Driving Kansas I-70, The Important Street Stops

Driving Kansas I-70 is price extra in reminiscences than 500 miles of 18-wheelers and corn fields. There are small cities with large scale artworks, 50s cinemas, arts festivals, army forts and native historical past museums to appease each stressed street tripper in your car.

If your loved ones is on a cross-country street journey, make the most of “Seventy on I-70,” a classic Kansas journey information highlighting the interstate’s many giant, small and nearly abnormal sights. Kansas affords a stunning quantity of pure Americana.

Kansas Interstate-70 from East to West

Heading East to West, go away the verdant hills of Missouri for what’s at first look, desolation. Kansas Metropolis, KS doesn’t evaluate to Kansas Metropolis, MO – the gem of Missouri whose museums, barbecue joints, sports activities groups and inns outshine their neighbor simply throughout the border.  

Nevertheless, the border area does have some sights. Cross-country road-trippers determined for a pit cease between Kansas I-70 Exits 410-423 ought to cease when there’s a NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway. Alternatively, store within the Legends Shops Mall or catch a Kansas Metropolis T-Bones recreation — they’re not the Missouri Kansas Metropolis Royals however few groups are.

Shawnee and Kansas’ Native American Heritage

Shawnee, off Kansas I-70 Exit 411, was dwelling not solely to the Shawnee tribe of Native Individuals. After the Louisiana Buy of 1803, President Thomas Jefferson deliberate to supply land west of the Mississippi River to jap tribes who would voluntarily resettle. As European American settlements grew, nonetheless, they pushed Westwards for extra land. Congressional Acts in 1825 and 1830 then pressured a number of totally different Native tribes to maneuver farther west into the inhospitable territories of Kansas and past.

Shawnee City 1929 is a recreated farming village that celebrates the city’s agricultural success with displays, genuine farm artifacts, costumed interpreters and occasions. Summers are marked by meals vehicles, stay music occasions, crafts festivals and household actions beginning with the Previous Shawnee Days Pageant in June, a giant Independence Day occasion and the August Tour de Shawnee bike races. Verify the city’s web site to see how public well being protocols could change occasions. Mission Park, with its boating lake and services, makes it an awesome picnic cease different instances of yr.

Aspect Journeys off Kansas I-70 and East Kansas Detours

Aspect journeys on this space embrace Bonner Springs, the place the Nationwide Agricultural Heart and Corridor of Fame is positioned. The Ag Heart, with its displays on higher farming, is most worthwhile if in case you have future farmers of America strapped into the backseat.

Leavenworth, 18 miles farther north, has a 28-block historic district downtown and a well-known most safety army jail portrayed within the 2001 film, “The Final Fort.” Fort Leavenworth, established in 1827 to help settlers in preventing off Native American tribes, is the nation’s third oldest energetic army set up. The ability and Frontier Military Museum are, sadly, quickly closed to the general public as a result of pandemic.

Kansas Prairie, Wetlands and Rocks

Lacking the decision of the Wild? Flip off Kansas I-70 at Lawrence to seek out Baker Wetlands, a 1,000-acre environmental protect defending almost 500 plant species, wildlife and 278 species of birds. This can be a particular place to stretch your legs.

Or, take Exit 313 for Manhattan, not town you’re anticipating. As an alternative, Manhattan is dwelling to Tuttle Creek State Park, identified for the tenting and recreation services round its reservoir. Youthful children will respect the snake assortment on the Sundown Zoo’s Nature Exploration Heart.

Fishermen will seemingly know Milford Lake, exterior Junction Metropolis, the most important one within the state and the perfect place to go fishing and tenting. The Milford Nature Heart is positioned slightly below the dam and between February and Might, it’s enjoyable to go to the fish hatchery.

Detour for a photograph opp farther west off Kansas I-70 Exit 76, at Monument Rocks, a nationwide pure landmark about 25 miles south of Oakley. We’d wish to say you may see this towering rock arch and partitions for miles however that’s not fairly correct. Recognize up shut the noble kestrel falcons which nest within the rock’s perforations, and really feel the magical vibe that Native Individuals believed existed right here.

Do you drive after darkish? Youngsters will likely be love watching the aliens land by the ink-black skies. Sure, the blinking pink lights of wind generators, hundreds of them, lengthen so far as the attention can see throughout the plains north and south of Kansas I-70, making a scene worthy of “Star Wars.”

Eisenhower in Abilene, Kansas on the I-70

Kansas’ primary attraction is the Eisenhower Presidential Library, museum and residential in Abilene, off Exit 275. Whereas it’s quickly closed as a result of pandemic, Abilene can train you a large number about Dwight D. Eisenhower, the nation’s thirty fourth president from 1953-1961 and a five-star basic. Ike, as he was identified, and his spouse Mamie had been very fashionable throughout their time.

