Vacations can be anything you want them to be. An elaborate trip involving airplanes, passports or foreign countries or a road trip planned off an old school map with all the weird and quirky stops in between.
A simple enough search online—Kansas Travel Guide—can help. Flipping through the pages of the book online one could see the sights from the western side of the state across to the eastern. Places to see, food to eat or events to attend. But don’t stop there.
Go even further and search for accommodations in apps like VRBO or AirBNB that fit the most interesting areas. It could be a vacation rental made out of shipping containers in one part of the state, a grain bin in far western Kansas or a yurt at a reservoir. The sky is literally the limit when searching for fun things to do as a family, a couple or even alone.
Don’t forget about the cheap or free ways to make a trip out of it. Find some where you can get up early and spend all day exploring and return late in the evening. You’ll maybe be out a tank of gas and a meal. Whatever your plan, the options can be endless.
Planning
A number of websites offer planning tips and roadtrippers.com suggests a couple of things when planning an excursion.
1. Basics. Think about where and what you want to see. Cultivate your road trip style if you already have one. Possibly consider a theme and most importantly, have a budget and stick to it if possible.
2. Dream up a plan. This is where you delve into the depths of the internet, various apps and other sources. Ask friends, family or coworkers where they’ve been and what they liked the best. Write it down and find what works best for your situation.
3. Have a plan for lodging, hours of operation for hotels, restaurants, attractions, etc.
4. Get to know the local area. Read about or watch videos online about the area you’re traveling to. Don’t let one Yelp review deter you from seeing something that’s interesting to you. Most roadside attractions aren’t everyone’s cup of tea.
5. Flexibility. Travel is never easy, and when something goes wrong or not to plan, be willing to change the plan. No one wants to travel with an unhappy person.
Road trippin’ ideas
Kansas has a number of scenic byway highways in the state. From east to west there’s an opportunity to see the unusual, the beautiful and everywhere in between. Twelve areas have designated scenic byways, and there’s plenty to see and do on or off the trails in these areas. Here’s the area, miles involved, towns and what to possibly see.
—Land and Sky Scenic Byway; 88 miles through or near St. Francis, Goodland, Sharon Springs. This agricultural themed byway showcases the canyons, rare plant species on the plains, big vistas and even a giant van Gogh replica on an 80-foot easel. There’s even the highest point in Kansas, Mount Sunflower, on this leg.
—Smoky Valley Scenic Byway; 60 miles through or near WaKeeney, Ransom. Threshing Machine Canyon has quite the story to tell, as does a chalk spire named Castle Rock and more than one mural give plenty of stops to those visiting the area.
—Western Vistas Historic Byway; 102 miles through Scott City, Oakley, Sharon Springs. Although Monument Rocks and Little Jerusalem Badlands State Part might be the stars of this route, there are also fossils, pueblos and a historic state lake to explore here.
—Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway; 77 miles through or near Hoisington, Great Bend, Ellinwood. Going through one of North America’s most important migratory bird routes, there’s plenty of stops for a chance to see wildlife at the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and Quiveria National Wildlife Refuge. The Kansas Wetlands Education Center explains it all.
—Post Rock Scenic Byway; 18 miles through or near Wilson, Lucas. Unique artistry is on display at the World’s Largest Czech Egg, the Grassroots Art Center and the S.P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden. Same goes for the limestone posts early settlers used to build fences dotting the landscape.
—Prairie Trail Scenic Byway; 80 miles through or near Ellsworth, Marquette, Lindsborg. History and museums abound in this area. From buffalo, wild west history and cowboys, there’s a little bit of something for everyone. Marquette has the Kansas Motorcycle Museum and Lindsborg puts Swedish culture on display.
—Native stone scenic byway; 75 miles through or near Manhattan, Alma, Eskridge. Flint Hills views dominate this area, making it a perfect place for a picnic. Alma Creamery can add to that picnic basket with cheese and milk from local dairies. Plus enjoy the stacked rock fences, stone homes and barns.
—Flint Hills National Scenic Byway; 48 miles through or near Cottonwood Falls, Strong City, Council Grove. Pioneer Bluffs Center for Flint Hills Ranching Heritage celebrates the history of the area, while the Chase Lake Falls provides a picturesque backdrop to for visitors.
—Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway; 42 miles through or near Coldwater and Medicine Lodge. The Red Hills are full of flat mesas, deep canyons and buttes, and prairie grass. Relax at a local guest ranch or enjoy Lake Coldwater on a hot summer day.
—Glacial Hills Scenic Byway; 63 miles through and near Leavenworth and Atchison. Stop by the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum in Leavenworth where you can ride on a hand-carved and hand-painted animal, and head out later to visit the Tall Oak Indian Monument—carved out of a 67-inch burr oak log. Finish the day at the Four State Lookout for spectacular views of the Missouri River Valley.
—Frontier Military Historic Byway; 168 miles through or near Leavenworth, Fort Scott, Pittsburg and Baxter Springs. This trail connects famous forts and military areas where soldiers and supplies pushed the western expansion and Bleeding Kansas eras.
—Route 66 Historic Byway; 13 miles through or near Baxter Springs, Riverton and Galena. Come see the inspiration for Tow Mater from “Cars,” the animated movie, and other nostalgic attractions along this route.
National parks
Another easily planned trip is to visit state or national parks. There are interesting things to see and do across the United States. According to the National Parks Service, in 2022, visits were up 5% from 2021. There were 312 million recreation visits for the year. While not as high as 2018 and 2019 (318 million and 327 million recreation visits, respectively), service wide visitation has essentially recovered to pre-pandemic levels. 2022 is very much like years immediately before the National Park Service Centennial in 2016 and is only 6% lower than that record setting year.
Find your next trip at www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/index.htm.
Kylene Scott can be reached at 620-227-1804 or [email protected].
