Kansas

Introduction

Sunset in Kansas

© rbyslipahs

Kansas is a state in the midwest of the USA with around 2.85 million inhabitants. Kansas is often overlooed by many travellers crossing the States on a road trip for example. Still, it has some interesting cities and those endless plains are worth a shot as well!

Geography

Kansas covers over 200,000 square kilometres of land and borders Oklahoma to the south, Missouri to the east, Nebraska to the north, and Colorado to the west. The state is located equidistant from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The geographic center of the 48 contiguous states (so except Alaska and Hawaii) is located in Smith County near Lebanon.
The western two-thirds of the state, lying in the great central plain of the United States, has a generally flat or undulating surface, while the eastern third has many hills and forests. The land gradually rises from east to west; its altitude ranges from 208 metres along the Verdigris River at Coffeyville in Montgomery County, to 1,231 metres at Mount Sunflower. It is a popular belief that Kansas is the flattest state in the nation, reinforced by a well-known 2003 study stating that Kansas was indeed "flatter than a pancake". This has since been called into question, with most scientists ranking Kansas somewhere between 20th and 30th flattest state, depending on measurement method. Its average elevation is 2,000 feet, higher than 36 states. The Missouri River forms nearly 121 kilometres of the state's northeastern boundary. The Kansas River joins the Missouri at Kansas City, after a course of 270 kilometres across the northeastern part of the state. The Arkansas River, rising in Colorado, flows with a bending course for nearly 800 kilometres across the western and southern parts of the state.

Cities

• Hutchinson
• Kansas City
• Lawrence
• Manhattan
• Olathe
• Overland Park
• Salina
• Shawnee
• Topeka, the state capital.
• Wichita, the state's largest city.

Sights and Activities

• Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail - Between May 1804 and September 1806, 32 men, one woman, and a baby traveled from the plains of the Midwest to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. They called themselves the Corps of Discovery.
• Fort Scott National Historic site - ground zero for the Bleeding Kansas term, where the state's slave policy of yesteryear can be thoroughly studied.

Events and Festivals

Holidays

• New Year’s Eve - The US celebrates the outgoing of the old year and incoming of the New Year quite dramatically. Every state boasts its own parties to ring in the New Year, but none is more extravagant than New York’s Time Square, which sees people overflowing into the neighboring restaurants, bars, parks, beaches, and neighborhoods.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King's birthday, January 15. The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21. King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law.
• St Patrick’s Day - March 17 celebrates the US’s large Irish population. Many cities around the country boast boisterous parades and Irish-themed parties, especially New York and Chicago, where the river is dyed green. Be wary of the drunkenness that dominates as this is definitely a party-day.
• Memorial Day - Memorial Day is an important holiday throughout the United States, but not for crazy festivities. Parades commemorating wartime heroes are often held and the day is also the ‘unofficial’ start of summer. Most visitors follow the crowds to parks and beaches, which are capped off with informal BBQs.
• Independence Day - Also known as the Fourth of July, Independence Day celebrates the US’s break from the British during the 18th century. Barbecues, street parties, beach trips, and weekend getaways are commonplace to appreciate freedom.
• Labor Day is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws, and well-being of the country. It is the Monday of the long weekend known as Labor Day Weekend. It is recognized as a federal holiday. Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor.
• Halloween - Halloween is a fun holiday on October 31 for all generations to dress up in costumes and relive their youth. Children walk around the neighborhood trick-or-treating for candy, while adults attend parties. Other seasonal events include haunted houses, pumpkin farms and carving, and corn mazes.
• Thanksgiving - On the fourth Thursday in November, Thanksgiving is held in almost every home in the US. Tourists will have a hard time finding anything to do as the country essentially shuts down in observation. A typical Thanksgiving meal consists of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie commemorating the original Pilgrim’s feast at Plymouth Rock.
• Christmas - On December 25, Christians celebrate Christmas as the pinnacle of their calendar by attending church and opening gifts from Santa Claus. Almost everything shuts down to promote family togetherness. The northern regions hope to experience a “white Christmas,” with trees and festive lights blanketed by snow.

Sport

• Super Bowl Sunday - the world’s most watched sporting event and one of the highest grossing TV days of the year, Superbowl Sunday is a spectacular extravaganza. Held the first Sunday in February, the Superbowl is the final playoff game between the NFL’s top two teams. The venue rotates every year around America, yet the local parties seem to remain. Pubs, bars and restaurants are great places to enjoy the Superbowl or locals throw their own parties with different variations of betting.
• The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in North America, contested since 1903 between the American League (AL) champion team and the National League (NL) champion team. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff, and the winning team is awarded the Commissioner's Trophy. As the series is played during the fall season in North America, it is sometimes referred to as the Fall Classic.

