Travel Kansas 2013

Discover the Sunflower State

Art Vistas

Galleries showcase an array of original works

Several Kansas festivals reach century milestone

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World-Class Entertainment You’ll Never Forget

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Tom Otterness, Millipede, 2008. Bronze, 60 x 48 x 300 in.

NATURE’S TOOLBOX: BIODIVERSITY, ART AND INVENTION AUGUST 31 - DECEMBER 15, 2013 An engaging, informative and entertaining exhibition that links nature’s bounty to our everyday challenges.

Discover the Ulrich’s 330-acre, 76-piece outdoor sculpture tour— one of the largest and most renowned collections of its kind.

VISIT ULRICH.WICHITA.EDU FOR A FULL LIST OF CURRENT EXHIBITIONS.

FREE ADMISSION Ulrich Museum of Art Wichita State University 1845 Fairmount Street

Catherine Chalmers, Safari (detail), 2006.

Color video, 7:04 min. Courtesy of the artist

OUTDOOR SCULPTURE COLLECTION

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Around Kansas

From Rock City’s monumental concretions to the Sampler Festival, Barn Quilt Tour and Dodge City

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All Aboard!

Passengers step back in time at two Kansas depots

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Tradition: Century-Old Festivals

Several Kansas communities have kept up annual events for 100 years or more

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Art in the Heartland

Small towns often offer the greatest assortment of original works

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A Visit to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

Join Harland and Suzanne Schuster at one of their favorite places

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If These Walls Could Talk

Kansas historic homes tell stories of the famous and infamous

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Calendar Highlights

Whether it’s fireworks or penguins, Kansas has it all

Cynthia Mines Susan Burdick

Publisher/Editor art director

Cover photo by Harland Schuster

published by

The Wichita Times, 111 N. Mosley Ste. 201, Wichita, KS 67202, 316-264-5850, www.wichitatimesonline.com. Call or email cmines@aol.com to purchase additional copies. © 2013 Matrix Media Inc.

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photo by Eldon Clark

Sierra Club: Rock City among the nation’s best W hen the Sierra Club compiled its list of “9 Must-See Natural Rock Formations,” Kansas’ Rock City near Minneapolis made the cut.

In describing Rock City, five acres of 200 massive Dakota sandstone spheres, editors wrote: “Don’t you just hate it when you’re trying to walk through a grassy hillside and you have to constantly dodge house-sized boulders in a maze-like landscape? Well — we don’t.”

They said a space the size of two football fields was “peppered with enormous rocks forming alleyways in between” and suggested visitors “walk around Rock City and see if it’s harder to get around than L.A. or New York.”

The rocks – known as concretions – were formed millions of years ago when

an inland sea covered parts of Kansas. The spheres are up to 27 feet in diameter and are on a hilltop overlooking the Solomon River valley in north-central Kansas.

Some of the sphere-shaped rocks are covered with cracks as if made for climbing. And one is shaped like a large bowl, making a perfect place for people to relax while visiting the park. The site became a Registered Natural Landmark in 1978.

Rock City is 3 1/2 miles south of Minneapolis off Highway 106. The park is open dawn to dusk and there is a $3 fee. Call 785-392-3068 for more information.

Dodge City moves up among True West towns It’s not unusual for Dodge City to be named a top True West town, but the magazine moved Dodge City up to No. 2 on its list of Top Ten True West Towns for 2013.

“Dodge City is part of the American culture, in part because it was the setting of the long-running TV series ‘Gunsmoke,’ but the old cattle town is the real deal, a place where the Old West continues to live and breathe,” said True West magazine in making the announcement.

About 150,000 visitors each year experience the harland schuster

Old West through Dodge City’s Boot Hill Museum and buildings dating to the late 19th century. Each summer a 10-day summer festival known as Dodge City Days celebrates the town’s heritage with a rodeo, parade, barbecue contest and Western art show.

“Dodge City residents are justifiably proud of the town’s heritage, and they work hard to share it with visitors,” said Bob Boze Bell, True West executive editor. “The local preservation efforts and outstanding events make it truly a True West Town.”

Editors based their selection on how well each town has preserved its history through buildings, museums, events and promotion of historic resources.

For information on visiting Dodge City, call 800-OLD-WEST.

Liberal hosts Kansas Sampler Festival For the 24th year, more than 100 Kansas communities will gather in one place for one weekend to celebrate all there is to see, do, hear, taste, buy and learn in Kansas. The 2013 Kansas Sampler Festival will be May 4-5 at Light Park in Liberal.

“The Kansas Sampler Festival was designed to bring communities and attractions from all over the state together to make it easy for the public to discover day trip possibilities,” said Marci Penner, Kansas Sampler Foundation director.

Started by the foundation on the Penner farm near Inman in 1990, it was not long before the festival outgrew the space and began moving to a different location every two years. Attendance in 2012 was 5,500.

The annual festival gives Kansas musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, food vendors, attractions and communities an opportunity to showcase their wares, and it gives visitors a chance to sample the best of what Kansas has to offer in one place.

Moving the festival provides exposure in various parts of the state. “We’re delighted that exhibitors, who come from every part of the state, will get to meet the people of southwest Kansas and surrounding area,” said WenDee LaPlant, assistant foundation director. The 2014-15 festivals will be in Wamego.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children 7-14. For more info, visit kansassamplerfestival.com or call 620-626-0170.

Flint Hills coalition blazes Barn Quilt Trail The Flint Hills Tourism Coalition is organizing the Kansas Flint Hills Quilt Trail throughout its 22-county region. The trail will consist of large wooden painted quilt blocks affixed to the sides of barns or other buildings.

Franklin County already has created a self-guided tour with 26 barns or sheds sporting quilt blocks in the Ottawa area.

“Barn trails showcase the perfect combination of farm life and quilting with colorful painted blocks adorning various types of outbuildings,” said Connie Larson, committee member. “Many blocks are chosen to honor a farm’s history, or promote a product or honor a member of the family, or simply a favorite quilt block.”

Sue Hageman, a quilter from Riley

Courtesy of Kansas Sampler Foundation

Last year’s Sampler Festival in Liberal attracted 5,500 attendees and more than 100 communities.

County, painted her first barn quilt after a trip to the Franklin County Quilt Tour. She chose “Flying Geese” as her first quilt block since it was the first one she learned when she began quilting.

“I am excited to be a part of the Kansas Flint Hills Quilt Trail movement, especially in Riley County,” she said.

“The colorful blocks are wonderful public art, and may help rejuvenate the rural areas of the Flint Hills.” She and several friends have formed Barn Quilts of Riley County.

Another Riley County block is displayed at Ron and Chris Wilson’s Lazy T Ranch southeast of Manhattan on Zeandale Road. The quilt block design was taken from a quilt made

by Chris’ great-great-grandmother. Riley County’s first barn quilt block, attached to the ranch’s historic stone and wood barn, was painted by Ralph Fontenot, an art teacher in Manhattan.

An experienced Pottawatomie County quilter, Connie Taylor, was surprised on Christmas when her daughter presented her with a barn quilt block. The block, “Twisted Star,” painted by her daughter, can be seen driving north from Manhattan on Highway 13.

Individuals and groups are welcome to participate. The Kansas trail will become part of the American Quilt Trail (www. barnquiltinfo.com). For more information on viewing or participating, go to www. kansasflinthills.travel.

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Passengers step back in time at two Kansas depots

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he latest addition to the state’s historic rail offerings is the Kansas Belle Dinner Train, which offered its first five-course dinner run in January on tracks used by the Midland Railway in Baldwin City.

“Our first run was Jan. 19 and we had a sell-out on Feb. 14, in less than one month, and a packed crowd the following Saturday,” said TerriLois Gregory, business development director for the Kansas Belle Dinner Train. “The whole community has been so welcoming and inviting. They were eager for a dinner train to be here and to add a destination attraction.”

The train decided to move to Baldwin City’s better-maintained tracks and depot after a successful 24-year run in Fremont,

To book a trip back in time: Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, Abilene: narrated rides weekends from May 4-Oct. 27 with additional days in summer, $14 for adults.

Steam engine will operate Memorial, Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends plus July 25, 27, 28; Aug. 3 and Oct. 5-6. Cost for steam engine is $30 for adults. Call or visit website for dinner train schedule: asvrr.org or 888-426-6687.

Kansas Belle Dinner Train, Baldwin City: $55 for three-course family Sunday excursion; $65 for fivecourse meal (alcohol and entertainment are additional), weekends.

Available for charter. More info: 800-942-7245 or kansasbelle.com.

Midland Railway, Baldwin City: Summer trips on Thursdays and weekends to Norwood and Ottawa, $12 to $16 for adults, plus special event trains, midlandrailway.org or 913-721-1211.

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Abilene offers two choices for train excursions, including a steam locomotive. BELOW: Diners line up in Baldwin City to board the new Kansas Belle Dinner Train, which also offers entertainment.

Above:

Neb., according to Gregory. One hurdle to the Kansas move was that owners were reluctant to move to a state that did not allow the sale of alcohol on moving rail cars.

Gregory, a member of the Kansas legislature at the time, shepherded legislation that got the law changed.

The Kansas Belle leases track and locomotives from the Midland Railway, “which helps everyone further the mission of a providing a historic railroad experience,” Gregory said. The 1906 Midland Depot is owned by Santa Fe Historical Society and is used by both trains.

Four named dining cars – including the 1942 Maple Creek built by the Canadian National Railroad – transport passengers back to the elegance of the 1940s through

décor, music and movies in the lounge while the train winds through 22 miles of Douglas and Franklin counties. Additional entertainment on special trains includes murder mystery dinners, World War II USO shows and live musical entertainment.

The Kansas Belle offers a five-course meal prepared by 23rd Street Brewery of Lawrence on Saturday evenings year-round.

