The Explorer
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Issue #107 JANUARY 2015 THE EXPLORER The Kansas Explorers Club is created to inspire, educate, and encourage the exploration and appreciation of Kansas...and to have fun doing it! Explorers are urged to look for the rural culture elements in each town — architecture, art, commerce, cuisine, customs, geography, history, and people. Kansas Sampler Foundation, 978 Arapaho Rd., Inman, KS 67546 620.585.2374 kansassampler.org [email protected] / [email protected] KANSAS EXPLORER #2’s HAPPY KANSAS DAY! BUCKET LIST for 2015 January 29, 2015 We are 154 years old KE #2 is me, Marci. I’ve heard rave reviews or intriguing tones about each of these places. I’m But it was what happened before excited to visit each place, this year. statehood that shaped us. 100 COW ROAD, Latham1 It was in 1854 that the Does this road exist or not? Legend has it that the U.S. government opened road is so steep that you’d have to stack 100 cows to Kansas for settlement. measure the distance from bottom to top. There was a rush from BLACK BISON PUB, 122 N. Main, Syracuse2 abolitionist Free-staters 620.384.6348 . Open Monday 4-11 p.m.; of New England and Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-11 p.m. pro-slavery settlers from Twenty-four craft cocktails accent the light menu Missouri to come to Kan- items and traditional pub fare in a place that would fit sas in order to determine in downtown Denver. Can’t wait to support and meet if the state would enter the owners who had this vision. the union as a free state or a slave state. COUSIN EDDY’S VISITOR CENTER, Coolidge2 Lies, deceit, murder, and mayhem followed earning In the 1983 National Lampoon’s Vacation movie, Kansas the nickname Bleeding Kansas. Clark Griswold took his family on a great American The Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area has vacation. On the way to Walley World in Los Angeles been formed in Kansas and Missouri to preserve and they stopped to see Cousin Eddy and Aunt Edna in tell this story. Go to freedomsfrontier.org to find sites Coolidge, Kansas. Fast-forward to present-day Coo- to visit. lidge and the creative mind of Lori Lennen, owner of After the Civil War the focus was on the immigrants the Trail City Bed-and-Breakfast. In March, she will who came to turn the prairie into farmland. open Cousin Eddy’s Visitor Center on the main thor- oughfare through this town of 93. How fun! (picture is of the state seal on the exterior of the p.s. This is the same county as Black Bison Pub. Ness County Courthouse). EXPLORER PLACES IN EVERY KANSAN SHOULD… GOODLAND3 GO TO THE HOME ON THE Roxie Yonkey has created RANGE CABIN where Brewster adventures in Goodland with Higley wrote what is now our her descriptions of explorer-y state song. The newly-restored places. From the preserved cabin is located 8 miles north of hangar to all the easels around Athol4 on K-8 in Smith County, town, she has discovered, then one mile west. researched, and shared little nuances that make Goodland a HUG ONE OF OUR BIGGEST must-visit for any Explorer. STATE TREES, the Eastern Cot- getruralkansas.org/ tonwood. Find this one in Lin- Goodland/210index.shtml. coln5 on the east end of Lincoln Avenue in the park. Con’t p. 5. Featuring the rural culture elements of commerce, cuisine, Featuring the rural culture element of cuisine... customs, geography, history CULINARY BUCKET LIST LET’S HAVE FUN in 2015 Locally-owned restaurants with special appeal are We dare you! found all over the state. Here are ten dandies. Note the open times. Let us know how you liked them. Let us know when you’ve done all of these! 1. Stick your toes in one of the wading pools in Pratt6 Ad Astra Food & Drink, Strong City19 at Hamilton and Second or U.S. 54 and S. Thompson. 318 Cottonwood. 620.273.8440. Open Friday-Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. 2. Honk your horn adastrafood-drink.com at the carousel in Craft brews and a progressive menu. The reviews Wilmore7 on North are all good about this place. Main. If Ernie Grif- fin is home, he’ll Aunt Netter’s Café, 336 Elmore, Lecompton20 open the doors and Open Wednesday-Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m. give you a ride! auntnetterscafe.com Best times to do The home-style food and gourmet cupcakes taste this would be spring even better because the owners who grew up here just through summer. wanted to create a place for people to connect. You To make sure Ernie is home call 620.738.4420. can feel it, too! 3. Rent a kayak or canoe at ACORNS Resort near Bisteca, 2324 N. Kansas Ave., Liberal21 Milford8 and paddle around on Milford Lake. Open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Acornsresortkansas.com. Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. bistecainc.com 4. Buy picnic food at Lizard Lips Known for their steaks, their specialties are also out on U.S. 54 at Toronto9 and then of the ordinary. End your meal with Crème Brulee or Caramel Sea Salt Ice Cream. eat at nearby Cross Timbers State Lake. Cars on the Route, 119 N. Main, Galena22 5. Take checkers or chess pieces Open daily 9 a.m.-9 p.m. carsontheroute.com along and play on the outdoor Remember “Tow Mater” from the “Cars” movie? The game board at Lindsborg’s10 director of the movie saw a rusty old tow truck here Swensson Park by the play- and the rest is movie history. Inside the truck’s garage ground on N. Main. are Route 66 collectibles and tasty food! 6. Take a selfie on the rocks at Rock City. Cross the Destination Kitchen, 115 W. Main, Norton23 Solomon River in Minneapolis11 on K-106 and go Open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. about 3 miles south. Follow signs and a sandy road Destinationkitchenks.com. west for a short distance. Beyond the classy tools and gifts for the home cook is the trendy café with a brick pizza oven. The sand- 7. Video the reaction of those in the car when you go wiches, salads, and soups make for a delightful meal. down the roller coaster hill. Start running the video at the intersection of K-62 and K-16 near Soldier12 in Pretty Boy Floyd, Jackson County as you head north on K-62. 210 N. Douglas, 8. Fly a kite on top of Coronado Heights near Ellsworth24 Lindsborg10. Open Thursday- Saturday 5–9 p.m. 9. Eat pancakes at Main Street Cafe in Durham13, 785.472.2183. Blonde Grill in Coldwater7, or Red Rooster in Harper14. It feels sneaky to go 10. Buy $18.61 worth of groceries in the store in Maple here as you enter in Hill15, Morland16 or Mildred17. the alley into the basement. It’s pretty clear that Pretty Boy Floyd would BONUS: Stay at the have approve of the drinks and food here. Mule Skinner Lodge, Denison18. It’s a Renaissance Cafe, 210 N. Center, Assaria25 comfortable experi- Open Thursday-Saturday 5-9 p.m. ence in the most renaissancecafeassaria.com unique way. The sink Steak Venato, Gnocchi Pomodoro, and Pan Fried is a hollow log, the Beef Liver are just three of Chef Kevin’s finest. You’ve shower is like a bab- got a thing or two to learn if you’ve never eaten at this bling creek. former school. Make reservations! 785.822.6750. Continued on p. 7 Page 2 Featuring the rural culture elements of geography, history... Featuring the rural culture elements of geography... EXPLORER CHALLENGE: COLLECT THESE THINGS, These places are hard to find — THEN COLLECT YOUR PRIZE but worth the effort. Your Explorer prize might not be as valuable as the experience you have along the way! Tell where you BALA BRIDGE, Riley County25 collect each of these items. Turn them into the Kan- From Riley, go 5 miles west on U.S. 77, then 1/4 mile sas Explorers Club tent at the festival or send or bring north on K-82, and 1 mile west on Bala Road. Turn to the Kansas Sampler Foundation. This is for any south on Lasita and follow the sign to Bala Park. age. The important thing is to have fun! What are you looking for? A single-arch stone bridge with a 30-foot span, built in 1887 as a rail line trestle. A little salt rock. You have to go to Strataca (the Once you find the park, you must still find the bridge. underground salt museum) in Hutchinson27. Walk towards the back, shoosh away the spirits, and A vile of red dirt from one of our southern counties. eventually you’ll lay your eyes on this grand bridge. A tumbleweed, or a picture of you and a Kansas 13 CRYSTAL SPRINGS, Florence tumbleweed in the roadside. Go north on Florence’s main street to Hillcrest Cemetery. A small container of water from Wilson Lake28. Continue on this road and cross the Cottonwood River bridge. The road veers to the left and crosses another A cotton boll from a field of cotton. creek. Turn right onto Whitetail Road for a quar- The last 6 inches of a yucca blade (any time of year). ter mile and then turn right into the lane to Crystal A few wheat kernels picked up on the side of a field.