Not solely did Eisenhower sponsor the Federal Freeway System you might be driving on, he additionally sponsored and signed the 1957 Civil Rights Invoice which Congress then altered and weakened. Along with negotiating a peaceable finish to the Korean Struggle, Eisenhower resisted stepping into different battles over a number of Chilly Struggle incidents that may have turned a much less cool head to battle.

Jesus Watches Over Colby, Kansas

We selected Colby because the place to sleep on our 2020 cross-country street journey due to the well-known billboard, Wheat Jesus. Allow us to all reward Google for alerting us to those roadside wonders after we ask our telephones, “what’s attention-grabbing about (this place)?”

Wheat Jesus is a two-sided billboard portraying Jesus holding a sheaf of wheat in his proper hand. There isn’t any textual content. The billboard is a present to street trippers by native enterprise folks Tuffy and Linda Kay Taylor, who needed to encourage drivers with a “silent message” about what was essential in their very own lives. Erected in 2009 with the assistance of a neighborhood artist and signal making firm, the outstanding portrait appears to look at passersby from each angle. The Taylors and contributions pay the electrical payments to maintain the billboard illuminated 24/7.

Since Colby straddles I-70, most of its enterprise comes from lengthy haul truck drivers. That clientele makes the Sonic Burger drive-through restaurant one other of the city’s hallmarks. For a retro expertise, present the household how carhops ship burgers and shakes to your automobile window.

One more Colby attraction is the Oasis Journey Heart Canine Park at Kansas I-70 Exit 53. (You’re 53 miles east of the Colorado border at this level.) With separate areas for each giant and small canines, it is a worthwhile cease to provide your canine buddies a break from the street.

In a single day in Colby, Kansas I-70 at Exit 54

Colby is a city of few lodging selections, so we picked a Tremendous 8 that was properly reviewed as “glowing clear” with “blazing quick Web.”

The next morning, we met Eric, the desk clerk who put out their massive buffet breakfast. Sure, regardless of different inns having shut their eating places to cease the unfold of COVID-19, this pleasant Tremendous 8 was serving an enormous public buffet. We sampled the new biscuits n’ gravy, freshly made by Eric himself from his mother’s recipe, first. Observe it up with tasty u-cook waffles, fruit, cereals, yoghurt, toast and extra; breakfast is free with double double-bed rooms that begin at $59 per evening.

Don’t go away city with no go to to the Prairie Museum of Artwork & Historical past. The 24-acre property has a number of buildings, together with the Cooper Barn, the most important single barn in Kansas. Thought-about one of many “8 Wonders of Kansas”, it was inbuilt 1936 to deal with show-worthy Hereford cattle. Catch the museum’s “Prairie Grasses to Golden Grains” exhibit, the one room college constructing, sod home and Thirties farmstead. Inside, the Kuska Assortment contains dolls, furnishings, outdated cash, family ceramics, household clocks and silverware – the treasures of a Nineteenth-century prairie farmer’s life.

One other should, cease on the Colby Aquatic Park should you’re touring within the blazing sizzling summer time between June and August. The city facility has just a few swimming swimming pools and a few waterslides.

Westward to #GoghGoodland at Goodland, I-70 at Exit 19

The wonder and ingenuity of Goodland, off Kansas I-70 at Exit 19, capped our transient tour of the state. Goodland connects to America’s first agriculture-themed designated street, the Land and Sky Scenic Byway at Exit 17. Go by once more throughout your travels to look at crops develop because the seasons change.

Drivers from both path are hard-pressed to overlook an 80-foot model of Vincent Van Gogh’s portray, “Three Sunflowers in a Vase.” The 30-foot-tall portray sits atop an enormous easel towering over the small city of Goodland. It was reproduced from the unique for the Rotary Membership of Goodland by Canadian artist, Cameron Cross.

A placard posted by the proud folks of Sherman County declare it to be the World’s Largest Portray on an Easel. Sure, sunflowers do develop in Kansas. This nonetheless life by the Dutch Impressionist Vincent Van Gogh has impressed many different, smaller artwork works within the city’s public parks. The truth is, indicators ask guests to make use of the hashtag #goghgoodland of their social media posts.

The Excessive Plains Museum is one other spotlight of the city. Like Colby’s Prairie Museum, the main target of the collections is agricultural with many displays about farming each day life. Based in 1959, it additionally options a number of private collections that doc the lifetime of Northwestern Kansas, as lived by abnormal lecturers, farmers, medical doctors, bankers and troopers.

Apparently, a mannequin of the world’s first patented helicopter is featured inside the primary room. Watch as its blades slowly rotate.

The primary helicopter is simply one other of the surprising finds alongside Kansas I-70. For extra concepts of what to do in Kansas, please go to TravelKS.com.