A three-course family meal is offered on Sunday afternoons with an additional Friday evening run during warmer months.

The Kansas Belle and Midland Railway operate on a line constructed in 1867. The line was purchased in 1987 by several investors to form the nonprofit Midland Railway Historical Association. The long-running Midland Railway offers seasonal trips to

Norwood and Ottawa, plus special event trains such as Easter Egg Hunt excursions.

Passengers boarding in Abilene can choose between a recently restored 1919 Baldwin steam locomotive and a longrunning diesel engine excursion, both operated by the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad Association, which also offers periodic dinner trains.

It took years of volunteer work to get the #3415 running again, but those efforts were validated when the locomotive – one of only three working steam engines in the country – was dedicated on June 19, 2009, exactly 90 years after it made its first run.

After the locomotive was decommissioned in 1954, it was donated to Abilene and sat in the city park until 1996 when the city gave it to the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, which had been transporting thousands of passengers a year in a restored coach, dining car or open-air observation car pulled by a vintage dieselelectric engine.

“The people who ride when the 3415 locomotive is pulling the cars are steam fanatics,” said Manager Mary Jane Oard. “There are some people who want to ride nothing but that steam engine. It is a lot of nostalgia for people, including a lot of your World War II veterans who rode to boot camps with a steam locomotive pulling the train.”

The steam engine spent 40 years sitting in the Eisenhower park before a group of dedicated volunteers pursued its restoration. Other passengers like to ride the steam engine because they remember playing on it in the park as children, according to Oard.

“You’ve seen movies with the big engines that puff smoke and steam into the sky,” Oard said. “The diesel electric is more like the engines you see today.”

– Keri Meinking

CARRIAGE FACTORY ART GALLERY Fine art in National Register of Historic Places site, 30 miles north of Wichita Art exhibitions, gift shop, consignment gallery, guided tours 12-5 T-F | 10-5 Sat. 128 E. 6th St., Newton | 316-284-2749 carriagefactoryartgallery.com

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Communities celebrate with century-old festivals

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everal Kansas communities have managed to maintain traditions that celebrate annual milestones such as graduation and record harvests for longer than a century.

Among the longest-running are: Prairiesta, started by Russell settlers in 1871 and celebrated once a decade now; Nicodemus’ Emancipation Proclamation Homecoming Celebration, which turns 135 this year; and Lindsborg’s Messiah Festival of the Arts, which dates back 132 years to the first Easter season performance by the Bethany Oratorio Society of Handel’s “Messiah.”

Just over 110 years ago, Wellington celebrated a record-breaking wheat crop, and Clyde planned festivities to honor an abundant watermelon harvest, two traditions that continue to this day.

It’s not unusual for a town’s population to swell many times over on festival day. McPherson, population 13,000, attracts up to 50,000 for its All-Schools Day celebration, which turns 100 this year.

Known locally as “May Day,” the event was started a century ago when the county superintendent of schools figured out a way to present diplomas to graduates of each of the 100 country schools.

Vintage photos show McPherson All Schools Day and the Kansas State Fair, which both turn 100 this year.

From top to bottom, color photos are from Clyde’s Watermelon Festival, Sumner County’s Wheat Festival and Independence’s Neewollah.

“He wanted to hand each student a diploma – even drove out to fields to find them – so he approached local businesses about sponsoring a parade and a ceremony for all county schools at the McPherson Opera House,” said Anne Hassler, McPherson Convention and Visitors Bureau director, who is working on a book and documentary to be shown at the opera house during the 2013 festivities.

Run entirely by volunteers, the event takes on the significance of a major holiday for locals, who close schools, colleges, banks and businesses so employees can attend the Friday parade and other events.

“Even Fortune 500 companies shut down for the day,” Hassler said.

Events include a twonight May Fete in the park’s bandshell which features performers from local schools, May Pole winding, and May royalty from each of the county high schools.

“It’s special for this to happen in a community for one hundred years,” Hassler said. “It says a lot about the community.”

Also in McPherson County, Lindsborg’s long-standing Easter tradition dates to 1882 when the Bethany Oratorio Society first presented the “Messiah.” The continuous annual performance makes it the longest-running in North America.

“It is both an artistically and spiritually enriching experience,” said Blakely Bunning, festival coordinator. “The entire community comes together for the production that features a large choir, a large orchestra and amazing music.”

To complement the “Messiah” performance, Bethany professor Birger Sandzen and two other local artists started the Midwest Art Exhibition in 1897. For decades, the crowds coming to Lindsborg for the art and music festivities were so immense that additional trains had to be added to the local schedule. The state’s oldest annual art exhibition continues the tradition each spring at the Birger Continued on page 10.

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Through the years: For a century, McPherson has celebrated county graduates with a May Fete, parade and other events.

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Sandzen Memorial Gallery on the Bethany campus in conjunction with the “Messiah” performance.

While Independence’s Neewollah festival has not quite reached the century mark, the annual event is the largest annual celebration in the state. The community began Neewollah (Halloween spelled backwards) in 1919 as a positive alternative to local pranks.

The town of 10,000 residents swells to 75,000 for the annual celebration which includes three parades and Queen Neelah pageant.

Festivals celebrate harvest

Post-harvest in summer and fall were popular times for Kansans to plan celebratory festivals. Residents of Sumner County have been celebrating the wheat harvest each summer for 113 years. The fiveday Wheat Festival, which was named the official wheat festival for the state of Kansas last year, annually attracts thousands of visitors.

“This is a celebration of wheat that we create here in Sumner County better than anywhere in the world,” said Shelley HanselWilliams, executive director of the Wellington Area Chamber of Commerce.

With the official state designation, HanselWilliams hopes to make the agricultural component of the festival even stronger.

“We are making the festival more agricultural-centered, bringing it back to what it’s all about, and that’s the Kansas wheat farmers,” Hansel-Williams said. “I think Kansans are hungry for an authentic, rural experience.”

Highlights of the Wheat Festival include a picnic in the park and Wheat King – the person who produces the fan-favorite wheat – as well as a parade, street dance and cow chip throwing contest.

Families who have been farming in Kansas for 100 years or more are invited to a free recognition dinner and will be included in the festival parade.

“Farming has been a staple for our economy,” Hansel-Williams said. “Farming is that one thing that has remained constant for us – a friendly little town in Kansas.”

Another agriculture-centered tradition is the Kansas State Fair, which turns 100 this year. Most Kansas counties plan their own fairs prior to the Kansas State Fair, giving plenty of opportunities to experience old-fashioned fun.

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Art in the Heartland

By Cynthia Mines

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ansas has dozens of opportunities for browsing and art buying across the state – and not just in metropolitan areas. In fact, some of the largest assortments of art can be found in places as small and far-flung as Wilson, Lindsborg, Ulysses and Paola.

A group from five counties in northcentral Kansas began meeting in the late 1980s to see how they could promote their art to travelers along I-70.

“We had such wonderful arts and crafts we wanted to take them to people along the highway,” said Marge Lawson, a photographer who ran a gallery in Sylvan at the time.

The group secured funds, constructed a building, and Kansas Originals opened at the Wilson exit on I-70 in 1991. After only two years the building had to be expanded,

and a second location was opened east of Topeka on the turnpike in 2002.

“The first year we had probably 100 artists and craftspeople,” said Lawson, who manages the retail operation. “The store was supposed to represent northcentral Kansas artists but it went statewide right away.”

Kansas Originals now has well over a thousand member artists but space to accommodate only 250 at a time. In addition to paintings and pottery, the store sells handmade quilts, wood carvings, hand-loomed rugs, blown and stained-glass, limestone art, sculptures made from farm implements, and a plethora of other handiwork.

Customers have come from every state and more than 100 foreign countries. “But a lot of people from Kansas come to us to get unique Kansas items,” Lawson said.

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im and Kathy Richardson had lived in Denver for nearly 20 years when they decided to move back to Kansas to be closer to aging parents. Jim was a fulltime freelance photographer whose clients included National Geographic so they were not tied to living in a specific area.

At different times, Jim and Kathy, a feature writer, had both covered the Messiah Festival in Lindsborg and knew of the community’s art culture. They made the

Carriage Factory Art Gallery 128 E. 6th St., Newton,316-284-2749, carriagefactoryartgallery.com.

Courtyard Gallery 125 N. Main St. Lindsborg, 785227-3007, courtyardgallery.com, handles works by more than 50 Midwestern artists.

Main ARTery (pictured at right) 103 S. Main St. Ulysses, 620-424-3828, MainARTerykansas.com.

Strecker-Nelson Gallery 406 ½ Poyntz Ave., Manhattan, 785-537-2099, strecker-nelsongallery.com.

Kansas Originals Wilson (Exit 206 on I-70) and Topeka turnpike center, kansasoriginals.com, 877-4KS-MADE.

Small World Gallery 127 N. Main, Lindsborg, smallworldgallery.net, 785-227-4442.

Tortoise Gallery of Fine Art Paola’s historic square, 913-294-4455, tortoisegallery.info. An espresso bar and occasional music make for cozy browsing of works by 65 area artists.

Visual Arts Alliance of McPherson (VAAM) 223 S. Main, artist coop in historic opera house, 620-241-5774.

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Above: Jim and Kathy Richardson at Small World Gallery. LEFT: Pottery by Michelle Weigel of Hays is sold at Kansas Originals.

move in 1997 and rented office space on Main Street to establish a connection with their new hometown. The idea of opening a gallery didn’t emerge for five years.

Then a storefront on Main Street came up for sale and they took the plunge. The gallery opened at Messiah Festival 2002.

When asked if they researched what it took to operate an art gallery before making the decision, Kathy laughed.

