Dan's Top 10 Kansas Locations
If life were a game show and I was responsible for keeping track of all the miles I logged across Kansas, I would probably lose the game. I really have no idea. Ghost Towns of Kansas states 10,000 miles as the answer. On my own website, I have professed more than that. The true answer is probably even more than that. I tend to be conservative when I have to be. Marci Penner, on her website, claims some exact mileage over 100,000. That's great too. I have a good friend that has traveled about 400 miles across the state. In those 400 miles, he was wowed by scenery two or three times. That is not bad considering Kansas has no coastline and no mountains (Mt. Sunflower does not count-- has anyone reading this site ever seen Mt. Sunflower in Wallace County? Hint-- it does not make this list). People love lists. They will read a list of anything. There were a couple of writers back in the 1980's that compiled the Book of Lists. They were best sellers, all of them. David Lettermen has a top ten countdown every night. People love those lists too. I thought it would be nice to do an article that has "Top 10" in it, hoping that folks will read it. If you are reading it, perhaps that is because you love lists too. Anyway, it doesn't matter how many actual miles I've traveled across Kansas. It is probably more than most folks. Here is my official Top Ten list. If you have a new place to add, drop me an email and let me know. By the way, this is NOT an original idea. Back around 1997 or 1998, a writer for the Topeka Capital-Journal published a top ten list similar to this. Since 1998 was a long time ago, I've forgotten what their list said. Hopefully, you will not forget my list so quickly.
#10: Galena/Extreme Southeast Kansas Two of my Top 10's lie at the edge of the state. It is strange how that works out. That does not make them any less Kansas than the center of the state. In the 1870's, prospectors came east to mine the lead and zinc fields of the Joplin-Galena-Picher area. They tore up the earth with many sad, unexpected results. Dangerous undermining, catastrophic health conditions, mine tail-ings reflecting off the setting sun. This is a part of Kansas unlike any other. Take State 400 South to the Baxter Springs/Riverton/Galena region, and you are there. It has been cleaned up some in the last 30 years, but it is still pretty impres- sive. Mine tailings, abandoned mines, rough terrain. During certain times of the year, it is extremely rustic and beautiful, and unlike anything else you will find in Kansas. Right before hitting Galena, you will pass over Short Creek. This area is where legends were made, such as Empire City, the quintessential Kansas boom town that went from no population to 3,000 in 30 days. Head towards Picher, Oklahoma, or Joplin, Missouri and the Tri-State Lead and Zinc mining area con- tinues for miles. You'll love it.
#9: St. Francis to Atwood On the other end of the state is an area bounded by Highway 36 from the Colorado line to Atwood, and north from Highway 36 at St Francis north on Highway 27 to the Nebraska line. This area is truly the high plains. In a rustic, surreal way, it deserves #9 status. I first traveled through here on the way to Colorado, but it definitely caught my attention. It was in September and the golds and greens blended into some type of water color painting. There are very few ranches out here. Amber waves of grain mix with dusty, windy roads. It takes a hardy stock, even today, to live here. Every- thing is measured in terms of miles, not blocks. The most common chore must be planned in advance, especially in winter. The next time you travel to Northern Colorado or Wyoming, think of this location in getting there. The convergence of Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and Kansas at this place conjures up big sunsets, ferocious storms, and bitterly cold blizzards. The area was vastly altered by the winter of 1887-1888. The folks that live out here get this big picture window every day. They share something travelers only glimpse. They are lucky.
