This small trip will be appreciated by those who, like me, are interested in the state of Kansas and want to see the spirit of real America with cowboys and wide prairies. But it will be possible to find out about the city itself - Kansas City, with its interesting locations. A visit to the open-air museum city should be to your liking, and we've stayed in full swing. Take a good mood with you, and the new impressions will not make you wait.
On the first day, we decided not to be overburdened with moving and went to the city park, where the confluence of the two rivers Kansas and Missouri is located.
The expedition of Lewis and Clark arrived at Cape Kau, the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers, on 26 June 1804. For three days, the sailors set up a camp to rest, fix their boats and explore the surrounding area. Today, Kau Point is located in the heart of the capital's Kansas City with a magnificent view of the city center, but the location itself remains in natural condition with beautiful wooded paths, wildflowers and wildlife.
Be sure to visit this barbecue restaurant, where we tasted delicious pork brisket, barbecue ribs and pickled cabbage. For dessert, we took cheesecake, baked apples and charms, everything was delicious. And if you want a drink, they serve you a nice draft beer, wine or kraft beer. The restaurant is open from Monday to Thursday till 22:00, on Friday and Saturday till 23:00, and on Sunday till 21:00.
Today we went to see the famous Capitol, and then stopped by the museum to immerse ourselves in the history of Kansas and Topica, as well as visited the national park, which is home to wild bison.
Inexpensive cafe for a tasty, simple and nourishing breakfast. It works without a weekend and opens at eight in the morning, which made us very happy, because today we got up early to have time to visit all the planned places and in the evening to be in another city.
The land on which the Capitol was built was donated by patron Kir Holliday, president of Topeka Town and one of the founders of Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railways in 1892. On February 7, 1862, the legislature accepted the donation and approved the design of the building, designed by the architect Edward Townsend Mix of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The majestic building, built in the style of classicism, still impresses with its exterior and interior design. From Monday to Saturday you can visit some of the Capitol's rooms with a tour guide, but on Sundays you can only see the building from the outside.
We've decided to continue our acquaintance with the history of the state of Kansas at the local museum. The exposition here is very interesting and informative, the old clothes, household items, weapons and ammunition are exhibited, and, in my opinion, the most interesting - vehicles, from simple carts to locomotives and planes.
We went to the pizza place for a snack. Everyone liked such a dinner - fast, tasty, and not expensive. Another advantage of this place is that here you can not only choose a pizza from the menu, but also collect it to your liking, adding any ingredients and sauces.
The mission of the reserve is to preserve a nationally significant natural zone, which now represents a fragment of a once vast prairie with tall grass. We enjoyed the space and a walk on one of the trails. The reserve is home to bison, and you can see entire herds here. At the information center we were immediately warned that buffalo are wild animals, so for your own safety, it is better to watch them from afar. The recommended distance is at least a hundred yards.
If the previous park was a habitat for large wildlife, this one, which is located within the city limits, can be called a real home for birds. There are flocks of ducks and geese in the lakes (and also on the lanes and in the flowerbeds). They are not afraid of people at all, but, on the contrary, very bravely begging for food.
We learned about this gastropub from friends, who have been here more than once, according to their assurances - this is the best such institution in the city. I will fully agree with their assessment, here, really, very tasty and atmospheric: nice interior, interesting serving of dishes, positive bartenders and waiters. From the dishes I can safely recommend pork in Korean, spicy and delicious.
On this day we had to visit the open-air museum of living history and feel like time travelers for a while, and in the afternoon we went to the botanical garden.
Not a bad diver with a large selection of breakfasts on the menu, which is nice - there are low-calorie, gluten-free and vegetarian options. I'd take a yoghurt and granola breakfast and take a couple of sandwiches with me in case I got hungry on the road.
It's as if we've moved into the past in a unique historical open-air museum that recreates Wichita and Sedgvik County from 1865 to 1880. Employees of the museum in authentic antique costumes showcase their daily activities, including gardening, livestock care and cooking - a true living history. The most interesting thing is that the museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums - the highest national recognition achievable by the museum. On Mondays the museum is closed, on Sundays it opens at noon.
The museum is located in the original Wichita Town Hall, a historic building built in 1890, which is already considered an exhibit in itself. The museum's extensive exposition shows life in Wichita over the centuries, from the Wichita Indian tribe, whose name was adopted by the city, and the cowboys, the wild west, to the heyday of aviation and the role of the city in the conquest of the sky.
Just a beautiful place for tourist photos. You can turn off the road, park and take a little walk, so that the trip did not seem quite routine. There's only tall grass and endless sky around.
Whoever's not driving is lucky today! In this institution you can not only try the best kinds of local beers, but also see how it is made. The food here is also delicious, as far as I'm concerned, the best addition to a glass of good beer is a big juicy burger, just like the ones they make here.
Before dinner, enjoy the arboretum and the botanical garden. There are at least two beautiful hiking trails through the wooded area and there are areas where you can find interesting and unusual flowers and other plants. You can ask the park staff for a map booklet with particularly interesting and remarkable botanical samples.
If you want to try German and Austrian cuisine, you should reserve a table at Grünauer. We chose this place because it is famous for its delicious Viennese schnitzel, German sausages and pork loin. For dessert we ordered apple strudel, chocolate cake and thin pancakes, and here you can drink good barrel beer, wine or martinis.
This is our final day in Kansas, it's time to go home, and before we finish the route, we decided to have a nice breakfast.
I recommend you to try delicious French toast, thin pancakes and egg waffles for breakfast. An unusual drink is served here - a delicious pumpkin latte with spices, and if you like the classic options, the menu has freshly squeezed juices and mochaccino.