“We had a lot of support in the early years – a friend worked without pay. And we still learn something new every day,” she said. “Not many photographers own their own gallery so it was a rather unusual situation.”

Aptly named, the Small World Gallery showcases hundreds of photographs – either on the wall or in the form of 450 notecards – from Jim’s around-the-world travels and National Geographic assignments.

When it comes to buying large framed photographs, however, people tend to choose scenes closer to home, Kathy said.

“It’s an emotional choice. People have to

have a connection with the subject matter.”

Photographs of the Flint Hills are among the most popular with Kansans. “They appreciate photography that treats Kansas seriously and is beautiful,” Kathy said. “There is a lot of joy in that for Jim.” The gallery has a database of 1,500 of Jim’s photographs which can be printed in any size. Changing exhibitions of his work focus on different themes or a National Geographic feature.

Shortly after opening the gallery, Kathy’s interest in collecting vintage glass from Europe and Japan led her to design jewelry pieces that complemented the photographs.

“They are beads and metals with stories,” said Kathy, who searches worldwide for unusual cuts of semi-precious stone, antique European glass and pre-war artisan glass. Her necklaces, bracelets and earrings, which she designs under the label IBISwoman, have become an important part of the gallery.

“People come in to see Jim’s photographs and leave with a bit of jewelry,” she said.

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hen Dr. Frances Allen of Newton retired as a physician in 1978, two friends gave her a set of paints because they had noticed she had a tendency to draw pictures for patients when she wanted to illustrate a point.

“I did nothing with the paints for a couple of years, then I kind of got hooked,” said Allen, who is now 98 years old. “Then I painted a lot, more than a hundred paintings.”

In 1983 she attended a few meetings of the Newton Fine Arts Association and learned members wanted a place to show their art besides the senior center and a few other locations. Allen contacted an acquaintance who owned an empty building he was considering tearing down.

“We persuaded him to allow us to use the building without paying rent because we had no money,” Allen said. “A group from the art association – primarily women – went in there with brooms and brushes and cleaned up the place. It was in real bad shape with broken windows.”

The women got the building – which had been built by J.J. Krehbiel in 1883 as a carriage factory – in shape, and the Carriage Factory Art Gallery opened on Oct. 2, 1983, a century after its original opening.

After a decade, the group decided to renovate the building, which had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

They contacted J.J. Krehbiel’s grandson, who was living in Chicago, and he made a

photo by vada snider

Carriage Factory Art Gallery in Newton is housed in an 1883 building.

significant contribution.

It turned out the building already had an artistic connection – one of the carriage maker’s sons was Albert Krehbiel, a renowned American Impressionist. Several of his paintings are in the gallery’s permanent collection.

The Carriage Factory features rotating exhibitions on the first floor which are organized by Manhattan gallery owner Jay Nelson as well as a gift shop and a thirdfloor gallery where member artists display their work.

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ansas art galleries have found they need to offer classes and diversify their merchandise in order to make ends meet. Jim Richardson compared it to Kansas farmers who need to vary their crops from year to year.

“Like with crops, specialization can be

a curse,” said Jim, who grew up on a farm near Belleville. “We’re always searching for new niches as the market changes.”

Carrying a wide variety of items, including Kansas foods, books and music, has helped Kansas Originals stay afloat. The store also sells items on a website and ships baskets of Kansas-made items. Though nothing prepared the store for having its main artery – the I-70 exits – closed for construction for six months during travel season last year, Lawson said.

The Main ARTery in Ulysses, an artist coop owned by Jeani Gustafson, may have the most creative revenue stream: In addition to offering classes, workshops and custom framing services, the gallery is the pick-up and drop-off point for a dry cleaner in Liberal.

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S a t u r d a y, S e p t e m b e r 21

“There is no dry cleaning within an hour’s drive of Ulysses so this helps everyone,” she said. In addition to a fee, the gallery gets customers who might not otherwise venture into an art gallery.

“They look around and realize they could buy gifts here,” she said.

Gustafson, a ceramic artist, opened the gallery with 11 member artists in 2006 and now 19 artists from Southwest Kansas cooperate either by paying a monthly fee or by working a couple of days per month.

In addition to being a meeting place for artists, the gallery was the site for a recent Rotary Club district meeting reception and will host art teachers from western Kansas.

“We have to do all those things to make ends meet,” said Gustafson, who added that the gallery has been well-received by the community of 5,000 residents.

“Local people really support what we do,” she said.

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1 D at e 2 F a i r s i n M a r i o n C o u n t y

Wellington

Located in Sumner County, Wheat Capital of the World and only 10 minutes from new Kansas Star Casino Join us for the “Official”

Kansas Wheat Festival July 10-14, 2013

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We invite you to stroll through our historic downtown during the First Friday Art Walk…see a movie at the Regent Theater, visit one of our three museums or Nationally registered Carnegie Library. Take in a round of golf at the challenging 18-hole Wellington Golf Club or catch an exciting Wellington Heat baseball game at Sellers park.

Sample some of the region’s best steaks, barbeque, Mexican Food or cruise through our nostalgic A&W restaurant for a frosty mug of root beer!!

Wellington Area Chamber of Commerce / Covention & Visitors Bureau

wellingtonks.org 620-326-7466

Wellington CVB_KM13sp.indd 1

Live Well, Live Wellington 1/16/13 10:22 AM

No one else was there that evening, just us ....

A visit to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve With Harland and Suzanne Schuster

he tallgrass prairie once covered 140 million acres of North America. Today, less than 4 percent of North America’s tallgrass prairie remains and most of that is in the Flint Hills of Kansas.

With urging by Kansas Senators Nancy Kassebaum-Baker and Bob Dole, Congress in 1996 created the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve out of 11,000 acres of Flint Hills land to protect the diverse tallgrass prairie ecosystem. First ranched in the late 1870s, the land is home to 400 species of plants, 150 kinds of birds and 31 species of mammals.

The 40 miles of hiking trails are open 24 hours a day for exploring year-round. Also on the property are a new visitors center, grand four-story 1881 ranch house, limestone barn and 1882 Lower Fox Creek School. To learn more, visit Nps.gov/tapr or call 620-273-8494.

It is a favorite place for photographer Harland Schuster and his wife Suzanne, who writes the blog, Window on the Prairie.

As she explains to readers: We go there several times each year to see the prairie

with its wide expanses of native grass reaching to the horizon . . . . It is a rugged wild landscape full of grasses swaying in the breeze with myriads of insects, songbirds flitting about and beautiful wildflowers.

Following are more of their impressions of the vast tallgrass prairie.

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The prairie grasses swayed in the breeze, and little clouds skittered across the sky.

Finally we caught sight of the bison herd.

Photographs by Harland and Suzanne Schuster, text excerpted from Window on the Prairie blog by Suzanne Schuster

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As the sun set, the prairie took on a warm glow.

No one else was there that evening, just us, the prairie with its grasses and flowers, and the bison herd.

Thirteen bison were introduced in October 2009, and on Mother’s Day 2010, a bison calf was born, the first there in over 140 years. After hiking the trails for about a mile, we saw a group of brown dots on a distant hill. We caught our breath, and then started towards them. When we reached the herd, we couldn’t see the baby at first because it was lying down in the tall grass, but it finally got to its feet and nursed from its mom giving us a first look at its light brown fur, a contrast to the dark brown of the adults.

A storm skirted to the north of us with frequent bursts of lightning flashing across the sky. Harland moved some distance away, set up his tripod and began to take pictures of the lightning. I stayed where I was watching the bison. After a half hour, much to my surprise, the herd drifted towards me. They seemed curious and looked at me thoughtfully. Mama bison rested her chin protectively over her 1-month-old. Gusts of unsettled wind stirred the grasses while distant thunder rolled over the hills. The bison grazed, seemingly unconcerned.

Finally the sun set, and we regretfully began the hike back, leaving the bison herd behind. It was nearly dark as we reached the end of the trail. Lightning bugs flew around us. We heard the surprised snort of deer start at our approach and bound away. We were tired and sore, but as we drove home in the darkness my mind kept drifting back to the prairie and bison grazing around me. Was it real?

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Preserved homes offer glimpses into history ot many dwellings can claim that a “president slept here,” but in the case of Pulitzer Prize winner William Allen White’s home in Emporia, five U.S. presidents slept there. And an entire president’s family grew up in Dwight Eisenhower’s boyhood home in Abilene.

Touring Amelia Earhart’s house on the river bluffs in Atchison gives a unique glimpse into the life of the famous aviatrix. Other homes showcase how wealthy Kansans lived during a certain era, and several are notable for their architecture, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie-style house in Wichita.

Other houses offer looks inside the lives of characters such as John Brown, Carrie Nation and the Dalton Gang.

Dalton Gang Hideout

Brown Mansion

Spring Hill Ranch

CRAY HOUSE

Amelia Earhart Birthplace

Allen-Lambe House, photo by jennifer hartneTt-henderson

Detail photos by Harland Schuster

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William Allen White Home William Allen White’s fiery editorials made him not only a trusted adviser to several U.S. presidents, but five of them – Roosevelt, Taft, Coolidge, Hoover and Harding – took the train to Emporia to stay at his home, according to Jennifer Baldwin, site administrator for the Red Rocks State Historic Site.

Albert Einstein, who received an honorary doctorate from Harvard at the same time as White, also visited White in Emporia. The train would even make a special stop near the house whenever it was carrying famous passengers visiting the Whites, Baldwin said.

Furnishings include a divan that came to Emporia on a covered wagon and artifacts from around-the-world travels, such as gilded plates used by Czar Nicholas II, a 25,000-year-old Grecian urn, 17th century Italian chairs and a Baccarat crystal chandelier. A painting given by the Peru ambassador hangs next to the dining room table which had 16 leaves to accommodate guests.

