Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 11, 12 Winfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

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