Destinations > Kansas
Welcome to Kansas — The Sunflower State
Kansas is a land of contrasts from the sweeping prairies to the west to the lakes and cottonwoods of the east. Kansas, situated on the American great plains, is on a slant, sloping upward from the southeastern corner towards the northwest near Colorado. Near central Kansas, exploring the gentle rise of the Flint Hills is like going back in time and seeing the Great Plains as they have existed for the early pioneers. Looking for things to do in Kansas? To experience this area is to spend time exploring the historic trails, plentiful lakes, and great barbeque. Kansas destinations include everything from hills to prairies to spectacular sunsets.
Capital: Topeka
Largest City: Wichita
Area: 82,278 square miles
Major Rivers: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri
Elevation: 679 feet above sea level in the southeast to 4,039 in Western Kansas
Bird: Western meadowlark
Flower: Sunflower
Tree: Cottonwood
Motto: Ad Astra per Aspera (To the stars through difficulties)
Song: “Home on the Range”
State Travel Site: Kansas Travel
From covered wagons and Civil War battlegrounds to the Old West and Bison, this drive along the Kansas prairie marches…
Osawatomie, Kansas was founded in 1854 by Free-State families from the Ohio Valley and New England. Osawatomie was a major…
Much like the city of Lawrence, Fort Scott, Kansas, is an old frontier military town that played a significant role…
From covered wagons and Civil War battlegrounds to the Old West and Bison, this drive along the Kansas prairie marches…
Much like the city of Lawrence, Fort Scott, Kansas, is an old frontier military town that played a significant role…
Far from the wooded areas of eastern Kansas, the Smoky Valley Scenic Byway traverses west-central Kansas in the Smoky Hills.…
When people think of the Kansas countryside, they often picture scenes from Little House on the Prairie or other shows…
Who said Kansas parks were all just flatland and tall grass? Kansas is a state of contrasts, from prairies in the west to the forested hills of Kansas City, Kansas. National and state parks in Kansas offer an affordable (if not free) way to embrace nature, hike the…
Far from the wooded areas of eastern Kansas, the Smoky Valley Scenic Byway traverses west-central Kansas in the Smoky Hills. The Smoky Hills provide visitors with the opportunity to view experience the transition from the mixed-grass prairie more like the grass from the Flint Hills from the short-grass…
Last week, I ventured to the capital of Kansas, Topeka. A beautiful area with a long, varied history, Topeka was founded in 1852 by a group of anti-slavery activists and incorporated on February 14, 1857. Many of the sites in the area are related to the Oregon Trail…
From covered wagons and Civil War battlegrounds to the Old West and Bison, this drive along the Kansas prairie marches along the Santa Fe trail. Lanesfield Historic Site, for example, sits alongside the rocky Dilly road, an original stretch of the Santa Fe trail. In some spots, such…
Winter’s finally over in the Kansas City area, and it’s time to plan for outdoor summer fun. Nothing is better on a summer day than spending time at the pool, whether it’s relaxing, taking in a great workout, or playing with the kids in a water wonderland. It…
Paola, Kansas, is a charming small town about forty minutes south of Kansas City, Missouri, with a history that goes back to 1832 when it was originally settled by Native Americans. The town itself was founded in 1855 as the Paola town Company; the city was incorporated in…
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