A jaguar rug in the upstairs “presidential bedroom” is thought to be from an animal killed by Teddy Roosevelt, according to Baldwin. The fireplace mantle of carved grapes created by a local artist was a signal to visiting guests during Prohibition that it was not a dry household.

White, who went on to win two Pulitzer Prizes, bought the Emporia Gazette in 1895, and four years later the Whites moved into the house , which had been built from red stone quarried near Garden of the Gods in Colorado and was in foreclosure.

The first floor shows the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, who was contracted to remodel it, but ran into a battle of wills with White’s wife Sallie who fired the architect.

“They left on good terms though and the house shows Wright design influences,” Baldwin said.

The Emporia Gazette was within walking distance but White often worked in the second-floor study with fireplace at home.

It was there he wrote his editorials by hand

– attested to by ink stains on the floor – or on a portable Corona typewriter.

One of White’s most famous editorials was not about politics, but about his nearly 17-year-old daughter Mary who was killed in a horse-riding accident just after she had been accepted into Vassar. He donated 54 acres at the south end of Emporia to create Peter Pan Park in her honor.

The Gazette is operated by the fourth generation of the White family and its memorabilia collection is open to visitors.

Peter Pan Park is also worth a visit.

Red Rocks State Historic Site, Emporia, open seasonal hours; tours are $5, 620342-2800 or kshs.org/places/white.

Eisenhower Boyhood Home Visitors are able to take guided tours of the Abilene house where Dwight D. Eisenhower, who became a five-star general and the 34th president, lived from the age of 8 to 20 when he left for West Point. The original house was added onto in 1900 to accommodate nine residents and expanded again in 1915. Today, the home is furnished as it was at the time of Ida Eisenhower’s death in 1946.

Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene, open daily, 877-RINGIKE.

Amelia Earhart Birthplace Amelia Earhart and her sister spent a lot of time at their grandparents’ house in Atchison and attended school there. Amelia was born in an upstairs bedroom in 1897,

The hotel is unforgettable.

The cuisine divine.

Life is good . . .in the Flint Hills!

Grand Central Hotel & Grill

Cottonwood Falls, KS 800-951-6763 (reservations only) 620-273-6763 www.grandcentralhotel.com

and though she lived many places she always considered Atchison her home.

An international women’s pilot organization Earhart helped found purchased the home in 1984. A museum opened in 1985 but restoration to the way it looked when Amelia lived there did not begin until 1996.

On display are clothes and memorabilia belonging to Earhart.

Open year-round but with seasonal hours, 913-367-4217, ameliaearhartmuseum.org.

Spring Hill Ranch House

carved walnut staircase custom-built for the house. Perishable food was stored on the bottom level in a room cooled by spring water piped into the house. The same water was used to power a small fountain in front of the house and to irrigate gardens, an orchard and vineyard.

Located on Highway 177 at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, the house is open daily except major holidays, nps.gov/ tapr or 620-273-8494.

Allen-Lambe House

Wichita is home to the last of Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie style houses and Standing on a prominent hill, the one he considered to be some of his best grand four-level house was built of native work. Wright designed the brick house for limestone by Stephen F. Jones and his wife Henry J. and Elsie Allen in 1915, and it was Louisa who came to Kansas in 1878 to start completed in 1918, the year Henry Allen a cattle ranch in the Flint Hills. The French was elected governor of Kansas.

Second Empire style home was completed As was typical of Wright structures, in 1881. the house has strong horizontal lines, a The house took 20 men to construct low-pitched roof, open interior spaces and and cost $25,000. Jones eventually a specific relationship with its surroundacquired 7,000 acres of land and built more than 30 miles of limestone fences to ings. A vote by Kansas architects had the enclose the ranch. The house has a formal Allen-Lambe house tying with the state 2013 Spend a day and ad FINAL - Travel Kansas_Layout 1 2/22/2013 3:28 PM Continued on page 20. Page 1 entry, two parlors an ornate hand-

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capitol as the state’s most important piece of architecture.

“There are bands of windows that open the house up to the outdoors,” said Howard Ellington, director. “You’re literally living in a pavilion of nature.”

Located at 255 N. Roosevelt St. in Wichita, tours are by appointment for groups of five or more with 10 days notice, admission $10, 316-687-1027.

Seelye Mansion Abilene’s elegant 25-room Seelye mansion was completed in 1905 by Dr. A.B.

Brown home. The Brown Mansion, which was completed in 1906, features first- and second-story verandas.

Tiffany glass accents the main doorway and there is a Tiffany chandelier many believe was hung by Tiffany himself. Much of the furniture was purchased on trips to Europe. The house features several fireplaces and third-floor ballroom, which was also used as a school room and gymnasium for the Brown’s son, Donald, who died at the age of 11.

“When I give a tour, I like to tell the love story of how Mr. and Mrs. Brown met – how Mr. Brown built this mansion as a home for the children that he and Mrs.

Eisenhower Boyhood Home William Allen White Home

slavery. The Adair cabin also was a station on the Underground Railroad.

In 1928, the cabin was moved into town, and a pavilion was erected around it to create the John Brown Museum. The park where it now is located once served as the site of the Battle of Osawatomie, where free-state and pro-slavery men fought.

Although proslavery men invaded the territory and destroyed crops and murdered free-state opponents, the Adair Cabin survived. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 913-755-4384, adaircabin.kshs.org.

Dalton Gang Hideout The notorious group of outlaws lived in this Meade house from 1890-1892. The house was built half underground so they also could build a three-foot dirt escape tunnel to the barn. Visitors can see the 95-foot-long escape tunnel, which has been rebuilt and lined with a concrete floor.

The most popular story Mark Ferguson, manager and curator, tells is of the time the Dalton brothers rode a train to Coffeyville where they decided to rob both banks at the same time in broad daylight.

“It didn’t work so well for them,” Ferguson said. “It didn’t take long for 15 or 16 men to get armed and shoot them. They killed the brothers and two other outlaws.”

Dalton Gang Hideout, 502 S. Pearlette St., Meade, is open daily, 620-873-2731.

Carrie Nation Home Seelye Mansion photo by harland schuster

Seelye, who made his fortune as a patent medicine entrepreneur. Dr. Seelye spent $55,000 to construct the house and his wife spent even more than that on furnishings and art from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, according to Terry Tietjens, who purchased the house in 1982.

Features of the house include a Tiffanydesigned fireplace, a third-floor ballroom and wooden bowling lane in the basement.

Seelye Mansion and Gardens, Abilene, open daily, seelyemansion.org, 785-263-1084.

Brown planned on,” said Kris Crane, president of the Coffeyville Historical Society.

“Then I tell of their personal tragedy of losing four of their five children.”

The Coffeyville mansion is available for tours March through December, 620251-2550.

Brown Mansion

It was in this cabin near Osawatomie that peaceful abolitionist John Brown settled and became involved in the conflict known as Bleeding Kansas, a series of violent confrontations over the issue of

At the southern edge of Coffeyville sits the majestic three-story, 16-room W.P.

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John Brown Museum & Adair Cabin

The small brick house in Medicine Lodge is where the temperance leader lived from 1889 to 1902. In 1900 she received a “divine call” to go to nearby Kiowa, where she wrecked three saloons. She sold the house in 1902 to buy a house in Kansas City for the wives of drunkards. Entrance to the home is through the Stockade Museum.

Call 620-886-3553 for information.

Walter P. Chrysler Home The boyhood home of the automotive industry executive Walter P. Chrysler was built in 1889 and his family lived there until 1908. The museum collection includes a 1938 edition of The Saturday Evening Post which features Chrysler on the cover and a green 1925 Chrysler automobile.

Walter P. Chrysler Boyhood Home & Museum, Ellis, 785-726-3636.

Mueller-Schmidt House Known as Ford County’s Home of Stone, the Mueller-Schmidt House is not only the only limestone house in Dodge City, but the city’s oldest house that remains on its original site.

The house was built by a German stonemason who quarried limestone from nearby Sawlog Creek. A German carpenter, William Strubel, used walnut to craft a spiral staircase for the interior. The parlor of this Old West cattleman’s mansion features original furnishings. Call 800-OLD-WEST for seasonal hours.

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Warkentin House This 16-room Victorian house was built in Newton in 1887 by Bernhard Warkentin, a Russian immigrant of Mennonite heritage who is credited with bringing Turkey Red winter wheat to Kansas. The house features Italian tiled fireplaces, Czechoslovakian crystal chandeliers, and original furnishings. Located at 211 E. First St., Newton, seasonal hours, 316-283-3113.

Evah C. Cray House Atchison’s three-story, 25-room Evah C. Cray home epitomizes the opulence of the Victorian era. Built in 1882, this mansion is distinguished by a three-story castle-like tower. Inside, there are massive and ornate fireplaces, carved woodwork and original chandeliers. In the mansion museum are displays of the 1893 World’s Fair and a 200-year-old spinning wheel.

Inside the carriage house, visitors can watch a film on the architecture of Atchison. Open seasonally and by appointment, 913-367-1948.

Koester House Museum & Sculpture Garden Cast iron lions at the gate greet visitors to this Vicitorian home in downtown Marysville where Charles and Sylvia Koester moved as newlyweds in 1876. Luxuriously furnished with the banker’s family belongings, including a restored collection of white bronze sculptures. Seasonal and by appointment, 785-562-2417.

By Cynthia Mines and Keri Meinking

small town charm

big time fun!

• shopping • dining • adventure www.haysUSA.net • 800.569.4505 l 21

crownuptown.com, 316-612-7696.

March March 18-31 Ida Stover Eisenhower

March 23 Easter Bunny on the Train, 1 p.m., Abilene, asvrr.org, 785-263-7266.

Memorial Quilt Show, The Heritage Center, Abilene, 785-263-2681.