#8: Oakley to Weskan, U.S. 40 Another Western Kansas Kodak moment is U.S. 40 from Oakley to Weskan. All I can say here is dump Interstate 70. This is the way to get to Colorado. Almost immediately after leaving Oakley, the terrain vastly changes to rolling hills that get steeper. It almost feels like you can see the Colorado mountains in the distance. Of course you can't, but you can almost imagine. This area is steeped in history, and this is where many skirmishes took place between Cheyennes and whites when whites began to infiltrate their buffalo grounds. There are still buffalo "wallows" in this area. There are still ruins of the first towns that developed here. There is Wallace and Fort Wallace, or what is left of them. Nothing is more haunting than the old fort cemetery at sunset. There is Page City, the pure definition of "West." There is Sharon Springs, the first view of civilization in miles. Near here is Russell Springs, site of the last county seat battle in the history of the state. All good stuff. During winter, it is stark and desolate among these rolling hills. In summer, the greens are beautiful. I remember this route one sunset in late October/early November. It was one of the last warm days before winter set in. In the middle of these hills was a wind-torn billboard criticizing abortion. Politics in the middle of stark, bleak, windy autumn. I was awe-struck by it all. Minus the billboards, you won't regret the drive.
#7: I-35, Emporia to Wichita The goal of the turnpike is to get folks quickly from point A to point B (and to charge for it). Most of the turnpike is relatively tame. Nothing noteworthy, and definitely nothing worth the price of the toll. However, and this is a big however, the Flint Hills landscape from Emporia to Wichita can be breathtaking. I've seen it in every season. In winter it is dark and lonely. In summer, beautiful green. In the fall, that green turns to grass-colored rust. And then there's spring. Ranchers burn off the grass in the spring. The color changes from dark and bleak to green almost overnight. It is the first sign of spring, in fact. I love the look here. Oh, and the storms, big and bold, racing across an entire horizon. There are lots of wonderful places to view the Flint Hills. This is one of the most common and accessible. I never feel tired viewing it.
#6: Highway 24, Wamego to Manhattan Highway 24 at one time was the way to get from Eastern Kansas to Colorado. It is a tough two- lane highway. I hate to think of the number of car wrecks and deaths that occurred along this route before Interstate 70 was constructed. Some locations still bear local names such as "Dead Man's Corner" or "Dead Man's Intersection." Now Highway 24 is just plain beautiful, especially in this area. The glacial hills that developed here, the creeks, the springs, the views of the Kansas River, all make this a worthwhile drive. And the towns. There is St. George, right off the highway and worth a side trip. There are some Oregon Trail sites and cemeteries. Wineries. Near here is Wabaunsee, a famous ghost town that dates back to the territorial period. Time stopped here at some point, regardless of the era. This is small town America, and not far from civilization. It is amazing that it has stayed the way it was for so long. Now, in the shadow of a coal burning behemoth, new homes, slower speed limits, I can still hear the Oregon Trail wagons and life as it was. Check it out. Someday, this stretch of I-24 will be completely developed. Enjoy it while you can.
#5: Salina to Brookville to Ellsworth, State 140 There is a lonely stretch of two-lane that runs from the western end of Salina through Brookville and beyond to Ellsworth and Kanapolis Reservoir. It parallels nearby I-70 for a few miles, but the difference in the terrain is remarkable. Not that long ago, this was a busy highway full of hungry travelers ready to sink their teeth into the fried chicken dinners at the ole Brookville Hotel. The Brookville Hotel has literally moved (the restaurant anyway) to I-70 near Abilene. The hungry no longer travel here. Things are quieter now. But the drive is still picturesque. State 140, after it leaves Brookville, takes travelers through hilly terrain that is famous for, yes, caves. Take a hike just slightly off the beaten path, and there are caves, perhaps the only true gathering of them in the entire state. Some of these caves were visited by Native Americans hundreds of years ago. Their hieroglyphics are a testament to a long vanished culture. The hills don't truly end until you arrive at Ellsworth. This is one of the more off the beaten path locations that I will describe here. I highly recommend the drive. Sorry the Brookville Hotel moved, that's life. Take a sandwich with you on the drive.
