Kansas Holidays

Day 1 : Arrive Kansas City

Kansas City is both surprising and engaging. The ‘City of Fountains’, which straddles two States - Kansas and Missouri, exudes energy, style and confidence, and its vibrant cultural life is increasingly well-known and appreciated - by visitors as well as Kansans. A kaleidoscope of museums and galleries, intriguing public art, great live music and fabulous shopping feed the soul whilst real Kansas BBQ and myriad eating places will feed the body

Amongst the plethora of attractions are the Hallmark Visitors Center and the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop; art venues including Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art; the American Jazz Museum and the Arabia Steamboat Museum.  Shopping malls such as Country Club Plaza and Legends Outlets are worth a mooch.  

Barely 40 miles west of Kansas City, the college town of Lawrence is a smart, lively and growing community of 80,000 and home to the University of Kansas campus and the Haskell Indian Nations University. Downtown, the half dozen blocks of Massachusetts Street are replete with chic boutiques and quirky antique stores; intriguing galleries and surprising studios; micro-breweries, restaurants and cafes. 

Day 2 : Kansas City - Topeka - Cottonwood Falls

Distance: 135 miles

First stop today is State capital Topeka, from where the pioneers once struck out west with their wagon trains, carving out the famous Oregon Trail. Here stands the Kansas State Capitol building, resplendent following its 10 year refurbishment. It’s hard to over-estimate how magnificent an example of such a worthy building this is - superb architecture, steeped in American history. It demands a visit.

Just south of Topeka, the town of Council Grove is a fascinating gateway onto the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway, but not before a couple of interesting stops - at the Kaw Mission State Historic Site, the Hays House Restaurant (dating from 1857 and still in operation) and the Cowboy Jail. The Byway traverses the largest remaining tract of tallgrass prairie in North America - billowing grasses framing limestone bluffs; home to diverse wildlife including cottontails (rabbits), foxes and coyotes; red-tailed hawks and other birds. Southwards, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve interprets the story of this unique ecosystem, whilst its native stone ranch house, barn and schoolhouse bring to life the late 1800’s in this part of the Sunflower State.

The drive today definitively explodes the myth that Kansas is flat and uninteresting, as does this evening’s destination - Cottonwood Falls, a small town with huge character and charm. The first surprise is the elegant, boutique-style Grand Central Hotel - superbly appointed rooms and mouthwatering steaks. Just down the main street sits the Emma Chase Cafe, where Friday night features a catfish-fry followed by an open mic session (it could be C&W, bluegrass, R&B or gospel) with local artistes Everyone is welcome. 

Day 3 : Cottonwood Falls - Manhattan/Abilene

Distance: 80 miles

Northbound this morning, driving through the hills to Manhattan, and a visit to the Flint Hills Discovery Center - a world-class exposition of this unique and ancient landscape and ecosystem. Manhattan also offers excellent shopping close by, and from here it’s a relatively short drive to Abilene - a city with numerous claims to fame. Abilene is at the northern end of the famous Chisholm Trail - the historic cattle trail driven in the 1800’s all the way up from Texas, through Oklahoma and Kansas - and the rich story is colourfully retold in the Dickinson County Heritage Center with its dance halls, saloons and gaming rooms.

Abilene is also the home of US President Dwight D Eisenhower, and the great WW2 leader’s childhood house, and the Presidential Library & Museum are an enduring attraction of the city. As is the palatial home of AB Seelye, whose 25-room Georgian mansion also offers a fascinating insight into this early entrepreneur’s successful medicine business, straddling the 19th and 20th centuries.

Close by is Lindsborg (Little Sweden), with its close genealogical link to far-off Scandinavia - nowadays characterised by shops, museums, art galleries, working studios and cultural and ethnic events. Back to Abilene, evening time brings thoughts of dinner - perhaps at the Brookville HotelRestaurant, whose family roots go back to the 1870s, and which today is rightly famous for its fried chicken dinner menu - arguably the best to be had in Kansas; Mr K’s Farmhouse Restaurant is famous for its warm hospitality and country-style menu. This was a favourite eating place of President Eisenhower. 

Day 4 : Manhattan/Abilene - Great Bend

Distance: 105 miles

Today’s route is a scenic and hugely entertaining one - through two Kansas Byways. Driving west, it joins the Post Rock Scenic Byway - miles of gentle, rolling green countryside, punctuated by thousands of the tell-tale stone fence posts, and ends in the town of Lucas - for which the term quirky might have been invented. Unique non-conformist art can be found all over Lucas, in the Grassroots Art Center, the world famous Garden of Eden - which really defies description - and the Flying Pig Studio & Gallery. Perhaps the most visually stunning of Lucas’ public art projects is the town’s restrooms - a warm and humorous melange of wall painting, mosaic and modern art.