March 23, 30 Easter Egg Hunt Train, Baldwin

March 18-23 NJCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship, Bicentennial Center, Salina, visitsalina.org.

March 24 Central Kansas Spring Expo, Great Bend Expo Complex, visitgreatbend.com, 620-792-6044.

March 20 Dust Bowl Marathon, five runs in

March 24-31 Messiah Festival of the Arts,

five towns in five states in five days, 7:30 a.m., Ulysses, 620-356-4700.

Lindsborg, lindsborgcity.org, 888-227-2227.

March 22-April 27 “Little Women,” Crown

Uptown Professional Dinner Theatre, Wichita,

City, midlandrailway.org, 785-594-6982.

March 26-28 48th Annual Mid-America

Farm Expo, Saline Co. Livestock & Expo Center, Bicentennial Center, visitsalina.org.

History Comes Alive in Ulysses & Grant County 2013 Santa Fe Trail Symposium, Sept. 26-29 Hosted by the Wagon Bed Springs Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association, events include speakers and bus tours.

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.

March 30 Easter Eggstravaganza, Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita scz.org.

March 30 Easter Fun & Craft Fair, Sterl Hall, Abilene, 785-565-2362.

March 30 Easter Egg Hunt & Roll, Eisenhower Grounds, Abilene, 785-263-6700.

April April 5-21 “Follies,” Salina Community

Theatre, salinatheatre.com.

April 6-May 5 Dinosaurs of Kansas

exhibition, ten life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, Mid-America Air Museum, Liberal, visitliberal.com, 620-624-5263.

April 9 The Doobie Brothers in Concert, Stiefel Theatre, Salina, 785-827-1998.

April 11 Judy Collins in Concert, Stiefel

Theatre, Salina, 785-827-1998.

April 12-13 Eisenhower Marathon, St.

Andrew’s Parish Hall, Abilene, 785-263-3474.

April 12-14 Grant County Spring Fling trade

shows, Ulysses, 620-356-4700.

April 12-14 Tulip Time, Belle Plaine,

gosumner.com.

April 13 7th Annual Death by Chocolate, fundraiser for Exploration Place, 316-660-0620.

April 13 45th Annual Barbershop Show,

Hays, Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center, 785-625-8932.

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).

April 13 Alfred Packer Memorial String Band

for Prairie Fire Festival, 7:30 p.m. Emma Chase Cafe, Cottonwood Falls, emmachasecafe.com, 620-273-6020.

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For information on planning wonders of Kansas!

H I S T O RY your visit call (620) 356-4700; or visit us on the web at www.ulysseschamber.org ABOVE: Jeff Trotman portrays early settler Jedediah Smith along the Santa Fe Trail.

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April 13 Edible Book Festival, Hays Public

Library, hayspublib.org, 785-625-9014.

April 13 “Let Me Be Frank -- An Evening with

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

April 13-14 Civil War Cavalry Weekend, Fort Scott National Historic Site, nps.gov/fosc.

April 16-Oct. 31 Exhibit: “Capturing an Image,” Smoky Hill Museum, Salina, visitsalina.org.

You’re invited to Coffeyville, Kansas!

Dalton Defenders Museum • Perkins Building • Elmwood Cemetery • Old Jail/Death Alley • Midland Theater Aviation Heritage Museum • Brown Mansion • Aquatic Center • Hillcrest Golf Course Designed By Perry Maxwell

Contact us for a free visitors guide!

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TravelKS_TravelKS 2/15/13 2:33 PM Page 1 April 19 David Sedaris, Stiefel Theatre, Salina,

Little Apple...

785-827-1998.

Big Attractions

April 19-21 Fort Hays State University NIRA

Rodeo, Hays, fhsu.edu/rodeo, 785-628-4366.

April 20 Antique Telephone Show & Sale, Sterl Hall, Abilene, 785-825-0578.

April 20 Ladies Day Out, Lake Hall, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Marion County Park and Lake, 620381-3920.

April 20-Sept. 30 Penguin Landing, national

exhibition, with Party for the Penguins on April 20, Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife.com, 785-827-9488.

April 20 Spring Crank Up! Tractor Show, Ag Heritage Park, Alta Vista, AgHeritagePark. com, 620-767-2714.

April 21 Earth Day and Sunset Zoo’s 80th Birthday Party, Manhattan, 785-587-2737.

April 22 Chicago in concert, Stiefel Theatre, Salina, 785-827-1998.

April 26 3rd Annual Atchison Art Walk,

1-800-234-1854.

April 26 Spring Gallery Walk, Hays, haysartscouncil.org, 785-625-7522.

Lightning strikes!

Outside on the tallgrass prairie and Inside at the FLINT HILLS DISCOVERY CENTER! Get to know the home of Country Stampede; savor our local dining; cheer Big XII sports; wander into our quaint shops, eclectic art galleries, museums and outdoors. Get caught in the beauty of The Little Apple®!

www.visitmanhattanks.org

April 27 Artist Studio Open House, Lindsborg,

visitlindsborg.com, 888-227-2227.

April 27 Barnyard Babies, National

Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, aghalloffame.com.

April 27 Biker’s Battling Blazes, Conway

Springs, gosumner.com.

April 27 Car show, drag race and fly-in,

Herington Airport, 316-706-1317.

April 27 Little House on the Prairie Museum

Spring Celebration, Independence, 620331-1890.

April 27 Open Air Art Fair, Atchison, 913-

367-4ART. April 27-28 Pioneer Days, Main Street,

Call for a free Visitors Guide - 800-759-0134 Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau • 501 Poyntz Avenue • Manhattan, KS 66502

LEavEnworTh The “Great Escape”

Explore the quaint historic town of Leavenworth, the “First City” of Kansas, and Fort Leavenworth, one of the most beautiful, well-preserved forts in the U.S. that is still in operation and open to the public.

While visiting our community you can view magnificent vintage homes dating from the mid-1800’s, enjoy a diverse variety of dining choices, experience self-

Kiowa, kiowanews.com.

May May 1 “Swan Lake,” Wichita Grand Opera, 7 p.m., Century II, Wichita, wichitagrandopera. org, 316-262-8054.

C.W. Parker Carousel Museum

VENWORT H

May 4 “3 Divas and a Mic,” C.L. Hoover Opera House, Junction City, jcoperahouse.org.

guided historic Leavenworth and Fort Leavenworth interactive waysides tours, take a city tour on a trolley, stroll along the Missouri River, become a kid again and take a ride on a restored antique carousel and shop in a wide variety of eclectic shops in the historic riverfront downtown and throughout Leavenworth.

May 4 12th annual Mud Bog, 1 p.m., Junction City, sundownsalute.org.

www.visitleavenworthks.com 800-844-4114

May 1-4 William Inge Theatre Festival,

Independence, ingecenter.org.

May 3-4 Chisholm Trail Festival, Caldwell,

gosumner.com.

Continued on page 24.

Escape Ad 7.indd 1

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Calendar continued from page 23.

com, 888-227-2227.

May 4 Abilene Fly-In Breakfast, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Abilene Airport, 785-263-3970.

May 4 The Simon & Garfunkel Retrospective, Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Century II, Wichita, wichitasymphony.org, 316-267-7658.

May 4 Blue Sky Farm’s Special Day On The Farm: The Wonderful World of Miniature Horses, Blue Sky Farm, Hays, 785-625-6725.

May 4 Fort Leavenworth Historic Homes Tour, 800-844-4114.

May 4 Hays Symphony Orchestra Masterworks Concert, 7:30 p.m., Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center, 785-628-4533.

May 4 Haunted Atchison Tours, narrated

trolley tour through “the most haunted town in Kansas,” first Saturday of summer months, reservations required, 800-234-1854.

May 5 2nd Annual Benefit Car Show, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mid-America All-Indian Center, Wichita, theindiancenter.org, 316-350-3340.

May 5 Cinco de Mayo, Wright Park, Dodge

City, 620-225-0240, visitdodgecity.org.

May 10 100th All-Schools Day, McPherson,

parade, carnival, allschoolsday.com.

Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, will host Penguin Landing April 20 through September. The traveling exhibit features African penguins and an interactive computer to learn about penguins.

May 10-19 “Hillbilly Hotspot,” Great Plains

Theatre, Abilene, 785-263-4574.

May 16 Wolff Bing Competition Winners’

May 12 Mother’s Day, Sedgwick County Zoo,

Concert, Chamber Music at the Barn, Wichita, cmatb.org, 316-721-7666.

May 4-5 Hickok Days, Old Abilene Town,

Wichita, scz.org.

785-263-2681.

May 12 Mother’s Day at Sunset Zoo,

May 4-5 Kansas Sampler Festival,

Manhattan, 785-587-2737.

May 18 Flatland Cruisers Car Show, Emporia, 800-279-3730.

May 12 Wild About Moms!, Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife. com, 785-827-9488.

May 19 Beach Boys in Concert, Stiefel Theatre, Salina, 785-827-1998.

Light Park, Liberal, 800-LIBERAL, kansassamplerfestival.com.

May 4 Marble Day Celebration with Running of the Pinkies, downtown Bonner Springs, marbleday.com.

May 4-5 Millfest, Lindsborg, visitlindsborg.

May 15-18 International Machine Quilters

Showcase, Century II, Wichita, mqsshow.org, 507-421-2818.

May 18 Argonia Daze, Sumner, gosumner.com.

May 19 Run for the Wall XXV, annual veterans pilgrimage to Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., stops at Heritage Park, Junction City, rftw.org, 785-238-2885.

May 24-26 Little Britches Rodeo, Dodge City, visitdodgecity.org, 620-225-2244.

May 25-27 Abilene & Smoky Valley Steam Engine, Abilene, 785-263-1077.

May 25-27 Napawalla Music Festival, Oxford, gosumner.com.

