Kansas Travel - cultural events and atractions

Many people think of Kansas tourism as this flat wasteland in the center of the United States. How wrong they are! Kansas is filled with interesting history, beautiful prairielands, museums, cultural events and attractions and the nicest people anywhere. You can travel in Kansas going from the large city of Kansas City to the little bitty town of Garnett where hospitality is shown in abundance.
Kansas has a number of very small towns such as Selden with a population of 177 as of July 2007. What this means is that there is a lot of open space for people that want to visit someplace they can actually breath without running into someone else in exactly the same spot! Here people appreciate the land and the hunting available. The pheasants are plentiful as well as the hunting farms and ranches that play host to the visitors.
Ghosts, goblins and scary homes, that's what you can expect when you visit the "Most Haunted Town in Kansas." Atchison not only takes pride in this title but they have the Haunted Atchison Trolley Tour in September and October to take visitors around to the different homes that are acclaimed to be haunted. You will ride on the 1880 AT&SF trolley while seeing houses such as the McIntreer Villa where lights in the tower go on and off and there is not electricity there, ghosts appear in the windows and in family photos. Hear the footsteps that are in rooms where there is no one and doors closing in rooms that are empty. Scary! The one hour tour will show you a number of homes in the community that are claimed to be haunted...come and find out all about them.
Near Augusta there is Henry's Sculpture Hill with its wide array of unique outdoor sculptures, primarily made from steel and/or found objects. Now, this being a private hill the owner has stopped tours for now due to "maintenance, insurance, old age, and attitude, [but] serious buyers who are looking for original steel sculptures are welcome by appointment." Now doesn't that just sound like an artist? How neat and fun. If you are looking for something totally different you may want to visit the hill as a "buyer".
Have you ever thought about being in the Garden of Eden? Well you can be, right there in Lucas, Kansas! This unique "log cabin" was guilt in 1907 by a retired school teacher and Civil War veteran and in the final 31 years of his life created this unforgettable legacy in three parts. The "log cabin" was built with logs up to 27 feet long and cared from limestone. Dinsmoor, the builder, call it "the most unique home for living or dead on Earth." He gave tours of this 11 room home during his lifetime. Now tours are given daily May through October. Weekends in January & February. Weekdays March, April, November & December. The cost for the tours is just $6 for adults and $1 for age 6-12. The garden is built of limestone and 113 tons of concrete and tells the history of the world starting with its creation. Come and see the 150 figures plus other forms such as insects to 40 ft tall trees in this unique and fascinating garden in the small town of Lucas.
Manhattan has more than college football. There is the great Fort Riley where you can really get to study military history. As part of your learning experience you can visit the last cavalry training stables with its original cobblestone flooring which used to house 76 horses. Today it still houses horses for the Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard where 20 head are ready for parade all the time. This facility was built in 1889. This is just one of the many historical sites you can see and learn about while at the Fort. Although today the technology and advancements in military power are constantly being updated, history is still worth learning about.
Flat land right? How about the Gypsum Hills in central Kansas with their canyons, rolling hills, mesas, and buttes? That sure isn't flat and boring! There are red cedar trees growing on the red land that is full of iron oxide so the land is actually red! Take the 42 mile drive from Coldwater to Medicine Lodge on the Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway and you will be surrounded by beauty. Now, when you are off the paved roads and back on the dirt roads keep in mind that it is open range area so watch for livestock. You don't have to get off the paved roads, but it sure is fun if you do.
No one can say that those from Kansas don't have a sense of humor. In the town of Canton there are two water towers, one Hot and one Cold. Now how many towns do you know that would do that? It's great to know there is such a place in Kansas!

Article Source: http://www.ezine-directory.info

Kansas has an extremely interesting history, beautiful prairielands, and fantastic museums. Penelope SanMateo write travel articles about tourist attractions in Kansas. Check out the cultural events and attractions and the most wonderful people in the Western Kansas tourism region!

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