From Kansas City to Wichita

Yesterday we woke up in Kansas City excited about the adventures we had to look forward to during our week in Kansas.  While I do plan to spend some time in the Kansas City area later this week, it wouldn't feel like we were really on vacation if we didn't hit the road to explore more than one new area.  So off we went. 

We left Kansas City to head West into Kansas for the next few days.  I had done lots of research and found several points of interest both natural and historic throughout the State, and I was interested to get out and see them.  It was a beautiful, sunny day with temps eventually reaching into the upper 50s/low 60s.  The perfect weather for hitting the road and for getting some hiking in along the way.

Our first stop was the Marais des Cygnes Massacre Site-the site of what is considered to be the last significant act of violence in "Bleeding Kansas" leading up to the Civil war.  This wasn't a planned stop, but was a point of interest that I saw a sign for on the highway and decided to explore.  Since I hadn't done any research on this site, I had no idea what to expect, but I as a Civil War history buff, I was excited to visit this piece of history.

It is off the beaten path a bit, but it was definitely worth the stop.  It is was a short visit, but a somber reminder of one of the saddest pieces of our history.  While the site is wooded and beautiful, it is always a humbling experience to stand somewhere and know that at that very location someone lost their life for what they believed to be right.

We left the massacre site to head on to our next stop-the Mine Creek Battlefield.  As we drove away from the Marais des Cygnes site, we were pleasantly surprised by this gem-a marker at the Kansas/Missouri State line that also was the entrance gate to a cemetery.  So we stopped for the photo op.

With a quick stop, we were off toward Mine Creek.  This was the site of the most significant battle of the Civil War to occur in Kansas.  The site is small, but the self-guided walking tour is dog friendly, so it was a great spot to stop with the girls to get them a little exercise as I took in the information about the battle that occurred here.

Many people may not find much of interest here in this big open field, but the history of the area and knowing that here, at this very spot, young men went into battle and several lost their lives, it is just a good reminder of all that our nation has been through to get where we are today. 

After our walk around the battlefield, it was time for lunch.  I was happy that I brought a cooler along for this trip and could pull out a little picnic lunch right there before continuing along on our journey.

Our next stop for the day was the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.  While much of this area is not open to hiking with dogs due to the cattle and bison that roam freely in the grasslands, there are a couple of good hikes that do allow dogs, so I figured it was worth the trip to see. 

While most people think of Kansas as flat and boring; a state to drive through without stopping, I am finding it to be much more.  The rolling hills of the grassland prairie area was beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed our stop. 

I'm not sure the pictures of this place do justice to the beauty it holds.  I just wish I could have seen more.  The girls even stopped for a picture...and this is nothing short of amazing knowing all of the critters and smells out there in those grasslands.  I think you can tell by Peaches reaction that this stop was a big hit!

After a good roll in the grass and a big drink of water, it was time to get back in the Jeep to finish our journey to Wichita.  The girls were tired and happy so the next leg of the trip was a quiet one.

We arrived in Wichita and checked in to our hotel just before dinner time.  The girls had been busy all day and had worked up quite an appetite, so I fed them dinner a little early while I did some research on where I should go to eat.  But before I ate dinner myself, I had one more stop to make in Wichita-the Keeper of the Plains and Veteran's Memorial Park.

We drove the few miles from our hotel into downtown Wichita and parked just across the river from the Keeper of the Plains.  The park was busier than I had expected-apparently this weekend was graduation weekend for some school in the area and there were people in caps and gowns everywhere. 

Busy areas like this can be a challenge with Peaches, but she did a pretty good job and was well rewarded along the river walk with lots of geese to tease her.  She even found a couple of goose nests full of eggs...and one with mama too!

We had a nice walk along the river before heading back to the Jeep.  The girls were so tired that they quickly fell asleep so I even had the chance to enjoy dinner in the restaurant, instead of my typical take-out while I'm on vacation.  It had been an excellent day and we had thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  I can't wait to see what we can find for ourselves today!

At the end of the day, this is the true sign of a good vacation.