May 25 Suicide Trail Run, Little River, 620-

897-6260.

May 25 Vintage & Experimental Aircraft Fly-

In, Amelia Earhart, Atchison, 800-234-1854.

May 25-27 Highlights in History: Fort Scott National Historic Site, daily tours May 27Sept. 2, nps.gov/fosc May 27 Antique Tractor & Engine Show,

Lehigh, 620-483-3370.

May 31-June 1 Good Ol’ Days

Historic Lecompton Territorial Capital of Kansas 1855

Pre-Civil War Sites Open Wednesday-Sunday: Territorial Capitol Museum and Constitution Hall

Finney County Convention & Tourism Bureau www.finneycountycvb.com • 800-879-9803 24 l

Territorial Days June 21-22 Bald Eagle Rendezvous September 19-21 Christmas Vespers December 1 Tours: 785-887-6148 Lecompton Exit east of Topeka www.lecomptonkansas.com

Festival, downtown Fort Scott Kansas, fortscottgoodoldays.com.

May 31-June 2 June Jaunt, Scott City,

620-872-5612.

May 31-June 8 Wichita Riverfest, downtown

Wichita, Sundown Parade, fireworks, concerts, food court, kids’ activities, wichitariverfest.com.

May 31 ZooLaLa!, Rolling Hills Wildlife

Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife.com, 785-827-9488.

June June 1 Dirty Kanza 200 Bike Race, Emporia,

800-279-3730.

June 1 Governor’s Freedom Ride, from

state capitol in Topeka to Council Grove, fhfreedomride.ksoutdoors.com.

June 1 Midsummer’s Festival, Lindsborg,

visitlindsborg.com, 888-227-2227.

June 7 Dream Night at the Zoo, Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife. com, 785-827-9488.

June 8 Days of Olde Antique Fair, downtown

Hillsboro, 620-947-0225.

June 8 Landscape Tour, Rolling Hills Wildlife

Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife.com, 785-827-9488.

June 8 Main Street Festival, Dodge City, visitdodgecity.org, 620-227-9501.

Continued on page 26.

June 15 Vignettes on Parade: Highlights in

History, Fort Scott National Historic Site, nps. gov/fosc.

June 14-15 Bluegrass on the Lake, Marion

County Lake, marioncountyparkandlake.com, 620-382-3240.

June 1 Symphony at Sunset - Annual

June 15 8th annual Symphony in the Flint Hills, Fort Riley, symphonyintheflinthills.org.

Park, Salina, riverfestival.com.

June 7-9 Chingawassa Days, Marion, chinga@eaglecom.net, 620-382-3425.

June 7-9 Depot Days-National Orphan Train Riders Celebration, National Orphan Train Complex, Concordia, 785-243-4303, cloudcountytourism.com.

June 22 Swingin’ on a Star, Eisenhower Presidential Library Courtyard, Abilene, 785263-1884.

Music Theatre of Wichita, Century II, MTWichita.org, 316-265-3107.

June 14-30 “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” Salina Community Theatre, salinatheatre.com.

June 6-9 Smoky Hill River Festival, Oakdale

territorial capital of Kansas, 785-887-6148.

June 12-16 Monty Python’s “Spamalot,”

June 1 Spring Wildflower Tour, Maxwell Wildlife Refuge, Canton, 620-628-4455.

800-279-3730.

June 21-22 Territorial Days, Lecompton

Prairie Museum, Independence, 620-331-1890.

June 14-23 Great Plains Theatre, “Almost

June 1-9 Emporia Celebrates the Flint Hills,

June 21 Summer Gallery Walk, Hays, haysartscouncil.org, 785-625-7522.

June 26-30 “Les Miserables,” Music Theatre of Wichita, Century II, MTWichita.org, 316265-3107.

June 8 Prairie Days, Little House on the

June 1 National Biplane Fly-In, celebration of antique, vintage and modern bi-planes, Junction City, 785-210-7500, nationalbiplaneflyin.com.

D-Day Commemorative Concert, 8:30 p.m., Eisenhower Grounds, Abilene, 785-263-6700.

June 21-22 International Forest of Friendship Celebration, Atchison, 913-367-1419.

Heaven: The Music of John Denver,” Abilene, 785-263-4574.

June 15 Midsummer’s Festival, Lindsborg, lindsborgcity.org, 888-227-2227.

June 15 Wheat Threshing Day, Yesteryear Museum, Salina, visitsalina.org.

June 16 Father’s Day Car Show, Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife. com, 785-827-9488.

June 19-21 Joyful Expeditions, Chamber Music at the Barn, Wichita, cmatb.org, 316721-7666.

June 20-22 Washunga Days, Council Grove,

washunga.com, 620-767-5413.

...

The Oasis on the Plains Located at Exit 53 on I-70 • Colby Visitor Center • Prairie Museum of Art & History • Kansas Biggest Barn • Colby Aquatic Park

Free information, Colby Convention & Visitors Bureau 350 S. Range #10, Colby, KS 67701 785-460-7643 or 1-800-611-8835

l 25

Calendar continued from page 25.

June 27 Kicker Country Stampede, Manhattan, 800-795-8091.

June 29 First Annual Susan Convention, for

all Susans, Sues, etc., Concordia, 785-2434303, cloudcountytourism.com.

June 29 4th Annual Riverfront Festival, Fort

Scott, 800-245-3678.

June 30 Amelia Earhart Century Bike Ride,

Atchison, 913-360-2617.

July 4 Peabody 92nd Annual 4th of July Celebration & Fireworks Extravaganza, largest ground fireworks display in Kansas, Peabody, peabodyks.com, 620-983-2174.

July 13 Sunflower State Games Adventure

July 4 Ramona Redneck Parade and 4th of

July Celebration, RedneckinRamona.com, 785-965-2621.

Story of Immigration & Citizenship in Kansas, Stauth Memorial Museum, Montezuma, 620846-2527.

July 4-6 Wild Bill Hickok returns to Hays to

July 17-20 Pretty Prairie Rodeo, nightly

tell his life story, Ellis County Historical Society Museum, elliscountyhistoricalmusuem.org, 785-628-2624.

July 5-6 Santa Fe Ranch Trail Rodeo, Council

July

Grove, mrcoyouthrodeo.com.

July 3-6 Wild West Festival, concert,

July 6 Independence Day Celebration, White

fireworks, parade, carnival, baseball tournament, stock car races, Hays, wildwestfestival.com, 785-623-4476.

City, whitecityks.net 785-349-2228.

July 4 -6 Abilene & Smoky Valley Steam

Engine, Abilene, 785-263-1077.

July 4 Fourth of July Band Concert, 6:30 p.m.,

Historic Fort Hays, 785-625-6812.

July 4 Old Fashioned 4th of July, Eisenhower

Park; concert following fireworks at Great Plains Theatre, 785-263-7266.

FAMILY FUN

July 10-14 Kansas Wheat Festival,

Wellington, wellingtonks.org, 620-326-7466.

July 10-14 “The King and I,” Music Theatre of

Wichita, MTWichita.org.

July 11-13 3i Show, Expo Center, Dodge City,

visitdodgecity.org.

July 12-13 Tractor Daze, Swap Meet and Mud Run, National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, aghalloffame.com.

Race, Milford Lake, 785-307-1901, adventureracekansas.com.

July 14-Sept. 1 Americans By Choice: The

dance, Pretty Prairie, 800-638-2702.

July 19-20 17th Annual Amelia Earhart Festival, outdoor concert at Warnock Lake, arts & crafts, carnival, panel discussion, food, fireworks, 800-234-1854.

July 19-21 Blues, BBQ and Bargains, Hays, DowntownHays.com, 785-621-4171.

July 19-20 Cabaret Dinner Theatre, Salina Community Theatre, salinatheatre.com.

July 19-28 Great Plains Theatre, “The Odd Couple,” Abilene, 785-263-4574.

July 19-20 Junction City Rodeo, 785-210-6536.

July 19-21 Pickin’ on the Plains Bluegrass Festival, Thomas County Fairgrounds, Colby, 785-460-7643.

July 13 Zoo Keeper Zone, Rolling Hills

July 20 Vignettes on Parade: Highlights in History, Fort Scott National Historic Site, nps.gov/fosc.

Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife. com, 785-827-9488.

July 20-21 Family Arts & Music Festival,

Botanica, Wichita, 316-264-0448.

July 21 Taste of Adventure with National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson, Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife.com, 785-827-9488.

July 24-25 NCK Saddle Club Rodeo,

SEPT. 21, 2013

For more info, call 785-258-2115 e-mail tricountyherington@sbcglobal.net or visit www.tricountycofc.com

Coronado Quivira Museum Explore the Land of Quivira . . .

Trace the footsteps of Coronado . . .

Travel the Santa Fe Trail . . .

And Much, Much More!

Open Tuesday – Saturday 9-5 Closed Sunday, Monday and Major Holidays 105 West Lyon Street Lyons, KS 67552 620.257.3941 museum@cqmuseum.org

Walk down into the World’s Largest Hand Dug Well!

Greensburg, KS 620.723.4102 www.bigwell.org

26 l

visit: www.cqmuseum.org for more information ff t h o wi ! and our 50% n o i iss ou po n a dmis c calendar th of events!

Humanities Texas Exhibit

“The Dust Bowl”

June 6, 2013 — July 6, 2013

Cloud County fairgrounds, 785-243-4303, cloudcountytourism.com.

July 24-28 “Betty Blue Eyes,” Music Theatre of Wichita, Century II, MTWichita.org.

July 25-28 Kustom Kemps of America (KKOA) Leadsled Spectacular Car Show, Oakdale Park, Salina, kustomkempsofamerica.com.

July 26-Aug. 4 Dodge City Days, PRCA Rodeo, parades, dances, fiesta, arts and crafts, visitdodgecity.org.

