Kansas: Lawrence, Family Vacation Ideas - Dinosaurs, Butterflies and The Santa Fe Trail.
Framed by rolling prairie enhanced by awesome sunsets and amazing starry night skies, Lawrence is an energizing place. Contemporary arts, live theatre, living history and natural beauty add to a long list of vacation options.
The Lawrence is spunky, youthful in character and slightly edgy. Wander around the downtown area and enjoy the ever-changing Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition installation featuring original works by artists from all over the United States. It conveys an authentic American style with historic buildings, contemporary boutiques, antique shops, art galleries, live music spaces and eclectic eateries. So what’s to do?
Count bugs and see bees. The Kansas University Natural History Museum showcases the biological diversity of the Great Plains including fossil specimens of extinct fish, mammals, reptiles, and dinosaurs. See a 60-foot-long mosasaur – one of the great "sea monsters" of Kansas and 50-foot-long, camarasaurus; watch a working beehive; observe native snakes and fish in a recreated habitat. View things from a bugs-eye view in the quirky "Bugtown" exhibit which includes live insects and interactive exhibits.
Bonus points: The museum has created three unique scavenger hunts to be downloaded and used to enhance any visit with kids. On arrival ask for the guide to explore some of the “oddities” within the building. Cool stuff! (KU Natural History Museum Dyche Hall 1345 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence, KS 66045. (785) 864-4450 or
www.nhm.ku.edu)
Ride the rails. What kid doesn’t love to ride a train? From late June to the end of October The Midland Railway provides mini rail excursions from the depot in Baldwin City to the Norwood turnaround along the old Santa Fe route. Using vintage railway equipment, the 20-mile round trip takes passengers across farmlands and through wooded area.
Bonus points: Railway sponsors several special events during the year including an Easter egg hunt, Thomas-the-Tank weekends in June and a special Halloween Train in October. (The Midland Railway High Street Baldwin City, KS 66006. Toll-free 1-800-651-0388 or
www.midland-ry.org)
Enjoy the art. Also on the campus of Kansas University, The Spencer Museum of Art houses a permanent collection of more than 25,000 works that span the history of European, North American and East Asian art. In addition to the extensive permanent collection the museum has four galleries reserved for touring exhibitions. Admission is free; donations are accepted.
Bonus points: During the academic year the museum offers “Thursdays over Lunch” a brief, focused discussion of an exhibition or work of art. ( The Kansas University Spencer Museum of Art 1301 Mississippi Street Lawrence, KS 66045-7500. (785) 864-4710 or
www.spencerart.ku.edu)
Remember Amelia? Amelia Earhart was the first female, and one of a select few, to receive the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross. Her birthplace, Atchison, Kansas is a short drive north of Lawrence. The Amelia Earhart Museum is located in her childhood home is a National Historic Site. The house has been restored to the era when Amelia lived there. In addition to artifacts from her personal life the museum also threads a story about other women aviators using interpretive exhibits, activities, and events.
Bonus points: Nearby, Warnock Lake is the location of the International Forest of Friendship dedicated to all aviation and aerospace pioneers. Follow the National Recreational Trail through the woods and see trees representing all 50 states and 35 countries protecting a life-size statue of Amelia Earhart. Need to know: Each year in July the city of Atchison conducts the Amelia Earhart Festival with arts & crafts, live entertainment, food vendors and children’s activities, speakers’ symposium, carnival rides, aerobatic performances, aviation displays, and spectacular fireworks over the Missouri River. (Amelia Earhart Museum 223 North Terrace Street Atchison, KS 66002. (913) 367-4217 or
www.ameliaearhartmuseum.org)
Find the Santa Fe Trail
. Have you ever played Oregon Trail on a computer? Kansas is one spot which makes the game reality. A little bit southwest of Lawrence at the edge of Baldwin City you can still see ruts on the prairie made by wagons which once traveled the Santa Fe Trail and Oregon Trails. After crossing the Missouri River for the settlers turned northwest to cross the immense tall grass prairie. Today one of the best sites remaining to see the actual ruts is at Dr. Ivan Boyd Prairie Preserve. The area also provides a sense of what the pioneers would have seen as they continued across the grassy sea. The Preserve is maintained by Douglas County and provides a place for native grasses and flowers to flourish.
Bonus points: North of Baldwin along the top of Santa Fe Ridge (a.k.a. "Big Hill") stands The Kibbee Cabin, a reproduction of a log cabin which stood where a group of Methodist ministers met to form Baker University in 1857. It is filled with original furnishing from the 1800s. It was also the site of the first sermon preached by the church to white settlers in Kansas. (Douglas County Parks
www.douglas-county.com/depts/pw/pw_countyparks.aspx )
Watch butterflies and cut flowers. At Pendleton’s KAW Valley Country Market half the fun is in the picking and the other half the eating, of course. The country air and neighborly service create a friendly and relaxing family farm atmosphere. The vegetable selection is always dependent on the whims of Mother Nature so \their website is the best source. In April and May pick your own asparagus and spinach by June cut your own
flowers and in September pick your own tomatoes. Maze lovers will enjoy the challenge of the permanent right-turn-only picket fence maze.
Bonus points: Pendleton farm is a certified Monarch Way Station. They work closely with the local Monarch Watch organization to monitor the migration habits of monarch butterflies. Each year from August through mid October the Butterfly Bio-Villa is open to visitors. It is a protected place where you and your family may walk, sit and relax with butterflies in all stages of development.
Need to know: Each summer season concludes with a farm tour weekend and the popular Fall-for-All in October. (Pendleton’s Valley Country Market 1446 E. 1850 Rd., Lawrence, KS 66046 (785) 843-1409 or
www.pendletons.com)
Canoe the Kansas River. Don’t stand up in the canoe or! Every kid needs to learn that lesson and the easy flowing Kansas River (a.k.a. Kaw) is the perfect place to learn canoeing basics. Like all rivers each trip will be different depending on Mother Nature and her schedule for wind and rain which either adds or subtracts logs, limbs and sand bars. (Lawrence KOA & Kansas River Canoe Company, 1473 Hwy 40, Lawrence, KS 66044. Toll-free 1-800-562-3708, (785) 842-3877 or
www.KOA.com)