#4: The Sun City Route: Medicine Lodge to U.S. 54 There is a county road that leads through the Gypsum Hills region of South Central Kansas. You can pick it up right next to Medicine Lodge, and it continues, meandering its way north and west through Lake City, Sun City, and eventually merging with U.S. 54 near Greensburg (more or less). I know this is vague. Let me just say the drive isn't. The drive is particularly beautiful as it goes through the rugged gypsum hills region. You vehicle may get dusty or muddy, that's a given. Lake City and Sun City are interesting. In fact, Sun City is in my Faded Dreams book, so you get a ghost town to boot. But the countryside reminds me a bit of the moon, or at least the badlands of South Dakota. Not quite the badlands, but pretty darn close. The drive that time forgot, or the drive where time stood still. Call it what you want, but you will love this drive. It comes in easily as the 4th best.
#3: State 4, Topeka to Eskridge Take a drive west from Topeka on 4 Highway, and you are in for a special treat. This dangerous two-lane highway meanders through rural Shawnee and Wabaunsee Counties, and we're talking about some great hills, ravines, and valleys. Granted, this area has really built up a lot with new homes and ranches, but it is still a pretty good drive, and it will introduce the driver to the Flint Hills, or at least the beginning of them. The road goes through a small town called Dover, a beautiful place at the confluence of two country roads. Then, as you head west, the hills come constantly. There are more dead man's curves here than you can count. It can be pretty nerve-wracking. Eventually, the road opens up, and the driver is at Eskridge. Eskridge, for all intents and purposes, is the gateway to the Flint Hills. Not far from here is Emporia, if you choose State Highway 99, or if you take a turn the other direction, you will head towards Alma. I never grow tired of this drive, and probably never will. If you need to get your head straight, or to think clearly, this road will give it to you. There's nothing like some windy, wild hill driving to bring you to your senses....or cause an accident.
#2: U.S. 54, Meade to Liberal Southwest Kansas is the true gateway to the West. You can see the terrain change dramatically in front of you. This is truly a tough, wild country. Some people will find U.S. 54 through this region a bit boring. I don't. The terrain changes, the Southwestern feel, the brush with the Santa Fe Trail, it is all very impressive. Smack dab in here is a long, long, bridge that is part of the Cimarron River valley. It truly looks out of place. It doesn't seem right, this long, huge bridge in the middle of a wind-swept arid country. But it is here. But the time you reach Liberal, you are indeed hungry for Tex-Mex food. The whole look of the place calls out for it. From Liberal, U.S. 54 becomes flatter for awhile, and the terrain is not so interesting, at least until you reach Texas. Watch out, you may see a few tumbleweeds, all part of the set-up. Watch out for Dorothy's house and the Wizard of Oz museum.
#1: 7 Highway, Troy to Nebraska Line I had a lot of choices for my favorite Kansas drive. This one is really the tame version of what I could've used. My runner up here is the river road from Atchison to Highway 36. But this road is dangerous and meant for dry times. Spring rains will make this somewhat dangerous. So I will focus on a tamer drive, but still momumental: Take Highway 7 from Troy north, and you will drive through the bluffs region located next to the Missouri River. In spring, the terrain turns green and lush. In the fall, however, it is absolutely breath-taking with the turn of the fall leaves. Between the Missouri River, the high river bluffs that somehow have homes on top of them, and the trees. It doesn't even remind me of anywhere else in Kansas, or even what I think of when I think of Kansas. It is more like rural Germany or England. Interspersed in here are ruins, buildings, old barns, ghost towns. Visit Iowa Point and White Cloud, two former steamboat towns that went bust with the coming of the depression of 1857-58. It is hard to believe that Iowa Point once had 2,000 people. Where did they live? The place doesn't seem like it could hold that many people. And White Cloud, the queen of the steamboat towns. Still an interesting place with around 200 people. But very rugged. This is a rugged country. 7 Highway works its way to the Nebraska line. Here it is the most desolate of all. Trees and bluffs come right up to the highway. A good time will be had by all. There you have it. No favorites. Definitely not all, or even some of the more common destinations. You can read about the most common ones elsewhere. But these are mine. Let me know your opinion, or your favorites. Happy hunting!