July 27 National Day of the American

Cowboy, Old Abilene Town, 785-263-2681.

July 27-28 Abilene & Smoky Valley Steam

Engine, Abilene, 785-263-1077.

July 31-Aug. 3 68th Annual Wild Bill Hickok

Rodeo, Abilene, 785-263-4570.

July 31-Aug. 6 Central Kansas Free Fair,

Fairgrounds Arena, Abilene, 785-263-4570.

July 31-Aug. 4 PRCA Rodeo, Dodge City,

visitdodgecity.org.

Continued on page 28.

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

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

Country Dreams B&B 2309 Clover, Marion 1-800-570-0540 countrydreamsbedand breakfast.com Country Haven Inn 804 Western Heights, Hillsboro 1-877-404-2836 countryhaveninn.com

The Old Goats Inn & Massage Garage 911 Marion Street, Florence 620-382-4191 theoldgoatsinn.weebly.com

Doyle Creek Bunkhouse 2704 110th, Florence 620-382-4228 doylecreek.com

The Outdoors Inn 25 Jerome St., Marion 620-382-3228 bbonline.com

Doyle Creek Mercantile & Corral A unique shopping experience Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. or call for appointment Florence, 620-878-4567 www.doylecreek.com

Eight buildings in a villagelike 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

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 • 200 S. 3rd, Suite 4 • Marion, KS 66861 • 620-382-8830

l 27

Calendar continued from page 26.

August

Aug. 16-18 Flint Hills Beef Fest, Emporia, 800-279-3730.

Aug. 16-18 Old Settler’s Celebration,

Mulvane, gosumner.com.

Aug. 2-4 Goessel Country Threshing Days,

goesselks.com, 620-367-2229.

Aug. 3 Abilene & Smoky Valley Steam Engine,

Abilene, 785-263-1077.

Aug. 3 Youth Rodeo, Council Grove, mrcoyouthrodeo.com.

Aug. 3 Shared Stories of the Civil War: Quantrill’s Raid, Fort Scott National Historic Site, 800-245-3678.

Aug. 9-10 Herzogfest, Honey Braun Park,

Victoria, herzogfest.com, 785-735-4851.

Aug. 9-11, 14-18 “Mary Poppins,” Music

Theatre of Wichita, Century II, MTWichita.org.

Aug. 16-25 Great Plains Theatre, “The

Fantasticks,” Abilene, 785-263-4574.

Aug. 17 Milford Lake Extreme Outdoor Water Festival and Float Your Boat Cardboard Boat Races, Milford State Park, ksoutdoors.com or junctioncity.org.

Aug. 17-18 Rod Run & Show, Scott City, 620-

872-5612.

Aug. 23-24 South Haven Fair, Haven,

gosumner.com.

Aug. 23-24 Tiblow Days Festival, downtown Aug. 23-24 When Pigs Fly In & BBQ Contest,

Aug. 9-17 Inter-State Fair and Rodeo, Coffeyville, visitcoffeyville.com.

Aug. 10 5th Annual 19th Century Vintage

Aug. 24 Bullmania, Pretty Prairie, 800-

Aug. 16 Zoo Brew, Rolling Hills Wildlife

Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife.com, 785-827-9488.

Aug. 30-Sept. 2 AirFest (Rocket Launch), Argonia, gosumner.com.

Aug. 31-Sept. 2 Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad Steam Engine run, Abilene, 785263-1077.

Aug. 31-Sept. 1 Clyde Watermelon Festival, Clyde, cloudcountytourism.com, 785-243-4303.

Aug. 31- Oct. 14 Kansas City Renaissance

Festival, Bonner Springs, weekends, Labor Day and Columbus Day, kcrenfest.com.

Aug. 31-Sept. 2 Labor Day Parade & Festival, Florence, florenceks.com, 620-878-4296.

Aug. 31-Sept. 2 Fort Scott National Historic Site: Highlights in History, 800-245-3678.

Bonner Springs, bsedwchamber.org.

Kansas City BBQ Society sanctioned contest, airplane rides, car show, McPherson Airport, 620-241-3303.

Baseball Game, 1 p.m., Eisenhower Campus, Abilene, 785-263-6700.

785-243-4303, cloudcountytourism.com.

638-2702.

September Sept. 6-7 Showdown on the Plains, Scott City,

620-872-5612.

Sept. 6- Oct. 31 Haunted Atchison Tours,

Aug. 24-25 Kansas Cowboy Mounted

narrated trolley tours, cemetery tours, atchisonkansas.net.

Shooting Association State Championships, Lyons, 620-257-5390.

Sept. 13-22 Great Plains Theatre, “Steel

Aug. 24-25 Miltonvale Tootlefest, Miltonvale,

Magnolias,” Abilene, 785-263-4574.

Sept. 14 13th Annual Big Bass Challenge,

Wilson Lake State Park, haysbass.com.

Explore the Western Vistas Historic Byway The First in Kansas

KANSAS LARGEST NIGHT

RODEO

th 76

Fick Fossil and History Museum

July 17-20 Pretty Prairie •Gates open at 6 p.m.,

rodeo at 8 p.m. nightly

•Wed/Thurs are Family

Nights (Kids 12 and under FREE)

•DANCE each night after the rodeo, live band TurnBack Creek on Fri/Sat

FOTOCOWBOY

28 l

Buffalo Bill Cultural/ Visitor’s Center and 2X life size bronze sculpture.

Save on advanced ticket purchases.

Call 1-800-638-2702 after June 29.

Bullmania - Aug 24 www.pprodeo.com

Monument Rocks the badlands of Kansas

www.DiscoverOakley.com

785-671-1000

Sept. 19-21 Bald Eagle Rendezvous,

Sept. 28 Fall Festival, Conway Springs,

Sept. 28-29 Ciderfest, Louisburg Cider Mill,

Lecompton territorial capital of Kansas, 785-887-6148.

gosumner.com.

louisburgcidermill.com.

Sept. 20 Taste of Atchison, downtown, 800-

Sept. 28 Lamplight on the Prairie, Little

234-1854.

House on the Prairie Museum, Independence, 620-331-1890.

Sept. 21 33rd Annual Art in the Park and Craft Show, Marion, marionks.com, 620-382-3425.

Sept. 28 Smoky Hill Museum Street Fair, 8th

Sept. 21 Hillsboro Arts & Crafts Fair,

hillsboroartsandcraftsfair.com, 620-947-3506.

Sept. 21 Landscape Tour, Rolling Hills

Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife. com, 785-827-9488.

Sept. 21 Rails ‘n Trails Festival, Herington, 785-258-2115.

Sept. 22 Kansas City Catfish Atchison

Tournament, Missouri River, 800-234-1854.

Sept. 26-29 Santa Fe Trail Symposium:

Surviving the Plains, speakers, tours, Ulysses, 620-356-4700.

October Oct. 4 Annual Oktoberfest Celebration,

& Iron, Salina, visitsalina.org.

Frontier Park, Hays, 785-628-2624.

Sept. 28 Whimmydiddle Arts & Crafts Fair,

Oct. 4-6 Dalton Defender Days, Coffeyville, visitcoffeyville.com.

Scott City, 620-872-5612.

Sept. 28-29 Scottish Festival, Highland

dance, athletics, dance and bagpipe competition, Celtic music, McPherson Lakeside Park, macfestival.org, 800-324-8022.

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

Oct. 4 Safari Ed-Venture Day, Rolling Hills

Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife. com, 785-827-9488.

Continued on page 30.

Russell County “Alive with History, Culture, & Commerce”

Historical Water Tower

785-525-6288

Sept. 27-28 Jammin’ in JC Blues & BBQ

lucascoc@wtciweb.com www.lucaskansas.com

Festival, Junction City, jammininjc.com, 785238-8069.

www.grannymaes.com

Sept. 28 Concordia Fall Festival, Concordia,

cloudcountytourism.com, 785-243-4303.

Sept. 28 Fair on the Square, Cars in the Lot,

Lyons, 620-257-2842.

Flatland Car Show

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

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

October 5

Visit our Bowl Plaza public restrooms

$1 Off All Tours with Ad

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

STERLING Old Fashion 4th July 4, 2013 Hogden House Museum Complex

LYONS “Fair on the Square” “Cars on the Lot” September 28, 2013 RICE COUNTY COURTHOUSE

9 historic properties • 785-472-3059

Paden’s Place Restaurant & Bar

Family Dining • Chicken Fried Steaks Specialty 785-472-3643

America’s Best Value Garden Prairie Inn

Indoor pool, spa, meeting rooms, guest laundry 785-472-3116

C&R Old West Trading Post

75th Annual Turtle Races!

Lodging Special

Western Wear • Antiques • Saddles • Accessories 785-472-3919

114½ N. Douglas • Ellsworth, KS 67439 785-472-4071 • ecofc@eaglecom.net www.goellsworth.com

www.ricecounty.us

620-257-5166 l 29

Calendar continued from page 29.

Oct. 4 -5 Gordon Parks Celebration, Fort

Scott, gordonparkscenter.org.

Oct. 4 -5 Svensk Hyllningsfest, Lindsborg,

visitlindsborg.com, 888-227-2227.

Oct. 5 35th Annual Chisholm Trail Day,

Abilene, 785-263-2681.

Oct. 5 32nd annual Oktobertfest Arts & Crafts

Festival, Atchison, 800-234-1854.

Oct. 5 Fall Fest, downtown Ulysses, 620-

356-4700.

Oct. 5 Glasco Fun Day, Concordia, 785-243-

4303, cloudcountytourism.com.

Oct. 5 Kansas BarnFest, Kansas Barn Alliance,

kansasbarnalliance.org, 620-381-3920.