South next, onto the 77 mile Wetlands & Wildlife National Scenic Byway, connecting two of the world's most significant natural wetlands - Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. More than 60,000 acres of wetlands host millions of migrating birds each year. Affected by seasons, weather and human use, these wetlands are in a constant state of motion and change. The Kansas Wetlands Education Center is a great place to get orientated to this ecosystem. Abundant wildlife makes this Byway region a favourite for wildlife viewers and photographers. Bring binoculars today and watch for the more than 300 bird species. Though impressive any time of year, bird numbers explode here in spring and autumn, when millions of migrating birds rest and refuel. The town of Great Bend is home for the night.

Day 5 : Great Bend - Wichita

Distance: 120 miles

Drive direct to Wichita - Kansas’ largest city - today. Sheltered at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers, Wichita’s iconic ‘Keeper of the Plains’ pays a glorious and thought-provoking tribute to the Native American tribes who lived here long before the settlers came. The city's early life as a growing township is brought convincingly to life at Old Cowtown Living History Museum and its Native American history is on display - in the Mid-America All-Indian Center.  Wichita has evoled into a major aeronautical manufacturing powerhouse and is diverse and stylish.World art and culture is referenced in the eclectic Museum of World Treasures - which houses Egyptian mummies and dinosaur skeletons; Presidential mementos and folk art, all side by side. Within easy driving distance is Hutchinson, home to the Kansas Underground Salt Museum and the Cosmosphere and Space Center.

Lunchtime brings a host of options - not least of which is the family-owned and run Old Mill Tasty Shop, offering gargantuan sandwiches and comforting ‘blue plate specials’. Meanwhile, the city’s Old Town warehouse district - in the heart of downtown Wichita - undergoes a transformation each evening, when the working and shopping centre metamorphoses into a vibrant, energy-filled world of urban nightlife. Its clubs offer a variety of music to whet every appetite - soul, rock, jazz, country, blues and reggae - all within a cosy, stroll-friendly area.

Day 6 : Wichita - Ponca City/Bartlesville - Tulsa

Distance: 200 miles

Today’s route leaves Kansas behind and heads south into Oklahoma and two centres redolent of the larger than life search for oil at the turn of the 20th century. First stop is in Ponca City, home to independent oil magnate EW Marland’s magnificent Mediterranean -style 55 room Mansion - a 10 bedroom, 12 bathroom, 3 kitchen ‘Palace on the Prairie’. Also here is the Standing Bear Statue - an atmospheric monument tribute to ative Americans, the surrounding park, honours the six tribal nations of the immediate area.

On eastwards to Bartlesville, and it’s here that Frank and L.E. Phillips founded the Phillips Petroleum Company in 1917. It grew to become Bartlesville’s largest employer and one of the nation’s top oil companies. Visit the residence of Frank Phillips, and the Phillips Petroleum Company Museum. Look for the Price Tower - the only skyscraper built by renowned Chicago architect Frank Lloyd Wright - preserved today as a gem of a boutique hotel. Head back through Bartlesville to the country estate of Frank Phillips - Woolaroc Ranch, Museum and Wildlife Preserve. Will Rogers said, "Of all the places in the United States, Woolaroc is the most unique." The Woolaroc name comes from the woods, lakes and rocks.

Finally, to Tulsa - an engaging and memorable city to explore, enjoy and rest for the night, after a busy day of sightseeing. Tulsa’s Brady Arts District is a perfect place to stay. Anchored by the Philbrook Gallery Downtown and the Woody Guthrie Center, this emerging warehouse district is now a smart, colourful community of fantastic restaurants, clubs and live music events. Meanwhile, for shopping the historic district of Brookside jostles with quirky boutiques and antique shops; art galleries and trendy restaurants. 

Day 7 : Tulsa - Guthrie - Oklahoma City

Distance: 110 miles

World-renowned Route 66 is the focus of today’s drive from Tulsa to Oklahoma City, with a side trip to charming and historic Guthrie. Out along this first section of Oklahoma’s Route 66 - of which Oklahoma has the longest drivable section of any state.

Round the town of Stroud the story is one of great food and wine - the Rock Cafe and the Stablebridge Vineyards & Winery. In Chandler, one of Route 66’s three main museums - the Interpretive Center - delves into the heart and soul of the Mother Road, with compelling video presentations and quirky Route 66 experiences, and just outside Oklahoma City is Arcadia and a true one-off attraction. Pops is a roadhouse/diner that offers no fewer than several hundred different flavours of soda pop - including sweetcorn, and chili flavours. It provides for a memorable stop.

