Travelling to/across Kansas in the summer...advice? (Kansas City, Lawrence: motels, home)

[Hueffenhardt]

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

Are there storm shelter located near the major highways in parts of western Kansas where the towns are spaced very far apart from one another?

The reason I did not answer this the first time is because I do not know of any public storm shelters located near major highways. I don't think most of us Kansans ever even think about that probably because we recognize that it is just very unlikely that we would ever need one or that one would be close by if we did need one.

But, if they do exist and someone knows about them, I'd be interested just to know.

[kansas sky]

When I was commuting between Manhattan and Topeka I had to stop at the rest stop located near Maple Hill. The storm clouds were looking pretty suspicious, so I got off of I-70 to wait it out. We were told that if there was a tornado then the building at that rest stop was designed to double as a tornado shelter. We were never in any danger, and I actually had a nice time chatting with the others who shared my predicament. That's the only public tornado shelter off of I-70 that I can think of off-hand.

If things get scary, you could likely pull off into any small town and find a shop or church in which to take shelter. Really though, we get so much warning anymore that if you're paying attention at all you shouldn't be taken by surprise.

[jazzlover]

I answered the OP's post concerning the Colorado portion of the his trip on the Colorado forum. I'll pipe in here because I've traveled just about every east/west route across Kansas at one time or another. I give the same advice here--if you want to really see the countryside, avoid the Interstates. The US Highway routes across Kansas take one through some really nice small towns and one can see Kansas ranching and farming up close.

I'm personally partial to US50 or US56 across Kansas. Kansas 96 also is nice along its length, too. As others have noted, the Flint Hills of Kansas are some of the most beautiful ranch country in the US. Just know that if you go frolicking around in that grass, you may get a nice infestation of chiggers--which is one bunch of itching misery.

As to thunderstorms and tornadoes, the risk of being at the wrong place at the wrong time during a tornado event is relatively small. Some of the "tornado chase" TV programs make it look like encountering a tornado is a regular event. In fact, even those guys can go a whole season without intercepting a tornado--and they are using every bit of technology and judgment they have to try to do it! Really, a bigger risk from the the big thunderstorms is being hammered by big hail--that can happen anywhere in the Great Plains clear up to the Rocky Mountains. One other fact is that summer thunderstorms in Kansas--especially eastern Kansas--tend to occur more often during late evening and at night than other times of the day. Personally, I think a nighttime lightning show in Kansas is a natural event that shouldn't be missed--when viewed from a safe location (from a vehicle or building, etc.). If you're lucky, you get to see "anvil crawlers" like this:

[Derry8107]

I want to say hello to OP who happens to be a Marylander interested in checking out Kansas on cross-country road trip to LA. To inform you, I am moving to Maryland near D.C. this summer!

Anyway, there is an interesting small town in Kansas near Manhattan called Wamego if you are into the Wizard of the Oz.

In Wamego, you could visit the Oz Museum and have delicious Mexican restaurant next door at Toto's Tacoz. It is worth checking out. I enjoyed it there last year on my way to San Francisco.

I have another suggestion. Ever heard of Atchinson? It's beautiful historic town on Missouri/Kansas border about an hour away from Kansas City to the north and it's famous for its Haunted Tour checking many haunted houses/hotel. It was the hometown of famous female aviator Amelia Earhardt too.

Have fun on your trip across America!

[DOUBLE H]

Jazzlover is right. It has been a long time, but I had gone to Wichita from Denver on business a lot of times in the 80's and early 90's. Coming back to Denver, I would always go west out of Wichita on hwy. 54 through Pratt, Kingman, Cunningham, through that way and then up hwy. 50. I'm a music fan and I would spend a few hours in each town going through indoor flea markets, antique stores, etc, digging up old 50's records. Met some nice people in those towns!

[Tom Lennox 70]

Originally Posted by Derry8107

I want to say hello to OP who happens to be a Marylander interested in checking out Kansas on cross-country road trip to LA. To inform you, I am moving to Maryland near D.C. this summer!

Anyway, there is an interesting small town in Kansas near Manhattan called Wamego if you are into the Wizard of the Oz.

In Wamego, you could visit the Oz Museum and have delicious Mexican restaurant next door at Toto's Tacoz. It is worth checking out. I enjoyed it there last year on my way to San Francisco.

I have another suggestion. Ever heard of Atchinson? It's beautiful historic town on Missouri/Kansas border about an hour away from Kansas City to the north and it's famous for its Haunted Tour checking many haunted houses/hotel. It was the hometown of famous female aviator Amelia Earhardt too.

Have fun on your trip across America!

Unfortuantely we're not going to be going out of the way that way from Kansas City. We're probably going to try to start the day in southern Illinois an hour east of St. Louis, see the waterfront and Gateway Arch in STL and then head across Missouri with dinner/late lunch in Kansas City with an overnight either in Salina or Ellsworth. Saw there was some drive-in movie theater in Kanopolis near Ellsworth but it doesn't seem to be open and nobody ever answers the phone.

I've heard Arthur Bryant's has some of the best barbecue in Kansas City, is that true?

[Tom Lennox 70]

Oh yeah one more thing....we might be spending an extra day in Colorado and be heading from central Kansas to Colorado Springs instead of straight to Denver since we might see PIkes Peak in the Rockies intead of Arches in Utah. Rocky Mountains vs desert scenery actually is a harder decision than it seems!

So I've been looking at maps and Google gives me a similar time conitnuing on I-70 west vs taking Route 40 from where they split in Oakley. Is one stretch prettier than the other in western Kansas and/or eastern Colorado?

Double H since you've been to Denver, would you know if the drive down Interstate 25 to Colorado Springs is very scenic? Thanks!

[j_k_k]

If you're going that general direction and you don't see the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, your trip is an epic fail. Take the time and go around to the north rim.

[phx85339]

Be prepared for a lot of Led Zepplin on the radio in western Kansas.

[thriftylefty]

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

Unfortuantely we're not going to be going out of the way that way from Kansas City. We're probably going to try to start the day in southern Illinois an hour east of St. Louis, see the waterfront and Gateway Arch in STL and then head across Missouri with dinner/late lunch in Kansas City with an overnight either in Salina or Ellsworth. Saw there was some drive-in movie theater in Kanopolis near Ellsworth but it doesn't seem to be open and nobody ever answers the phone.

I've heard Arthur Bryant's has some of the best barbecue in Kansas City, is that true?

If you are on that time schedule I would maybe drive through the downtown KCMO for a look around and sight see but I would stop to eat out in western KCK out on I-70 near the Race track , Villages, wolf lodge, water park , etc., because I think Salina is still quite a drive from KC.. IMO there are decent ribs in a lot of places in KC, There is (use to be). a rib place out there in western KCK. Salina is a great place to stretch out in . very impressive for a smallish town