Weather

Supercell

© Steve404

Kansas experiences a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. From December to February, temperatures are usually below zero. From June to September Kansas enjoys warm days with frequently temperatures above 30 °C. From February until May, Kansas, located in the so-called Tornado Alley, is prone to tornadoes. Precipitation ranges from about 1,200 mm annually in the southeast corner of the state, to about 400 mm in the southwest. Snowfall ranges from around 13 centimetres in the fringes of the south, to 90 centimetres in the far northwest. Frost-free days range from more than 200 days in the south, to 130 days in the northwest. Kansas is the ninth or tenth sunniest state in the country, depending on the source. Western Kansas is as sunny as California and Arizona.

Getting There

By Plane

Wichita Mid-Continent Airport (ICT) is the largest airport in Kansas and offers flights to/from Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver and Houston.

Although, located in neighbouring Missouri, Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is located about 15 miles (24 kilometres) from the central business district of Kansas City and also is important for the western part of the state.

By Train

The Southwest Chief, operated by Amtrak, travels between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California, stopping in a number of places in Kansas.

By Car

If you are driving to Kansas from the east or west, it would be best to take Interstate 70. I-35 travels from the south center of the state and passes northeast meeting I-70 in Kansas City. I-135 travels from Wichita to Salina, connecting the other two major interstate highways.

By Bus

Check Greyhound for options.

Getting Around

By Car

The only way to travel in Kansas is to drive. Part of the experience of being in the state is to spend time on the road, which is as interesting an experience as you make it. Take the time to plan a route off of the main highways and see the country. Otherwise, if you require public transportation, Kansas may not a place for you. Even the larger cities like Wichita, Topeka, and Kansas City, buses offer very limited public transportation.

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

Kansas state flower, outside Dodge City, KS

© rbyslipahs

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

Kansas has a number of National Scenic Byways which offer a great way to explore the state crossing beautiful landscapes. Mostly, there are lots of national parks, state parks or monuments along the way and it's generally a better alternative than the faster but boring Interstate Highways.

By Bus

Intercity bus transportation in central and western Kansas is provided by http://www.beeline-express.com|Bee Line Express]] (+1 316-201-6700). Beeline Express is part of Prestige Bus Lines). Keep in mind that these buses do not have frequent departures. Beeline Express has two routes: blue and red. The blue line runs from Salina to Wichita with stops in Lindsborg, McPherson, Hutchinson and Newton. The redline runes between Wichita and Syracuse with stops in Kingman, Pratt, Greensburg, Dodge City and Garden City.

Eat

Kansas' best known regional food is Kansas City-style BBQ, associated with the metropolitan Kansas City area including Wyandotte County and Johnson County, as well as portions of Missouri. It is a slow "pit" style barbecue; sauce is usually an important component to the finished meal. Well-known restaurants include Rosedale and Wyandotte BBQ in Kansas City, Hayward's Pit BBQ and KC Masterpiece and Gates BBQ in Overland Park (Gates, however, is based in Kansas City, Missouri -- an important distinction to some), and Zarda BBQ in Lenexa. KC Masterpiece in Overland Park is the original restaurant that started the chain and its nationally distributed "sweet sauce." In the small town of Spring Hill, K&M BBQ was voted the best BBQ in the Kansas City metro area.

Drink

Kansas has very complex and restrictive liquor laws. The short of it is that only 3.2% ABV packaged beer may be sold outside of retail liquor stores. Drinks by the glass were only restricted to private "clubs" until 1987 (jobs). Kansas today has 29 "dry" counties that prohibit all on-premise liquor sales and as of 2005 only 2 counties and 26 communities have provisions for Sunday sales. Kansas has never ratified the 21st amendment to this day.

The only craft beers easily found throughout the state are Boulevard (Kansas City), Free State (Lawrence), and Fat Tire. Fans of Mexican beer rejoice! There is a huge variety of cerveza that rivals what can be found deep in the heart of Texas.

Sleep

Hotel and Motel Chains

There are dozens of hotel and motel chains, ranging from budget to top end. Allthough they are not the most charming accommodations, they usually have a very decent midrange service with good rooms and are generally good value. At least you know what to expect and in some cases they are either the only or the best option in the area. Some of them include:

• Motel 6
• Super 8
• Days Inn
• Quality Inn
• Red Roof Inn
• Howard Johnson
• Best Western
• La Quinta Inns and Suites
• Holiday Inn
• Econo Lodge
• Travelodge
• Hilton
• Choice Hotels
• Ramada
• Radisson
• Starwood Hotels
• Marriott Hotels

External Links

• Official Governmental Website
• Official Tourism Website