Planning your next road trip through Kansas

Posted: April 12, 2012

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Overland Park offers plenty of entertainment options. Whether you enjoy a matinee at The New Theatre Restaurant, pet goats at Deanna Rose Farmstead, or explore the changing kaleidoscope of creativity at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, there’s something for every age and interest. Add hundreds of restaurants and shops, and you’ve got a great environment to explore and enjoy.

But what if you want to take a day trip, or a side trip off of the highway, while traveling across Kansas? How do you know where to go? Here are a few ideas:

• Near Topeka, check out Paxico, known as the Antiques Capital of Kansas, or enjoy a decadent slice of the coconut cream pie named America’s Best Slice, by Good Morning America, at Sommerset Hall Café in Dover. In town, call for a tour of more than a dozen stained glass church windows designed by Tiffany, at First Presbyterian Church.

• In Kansas’s northwest corner, drive through our state’s miniature Grand Canyon – Arikaree Breaks. Most of this amazing terrain lies in Kansas, with portions extending into Nebraska and Colorado. There are lots of gravel and dirt roads, so driving a car with good ground clearance is important.

• Visit Sweden without the plane fare when you visit Lindsborg, located in north central Kansas. Grab a sandwich in the restaurant that Mikhail Gorbachev visited, see the first U.S. location for an Anatoly Karpov chess school, and savor Swedish pancakes or a smörgas sandwich. 

• Kansas offers dozens of festivals. Operating in Independence for more than a week each fall, since 1919, the state’s largest annual festival is Neewollah (Halloween, spelled backwards). The 10-day Kansas State Fair has taken place each September, in Hutchinson, since 1913. And Wichita’s biggest annual party – Riverfest – offers nine days of music, entertainment, crafts and much more, every June, as it has since the 1970s.

For more great destinations and events check out my book, An Explorer’s Guide: Kansas. It’s available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and in Downtown Overland Park at The Tasteful Olive or The Complete Traveler.

~Lisa Waterman Gray
Lisa is a veteran freelance writer with more than 3,000 published articles, news stories and reviews. Her areas of expertise include travel, food and restaurant, human interest, health and business writing.

National WWI Museum: The ultimate historical attraction in KC…for every generation

Posted: March 22, 2012

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The Trenches

It’s the year 1914. Europe is a global powerhouse dangerously treading on war. A royal assassination serves as the tipping point for battle. Within a few short weeks, allies are formed and trenches are dug. Fast-forward to early 1917, the infamous Zimmerman Telegram is interrupted and President Woodrow Wilson urges the U.S. Congress to declare war. Does any of this sound familiar?

Regardless of your answer, I highly recommend a visit this spring to the National WWI Museum at Liberty Memorial. Many residents and visitors alike may not realize that the United States’ official World War I Museum is located right here in Kansas City. As a KC newbie, I’m still learning the ropes of the area so a recent rainy Sunday was a perfect opportunity to check out the historical attraction.

WWI (1914-1918) was such an important and interesting time in our nation’s and world’s history, and the beautifully organized exhibits were great reminders of this turning point in the 20th century. My favorites were the incredible collection of soldier uniforms and letters, a restored American M1917 tank, the life-size trench models and most of all, the American propaganda posters. Many of us may not know that Missouri’s own George Creel was selected by President Wilson to head the United States Committee on Public Information. Creel was responsible for the creation of thousands of paintings, posters, cartoons and sculptures promoting the war.

In 2014, we will commemorate the centennial of WWI. In preparation, I hope everyone steps back into the classroom and is reminded of this time period in our world’s history. During my visit, I saw young couples and families of grandparents, parents and young children touring the museum together. The exhibits and short films are truly geared for every generation and do an amazing job at encouraging a dialogue. Trust me; you will enjoy every minute.

~Liron

Big City Amenities, Small Town Hospitality

Posted: February 23, 2012

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“Chicago, Chicago, that toddling town . . .;” . . . I want to be a part of it, New York, New York;” “I left my heart in San Francisco . . .” (What song about city life are your singing now?)

Oh, my!  If only I had more time to travel the country.  I would explore the magnificent energy, excitement and enthusiastic experiences that each of the aforementioned cities have to offer the leisure traveler.  And, as well, hundreds of other cities have destinations which personify similar emotions of engagement.  But, of course, my windows of time for distant travel are limited.  And so, what are my opportunities to experience a taste of Chicago, New York, San Francisco and others while remaining in Overland Park?  Well, I live just 7 miles from the campus of Johnson County Community College located on the southwest quadrant of College Boulevard and Quivira.  And, the campus includes several components to experience world culture.  I recently enjoyed two such venues that took me away to the dreams of larger cities.

The Broadway production of “The Color Purple” is on national tour.  I was in attendance on Friday, February 10 in the Carlsen’s Center’s Yardley Hall.  The Grammy-nominated score featuring gospel, jazz, pop and the blues was simply outstanding!  The choreography, inclusive of special lighting and sound effects momentarily placed me in a New York theater.  Each of the performers was simply outstanding.  The diverse audience was sincerely engaged throughout the performance.  My night in Overland Park at the theater was a New York experience, (well, kind of).  Oh, by the way, The Ensemble Espanol Spanish Dance Theater from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago performed the previous week in Yardley Hall.  While I did not attend this performance the reviews were described as, “exciting, sensual, breathtaking and into the realm of genuine human emotion – a transcendent experience.”  And, so there you have it, Chicago and New York experiences right here in Overland Park.

The second venue which receives national and international acclaim on a regular basis is the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, located adjacent to the Calrsen Center.  I walk through the art exhibits as often as I can when I am nearby on the campus.  Last fall 29 of the top individual art collectors throughout the United States visited the museum.  The leader of the group and a director of a top art museum on the east coast could not believe that such a fine museum of contemporary art existed in Overland Park and, on a community college campus.  He has traveled throughout the U.S. and has not seen such a museum with such an outstanding collection on any university or college campus.  It is on the same level as any of the fine museums of contemporary art found in Chicago, New York or San Francisco.  The museum is open to the public and has at its front door the excellent Café Tempo.  I would highly recommend a lunch date prior to viewing the outstanding art collections.

I am not sure if your experiences will change your lyrics to the songs from the beginning of this blog, but they have changed mine; “My kind of town, Overland Park is . . .;” “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere, It’s up to you Overland Park, Overland Park. . .;” and “My love waits there in Overland Park.”

Enjoy your big city experiences right here in Overland Park.

~Jerry

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