There is a tradition in my home state of celebrating the day it became a state back in 1861. This “holiday” was first observed as far back as 1877 by schoolchildren in Paola. It wasn’t until I moved to another state that I realized that the concept of celebrating one’s statehood wasn’t a common occurrence….
Category: Kansas
Kansas Podcast
Listen to my podcast on Amateur Traveler as I provide an itinerary for an epic western Kansas road trip. We will visit museums, see fossils, land formations, Wild West characters, and much more.
Travel Mishaps
Air traffic control tower at tiny Manhattan, Kansas airport
Front Page!
This week I was featured on the front page of my hometown newspaper, the Saint Marys Star. I was interviewed about my travels, focusing on Kansas and day trip opportunities within two hours from St. Marys. It was not the first time I had been in the newspaper, but it was a first for being…
The Final Four
I like to have quests. They give me something to look forward to, help keep me motivated, and break the routine of the daily grind. Maybe this idea started when I saw episodes of the animated series Jonny Quest, but the road trip category started in high school, when I began taking road trips to…
Roam on the Range
When I’m not traveling internationally or working my day job, I try to get back to my home state for family visits at least three or more times a year. Occasionally when the opportunity strikes, I like to reserve one day for a road trip. I really don’t like to drive, but when I go…
From St. Marys to St. Mary’s
I had heard about the “8 Wonders of Kansas” competition through newspaper clippings sent from my Mom and from friends talking about certain Kansas attractions. One of the “Wonders” happened to be in the county north of St. Marys, so on Friday we decided to make a day trip up to see the historic and…
Visiting Friends in Olathe, Part II
I woke up to thunder and a bright horizon. Dark clouds paralleled a shiny sunrise in a typical but strange Kansas spring weather phenomenon. Considering it was a typical workday for Ann and her husband, I left early and began my drive back to St. Marys. The skies were both bright and dark simultaneously, but…
Visiting Friends in Olathe, Part I
It was high time for me to visit a dear friend of mine from high school, so finally on Tuesday I made arrangements with her and another high school friend to come down and visit. This of course provided another opportunity for a road trip! I left after lunch and headed east on US-24. After…
Flint Hills Drive
For years I have talked about going to Volland, a tiny town in the Flint Hills of Wabaunsee County. There wasn’t supposed to be anything much there but an old store supposedly still intact. I wasn’t sure if that store was still there, but the drive would only be about an hour so finally on…
Fear Not Traveling 