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Attempting to Make Kansas More Interesting Than Alaska

Kansas Bucket List

2015-2019

When we moved to Alaska in 2011, we heard so many people tell us what we had to do/see before we left the state. So we made a simple chart of 10 items we wanted to do. Some of them were extravagant (like taking a cruise to Hawaii) while others were pretty doable like see a glacier. The funny thing is that we did end up going to Hawaii while in Alaska, albeit on a plane. See? Writing down your hopes and dreams does help! 

When we moved to Kansas, we didn't really have many people telling us of the great and wonderful things we needed to do/see while living here. However, we know there has got to be some great sights and heartland stuff to see...so here is our attempt in making Kansas more interesting than Alaska. I don't know if we will succeed, but at least we can leave here knowing we saw lots of cool "Kansas things." No regrets people. 

Many of these ideas came from Kansastravel.org, a great site that has attractions for every city/town in Kansas. 

Day Trips (Around 2 hours one way travel time)

1. Winter Quarter's Temple     Omaha, NE     3 hrs     anytime Completed 25 Nov 2016
2. WWI Museum     Kansas City, MO     40 mins     anytime Completed 10 Dec 2016
3. Sporting KC Game     Kansas City, MO     40 mins     February-October  
4. Royals Baseball Game     Kansas City, MO     Spring-Fall
5. Alma Creamery Tour     Alma, KS     1 hr     anytime, preferably spring or summer
6. Grinter's Sunflower Farm     Lawrence, KS     around Labor Day Completed Sep 2016
Photo by Jamie Oberg/KCTV
7. Joe's Kansas City BBQ          40 mins     anytime  
8. Brown vs Board of Education     Topeka, KS     25 mins     anytime
9. Lenexa BBQ Battle     Lenexa, KS     36 mins     Last weekend in June
10. Prairie Spirit Trails     Ottawa-Iola, KS     30 mins     Spring-Fall
11. Arbotorium & Botanical Gardens     Overland Park, KS     45 mins     anytime  
12. Union Station     Kansas City, MO     40 mins     anytime Completed 14 Nov 2015
13. Toy Museum     Kansas City, MO     50 mins     anytime except Tuesdays &Holidays
14. Morel Mushroom Harvesting     Local     Spring
15. Adam Ondi Ahman     Jameson, MO     2 hrs    anytime Completed June 2016
16. Lenexa Serbian Food Festival     Lenexa, KS     November
17. John Brown Underground Museum     Osawatamie, KS     1 hr     anytime
18. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve     Strong City, KS     1.5 hrs     May-October
Photo courtesy from link above
19. Eisenhower Presidential Library     Abilene, KS     1 hr 45 mins     anytime except major holidays
20. Truman Presidential Library     Independence, MO     1 hr     anytime
21. Amelia Earhart Museum     Atchison, KS     1 hr     Summer (festival in July)
22. Alcove Spring & waterfall     Blue Rapids, KS     2 hrs     anytime with good weather
23. Santa Fe Lake     Edgerton, KS     40 mins     anytime with good weather
24. Mushroom Rock State Park    Brookville, KS     2.5 hrs     anytime with good weather
25. Kansas State Capital      Topeka, KS     25 mins     anytime
26. Game at Arrowhead Stadium     Kansas City, MO Completed 14 Nov 2015


Weekend Trips (around 3-5 hrs one way travel time)
27. Omaha Zoo     Omaha, NE     3 hrs     anytime Completed 26 Nov 2016
28. Winter Quarter's Temple     Omaha, NE     3 hrs     anytime  Completed 25 Nov 2016
29. Kansas Cosmosphere     Hutchinson, KS     3 hrs     anytime
30. Hedrick Exotic Animal Farm     near Hutchinson, KS     3 hrs     anytime, appointment for tour
31. Laura Ingalls Wilder House     Mansfield, MO     4 hrs     go while in Springfield (1 hr East)
32. Sandhill Cranes @ the Audobon at Rowe Sanctuary     Nebraska     5 hrs     March/April
Photo courtesy from link above
33. Monument Rocks Landmark     Grinnell, KS     5 hrs     spring-fall
34. Cathedral of the Plains     Victoria, KS     3 hrs     anytime
35. Castle Rock Badlands     Between Quinter & Collyer, KS     5 hrs     spring-fall
36. Cedar Bluff State Park     Ellis, KS     4 hrs     Spring-Summer
Photo Courtesy from link above
37. St. Louis!     4 hrs     anytime Completed Spring Break 2016

School Break Trips (more than 5 hours one way travel time)
38. Chicago      8 hrs     Anytime
39. Colorado Springs Ski Trip     7 hours     Spring Break



Anything we've missed? Let us know in the comments!
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