To the north of the city lies Guthrie - Oklahoma’s old territorial capital - with its downtown listed as a Historic Preservation District. This is a great example of a typical mid-western town, and it’s also well catered with antique stores, offering genuine bric-a-brac, collectibles and bargains. Evening brings today’s drive to its end, in burgeoning Oklahoma City. Bricktown - the city’s water-side redeveloped warehouse district - is alive with entertainment, shopping and food. Live music spills out of many of the 30 canal-side eateries and clubs in this colourful and energetic district. 

Day 8 : Oklhoma City - Sulphur

Distance: 85 miles

Native American culture is the focus of today’s itinerary, with a visit to the Chickasaw Cultural Center in fast-growing Sulphur. The Center evokes and celebrates the history and contemporary life of the Chickasaw Nation through exhibits, demonstrations and other outreach projects. This is the USA’s largest tribal cultural centre, built on a section of more than 100 acres of rolling hills, woodlands and water. The Chickasaw National Recreation Area brings together diverse flora and fauna in a combination of eastern deciduous forest and western prairie.

The Travertine Ranger Station Visitor Center offers the opportunity to take a short hike in and around this area of outstanding beauty, and in nearby Davis, visit scenicTurner Falls and try some mouthwatering Oklahoma food at Nancy Fulton’s Fried Pies or Smokin’ Joe’s Rib Ranch. Back in Sulphur, the recently rebuilt and re-opened Artesian Hotel offers superb lodgings and a taste of elegance last seen here in the 1920’s. Or just a short drive away is the Echo Canyon Spa and Resort, a small resort offering characterful accommodations and superb food - much of it lovingly homegrown. 

Day 9 : Sulphur - Medicine Park - Elk City

Distance: 195 miles

Start the day by heading west to Duncan and a visit to the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center, where the story of the long, arduous cattle drive route carved out from Texas clear through to Abilene in Kansas is told in fascinating, evocative style. In Lawton, a replica trading post and collection of historical and archaeological artefacts is displayed in the Museum of the Great Plains, and on to Fort Sill - still an active Army fort, established back in 1869, where no fewer than 26 historic buildings conjure up a vivid picture of frontier life. Here, too, is the last resting place of the famous Apache chief Geronimo.

The tiny township of Medicine Park, America’s Cobblestone Community lies at the center of the Wichita Mountains Scenic Byway - and there are magnificent views to be seen from the top of Oklahoma’s highest mountain, Mount Scott. Back in Medicine Park, over the years many a celebrity, politician, writer - and even gangster - has paid a visit, and today this picturesque and quirky little community puts up a series of music festivals and events between May and October each year.

Final destination for the day is Elk City, back on Route 66, and this lively community is home to the National Route 66 Museum, telling the Mother Road’s story from end to end - all 8 states - part of the Old Town Museum complex. The Old Town Museum itself is a superb repository of artefacts demonstrating pioneer life, and it also proudly tells the story of cowboy and rodeo life - largely thanks to donations by the famous Beutler Brothers Rodeo Stock Producers. Elk City makes a comfortable stop for the night. 

Day 10 : Elk City - Oklahoma City

Distance: 115 miles

Today the route is eastbound along the second section of Route 66, with time to stop off and complete a memorable exploration of the Mother Road. Clinton is the first port of call - the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, recounting the history of the road as it was rolled out through the state. The museum offers a mellifluous and intriguing audio tour by baritone Mother Road historian Michael Wallis. Also in Clinton is the Mohawk Indian Lodge. Established in 1892, it’s the first and oldest authentic Indian Trading Post in Oklahoma - a vast conglomeration of diverse items, from Pendleton blankets to hides; beaded moccasins to Native American jewellery.

In Weatherford, make a stop at Lucille’s Service Station - a classic gas station built in 1929 and run by Lucille Hamon for 50 years, and then drop in on Lucille’s Roadhouse Diner - a modern evocation of the original gas station and a great place to enjoy a late lunch. And on the subject of food, the town of El Reno is home to three famous fried onion burger joints - Robert’s Grill, Sid’s Diner and Johnnie’s Grill - all beloved of ‘Roadfooders’.

Oklahoma City is the final destination, and a last chance to visit Bricktown - or perhaps Stockyard City, one of the nation’s largest and busiest cattle and sheep stockyards and auction houses. And surrounding the Stockyards are some of the state’s finest Western wear stores - where everything from shirts to boots; jeans to jewellery is on display. For a final meal in Oklahoma, there’s little to better the Stockyards’ Cattlemen’s restaurant for a superb, perfectly aged steak - for dinner or breakfast. 

Day 11 : Fly Home

Leave Oklahoma City and fly back to the UK. However, your adventure doesn't have to end here. Perhaps you may want to extend your stay and spend a few days exploring Dallas or maybe include more of Route 66.

Call the USA travel specialists at Bon Voyage to discuss your perfect Route 66, Scenic Kansas and Eclectic Oklahoma adventure.