Oct. 5 Lincolnville Octoberfest, Lincolnville,

marioncountyks.org/lincolnville, 620-9245208.

Oct. 5-6 Ciderfest, Louisburg Cider Mill, louisburgcidermill.com.

Oct. 5-6 Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad Steam Engine run, Abilene, 785-263-1077.

For some of the best Fourth of July fun, check out Sterling’s Old-Fashioned Fourth of July, this year featuring the 75th annual turtle races; the state’s largest ground fireworks display at the 92nd annual event in Peabody; or Junction City’s Sundown Salute, a full day of free festivities. Photo by Harland Schuster

Oct. 6 Annual Fall Ranch Rodeo, Council

Grove, mrcoyouthrodeo.com.

Oct. 11-20 Great Plains Theatre, “Clue: The

Fort Scott K A N S A S 1842 National Historic Site · 1862 National Cemetery No. 1 Liberty Theatre Live Entertainment · Bed & Breakfast Hunting & Fishing, Guides · Spa & Massage

“The Middle of Everywhere” April 13-14 Civil War Encampment at the Fort Spring Home, Sport, Farm, Garden Show Holocaust Event & Book Signing, authors Jenna Blum & Jack Mayer May 10-11 Pioneer Harvest Swap Meet

May 25-27 Highlights in History at the Fort

May 30-June 1 Good Ol’ Days Street VISIT Fair & Celebration FortScott.com June 7-9 for many other events!

Echoes of the Trail Best of America

by Horseback 231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701 620-223-3566; 800-245-3678 fschamber@fortscott.com

Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce

30 l

November

Musical,” Abilene, 785-263-4574.

Nov. 1-2 Night Terrors Haunted House,

Oct. 12 Antique Engine & Steam Show.

Yesteryear Museum, Salina, visitsalina.org.

Theatre Atchison’s annual indoor haunted maze and attraction, 913-367-1647.

Oct. 12 Pumpkin PaZoola, Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife. com, 785-827-9488.

Nov. 4-11 All Veterans Tribute Celebration, Emporia, home of the first Veterans Day celebration, 800-279-3730.

Oct. 12 BOOtanica, Botanica, Wichita, botanica.org, 316-264-0448.

Nov. 8-17 Great Plains Theatre, “Tuna Does

Oct. 12-Jan. 14 Exhibit: “Then & Now: The Changing Arctic Landscape,” Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife.com.

Oct. 16-20 11th Tallgrass Film Festival,

Wichita, tallgrassfilmfest.com.

Oct. 18-26 Neewollah, week-long celebration,

Independence, 800-882-3606.

Oct. 19 International Lineman’s Rodeo,

National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, aghalloffame.com.

Oct. 24-26, 31 Night Terrors Haunted

House, Theatre Atchison’s annual indoor haunted maze and attraction, 913-367-1647.

Oct. 26 Graveside Conversations, Historic Fort

Hays, reservations required, 785-625-6812.

Vegas,” Abilene, 785-263-4574.

Nov. 9 Go Orange for Orangutans Day,

Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife.com, 785-827-9488.

Nov. 9-Jan. 5 Then and Now: Antarctica’s

Changing Landscape, Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife.com, 785-827-9488.

Nov. 10 Taste of Adventure, Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife. com, 785-827-9488.

Nov. 11 Veterans Day Ceremony, Eisenhower

Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene, eisenhower.archives.gov, 785-263-6700.

Nov. 23-24 Tumbleweed Bazaar, Ulysses, 620-356-4700.

Oct. 26 Sk8oberfest Sk8board Competition,

Nov. 25 -Dec. 25 Christmas in Old Dodge City, visitdodgecity.org.

Hays, 785-623-4191.

Nov. 29-30 Christmas in the Country,

Oct. 26 Trick or Treat on the Farm and Boo

Oxford, gosumner.com.

Barn, National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, aghalloffame.com.

Nov. 29 Christmas Parade, 5:30 p.m.,

Oct. 31 Haunted Boot Hill, 7 p.m., Hays’ first

Nov. 29 -Dec. 22 Drive-through Christmas

graveyard, 785-628-2624.

Light Show (weekends), Yesteryear Museum,

Junction City, 785-762-2632.

Salina, visitsalina.org.

Nov. 29-Dec. 31 Illuminations, see the gardens decked out in lights, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Botanica, Wichita, 316-264-0448.

Nov. 29-Jan. 12 Seelye Mansion Christmas

Tours, Abilene, 785-263-1084.

December

Dec. 6 -7 FrostFest, Hays, DowntownHays. com, 785-621-4171.

Dec. 14 Lucia Festival, Lindsborg, visitlindsborg.com, 888-227-2227.

Dec. 6-22 Great Plains Theatre, Dec. 7 Annual Holiday Craft Show, Sterl Hall,

Dec. 14 Romp and Chomp, Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, rollinghillswildlife. com, 785-827-9488.

and Annual Holiday Tea, Abilene Civic Center, 785-479-1910.

Dec. 19 Main Street Blaze, old-fashioned Christmas celebration, Ulysses, 620-356-4700.

Dec. 7 Festival of Lights Parade, Baldwin City,

Dec. 31 Little Apple New Year’s Ball Drop, Manhattan, littleapplenewyears.com.

“Nuncrackers,” Abilene, 785-263-4574.

baldwincitychamber.com, 785-594-3200.

Dec. 1 Christmas Vespers, Lecompton,

territorial capital of Kansas, 785-887-6148.

Dec. 1 Cookies with Santa, Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, 785-827-9488.

Dec. 1 Holiday Reception and Abilene

Dec. 7 Night of Christmas Magic, horse-drawn

trolley rides, Candy Cane Lane, lighted parade, Santa and Mayor’s Tree Lighting, downtown Abilene, 785-263-2231.

Dec. 7 Snowflake Parade and Artist Studio

Open House, Lindsborg, visitlindsborg.com, 888-227-2227.

Municipal Band Concert, Eisenhower Presidential Library Courtyard, Abilene, 785263-6700.

Dec. 7-8 Folk Art Festival, Seward County Activity Center, Liberal, 620-624-8534.

Dec. 1-24 Santa City in Fike Park, winter wonderland with animated forest creatures, Santa and Mrs. Claus, Colby, 785-460-7643.

Dec. 7-8 Homes for the Holidays Tour, Heritage Homes Association, Abilene, 785263-2231.

Dec. 2 Candy Cane Christmas, downtown Bonner Springs, bonnersprings.org.

Dec. 7, 14 Old-Fashioned Christmas, Lindsborg, visitlindsborg.com, 888-227-2227.

Dec. 5 Annual Christmas Light Parade, 6:30

Dec. 8 Cathedral Christmas Concerts, St.

p.m., downtown Ulysses, 620-356-4700.

Fidelis Church, Victoria, 785-628-4258.

Dec. 6-7 Candlelight Tour, Fort Scott

Dec. 8 Christmas in the Cabin, The Heritage

National Historic Site, 620-223-3566.

Center, Abilene, 785-263-2681.

Dec. 6 -7 Christmas Past, 7 to 9 p.m., Historic Fort Hays, 785-625-6812.

Dec. 14-15 The Journey to Bethlehem, Jetmore, hodgemancountyks.com, 620-357-8831.

Travel Kansas

and stay at these exclusive hotels & motels managed by

Kansas-owned and locally operated High Plains Management and Development, LLC

Burlington

Country Haven Inn | 1-800-942-8369

Coffeyville

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

Herington

Herington Inn & Suites 1-800-597-4581

Hesston

AmericInn Lodge & Suites 1-620-327-2053

Hillsboro

Country Haven Inn | 1-877-404-2836

Hoisington

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

Garnett

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

Lyons

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

Parsons

Sleep Inn & Suites | 1-877-424-6423

Wakeeney

www.indkschamber.org

620.331.1890

tourism@indkschamber.org

Super 8 Motel | 1-785-743-6442

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Abilene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3, 6, 19, 20 Atchison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 18, 19, 21 Baldwin City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 6 Bonner Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Cloud County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 25 Clyde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Coffeyville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 20, 22, 31 Colby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Concordia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Columbus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Cottonwood Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Council Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Dodge City . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 21, 32, back cover Ellsworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Emporia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 20 Fort Scott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Franklin County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Garden City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Greensburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Hays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Herington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 31 Hillsboro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 31 Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 9, 10, 31 Junction City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Leavenworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Lecompton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Liberal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5 Lindsborg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8, 9, 10, 12, 13 Lucas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS

September 28 & 29, 2013 Centrally located, on I-135, between Wichita and Salina

16 Venues of Family Fun IN SHADY L AKESIDE PARK

CELTIC MUSIC, DANCE, FOOD & PRODUCTS SCOTTISH CLANS • PIPERS & DRUMMERS HIGHLAND ATHLETICS KIDS’ CRAFTS & GAMES

FRIDAY EVENING CLAN GATHERING SATURDAY EVENING CONCERT

CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER ADMITTED FREE

AD FUNDED IN PART BY MCPHERSON CVB GRANT

S P E C I A L T R AV E L K A N S A S O F F E R

$1 off admission (you may photocopy coupon)

1-800-324-8022

www.macfestival.org 32 l

Lyons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 29, 30 Manhattan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 23 Marion County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 27 Marysville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 McPherson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,9, 12, 13, 32 Meade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 20 Medicine Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Minneapolis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Mulvane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Newton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 12, 13, 21 Oakley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Osawatomie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Paola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Peabody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 30 Pretty Prairie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Rice County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Riley County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Russell County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 20, 29 Salina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside front cover, 24 Scott City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Sterling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 30 Sumner County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 9, 10, 14 Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-17, 18, 19 Topeka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Ulysses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 13, 14, 22 Wellington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 9, 10, 14 Wichita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 18, 19, 21, 30 Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 12

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