From Wikitravel Shared

Kansas [1] is a state in the Great Plains region of the United States of America. It is generally considered the center of the country, at least in geographical terms. Thanks to the Wizard of Oz, many non-Kansans (and some Kansans as well) think of it as a place to escape from. However, there are a lot of great places to visit, particularly if you are interested in the history of the American West. With a little exploration, almost every little town has something of interest.

[edit] Regions

There is no clear division between Eastern and Western Kansas, but there are clear regional distinctions.

• Eastern Kansas -- Most of the larger cities are in Eastern Kansas, which tends to be more hilly and have more trees and water.
• Western Kansas -- Generally, Western Kansas is more rural, with very low population density and a lot of open land. With notable exceptions, it is drier and flatter.
• Central Kansas -- A mixture of farmland, rolling hills, and man-made lakes, central Kansas is a transition zone between the hilly east and the arid west.
• Flint Hills -- Down the center of Eastern Kansas run the Flint Hills, an area of great geological interest, with some of the last living grasslands of the true Great Plains.
• Southeastern Kansas -- Far southeastern Kansas is part of the Ozarks region, with beautiful hills, coal mining, and endemic rural poverty. Ozark influence wanes the further you get from the southeast corner of the state.

[edit] Cities

• Topeka -- Capital city of Kansas, also site of the Kansas State Historical Society Museum
• Wichita -- Largest city in Kansas, known as the Air Capital of the World because of the large number of airplane manufacturers with plants there.
• Olathe -- A fast growing city near Kansas City (Kansas) in Johnson County (Kansas) with relatively high property values and increasing commercialization, though it remains very much residential for the middle and upper classes. Olathe also holds one of the state's best School Districts and Music programs, most notably Olathe East, whose Orchestra program has performed at KMEA ([2]) several times. The orchestra is conducted by Russ Pieken ([3]). Also see [4] for more information.
• Kansas City and Environs -- Smaller half of Metro Kansas City, which spills across the border into Missouri. Kansas City as a whole is much larger and more cosmopolitan than Wichita. Actually, the second largest city in Kansas is not Kansas City, Kansas, but Overland Park, Kansas, a wealthy, yet non-descript suburb of Kansas City. Overland Park, along with Kansas City suburbs like Shawnee, and Lenexa make up Johnson County, which is the largest county by population in Kansas, and one of the richest counties in the United States by per capita income.
• Hutchinson -- home to the second largest space museum in the world, The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center

Other cities in Kansas include:

• Park City
• Winfield
• Dodge City

[edit] Other destinations

[edit] Understand

Although native Americans have lived in Kansas for thousands of years and the first Europeans visited in the 1600s, most Kansas communities date from the early to mid 1880s. The real development of Kansas didn’t take place until the 1850s when proslavery settlers from Missouri and antislavery settlers from New England flooded into the area. This period of "Bleeding Kansas" included a great deal of violence and some people consider this area to have been the cradle of the Civil War. In communities like Lawrence, Kansas many organizations and businesses still proudly display the "free state" name.

[edit] Talk

Residents of Kansas believe that they speak unaccented English, but there is a faint southern influence. The farther you get into Southeastern Kansas, the southern accent becomes heavier and more noticable.

[edit] Get in

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.

Wichita and Topeka have municipal airports, but most people flying into the state would come through Kansas City (Missouri). The only regular train serivce is Amtrak's Southwest Chief.

[edit] Get around

The only way to travel in Kansas is to drive. It's part of the experience of being in the state to spend time on the road. Take the time to plan a route off of the main highways and see the country.

[edit] Eat

Kansas' best known regional food is Kansas City BBQ, associated with metropolitan Kansas City area including Wyandotte County and Johnson County, as well as portions of Missouri. It is a slow "pit" style barbeque. Well known restaurants include Rosedale and Wyandotte BBQ in Kansas City, and Hayward's Pit BBQ and Kansas City Masterpiece in Overland Park. Kansas City Masterpiece in Overland Park, Kansas was the original restaurant the started the chain.

In Yoder (just outside Hutchinson), the Carriage Crossing restaurant offers Amish fare (Fried chicken, meat loaf, etc.) (except on Sundays, when they are closed).

In Abilene, The Brookville Hotel offers family style fried chicken dinners. [5]

For The BBQ one K&M BBQ was voted the best BBQ in the Kansas City Metro its in the small town of Spring Hill. A small town in Johnson County

In Crawford County, in the extreme Southeastern corner, there are six "chicken houses." These serve fried chicken dinners, and the side dishes differ from each house. Fried chicken is a distinctive dish in Southeast Kansas, making the region known for their chicken dishes.

[edit] Stay safe

Kansas is in "Tornado Alley." Tornadoes and Severe thunderstorms with high winds and hail are not uncommon during the spring and summer months. Make sure you keep a radio on in the car. Should you hear the tornado sirens sounding, locate a suitable tornado shelter at once - DO NOT stay outdoors to get a picture! Also, DO NOT try to outrun the tornado in your car! You may wind up driving directly into the tornado's path.

Should the skies be cloudy, and the light take on a greenish-yellow cast, this is an indication of an imminent hail storm - again, seek shelter at once.

But keep in mind, these storms are spread over a wide area and most residents have never seen a tornado. Refer to the Tornado safety article for analysis of the issues here.

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