Some people avoid outdoor activities during the summer months, but we love to get a daily dose of Vitamin D. For our stop at the Tulsa Zoo, we knew it would be best to start early to see the most activity. We arrived at opening time, and met up with Ellen Averill for a quick golf […]
It is obvious that the Amana Colonies are a tourist destination. Why else would a town like Amana, Iowa, with a population around 500 residents, be able to support multiple wineries. Fortunately for us, this made for the perfect chance to create a walking Amana Wine Trail tour. Now it is highly possible that this
One of the cool things about Powell Gardens is that just about every visit gives the opportunity to see something new. Botanical gardens change by the season, which make them a special place to savor. Another bonus is that they are most often an affordable entertainment option. We want to thank Powell Gardens for their hospitality.
During our cruise in the Caribbean, we discovered that their cuisine celebrates life with plenty of flavor. (You can read about it here.>) Our arrival in Tulsa was celebrated with a visit to Sisserou’s Caribbean Restaurant. We parked in the Brady Arts District, and made our way to lunch. This area of the city is filled with
When we planned our latest Topeka visit, our first stop was at Old Prairie Town. This historic site is located on the original path of the Oregon Trail. The morning drive from Kansas City was wet with thunderstorms, but by the time we arrived they had passed by. Wet Start After a small argument with Siri
The 39th Street corridor, near State Line, is filled with interesting restaurants and shops. One of our favorites is Friends Sushi & Bento Place at 1808 W. 39th St. in Kansas City, Mo. Less than a block from KU Hospital, it has a solid following of residents from around the metro. Almost Hidden Gem Friends Sushi
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Whenever I am creating an itinerary for a new city to visit, I like to find a couple of sweet options. In Tulsa, it was obvious that a stop at Glacier Confection would be a requirement. We find chocolatiers to be a set of unique individuals, with the patience for incredible attention to detail. Each place
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One of the longest operating restaurants in Amana, Iowa is Ox Yoke Inn. Since 1940, this full service restaurant has been serving up “family style” meals to locals and visitors alike. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, they also offer a Sunday brunch buffet option. We want to thank the Ox Yoke Inn for their hospitality.
It’s safe to say that most people in Kansas City have heard of the Kansas City Renaissance Festival . (Many just call it KC RenFest) Since it began in 1977, it would also be fair to say that most have either attended or knows someone who has. We have been quite aware of it, since it’s
A visit to Tulsa, Oklahoma offers a chance to immerse yourself in the culture of a Midwest city. At the Woody Guthrie Center you can learn about one of America’s greatest folksingers. Our visit occurred on a warm day in August. Of course, most days in August are going to be warm, since we are in
During our stay in the Amana Colonies we had an opportunity to sample every restaurant in the town of Amana. Our visit to Millstream Brau Haus (simply means “brew house”) introduced us to the oldest brewery in the state of Iowa. We had spent the morning checking out some of the unique shops around town, and
The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center ended up being a lot more than what we expected. This day-trip included our grandkids, so we had filled the itinerary with places we felt would be kid friendly. Our morning had been historic, and lunch was a visit to a local hangout. Now we had arrived at the place we
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Short stays require lots of research, as we want to see as many sites as possible. Our trip to Philadelphia challenged our ability to find a central location that allowed easy access by foot to a wide variety of attractions and restaurants. The Logan Philadelphia was a perfect fit, as it sat in between the
We all have seen products that we can immediately identify as “high quality”. At the Amana Woolen Mill, we could tell that the textiles were a grade above what we usually see. This type of quality is a hallmark of this small Iowa community. Designed for Durability The weekend we visited was in between festivals,
You may wonder how we ended up dining at Bobo’s Drive In during a recent day trip to Topeka, Kansas. We had planned to take our grand-kids, as there were some kid friendly attractions we wanted to research. To pick the right dining establishment, I reached out to our followers for suggestions. Before long, we
Our children are fully grown, so we now have the pleasure of enjoying kid’s appropriate attractions with our grand-kids. Recently, we took them to Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead located at 13800 Switzer, in Overland Park, Kansas. Crystal has had the pleasure of visiting this unique site in the past, but this would be my first
We knew we were in for an action packed time, when we scheduled our day trip to historic Independence, Missouri. There are so many great things to see, do, and taste that are all within just a few blocks of the main square. To be able to see all of our stops, we had to
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Amana was a communal society for many generations. This meant that large groups worked and ate together. To accomplish this they would serve meals in a family style. The dishes would come out on platters or large bowls, which could be passed around the table. While the communal lifestyle ended in the 1930’s, you can
We recently were invited by Travel Kansas and Visit KCK to participate in our first Instameet. Yeah, we had never heard of it before, either. A little Google searching, and we discovered that it is an event designed to showcase the sights and attractions of a specific region or area. Hmm, sounded very interesting. Now
While in Philadelphia we stayed in the Logan Hotel. This put us two doors down from The Franklin Institute, which was high on my list of places to visit. This cutting edge science museum was actually founded in 1824, and named for the American scientist, Benjamin Franklin. Short History of The Franklin Institute The museum
When the name Hodge Park is mentioned in Kansas City, many only think of the golf course. Did you realize this is also home to the Shoal Creek Living History Museum? For years we had overlooked this unique attraction. We made up for this by spending the first Saturday in July with them. First Impression
The First Friday Artwalk has become an extremely popular event in the Kansas City metro. We went in July, and even though the temperature was hovering in the 90’s, it didn’t slow down the foot traffic. We like to arrive toward the beginning of the event, as it is a little easier to find parking.
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One of the “must see” places on our Philadelphia list was the Reading Terminal Market. The history of Philadelphia markets go back to around 1680, when they were located close to the Delaware River. The Reading Market of today was erected in the 1890’s, and remains a popular dining spot. It Smells So Good Our
It hasn’t been that many years ago, since our daughter first introduced us to Thai cuisine. A recent visit to downtown Overland Park gave us a perfect opportunity to test our Lemongrass Thai, which is located at 7316 W. 80th Street. First Impressions of Lemongrass Thai When we first entered, we were less than impressed. The
When visiting large cities, we always enjoy the opportunity to see the landscape from high above. Sky Philadelphia was located just a block from our hotel, and offered views of the city from 51 stories. This was an attraction we just couldn’t pass up. Sky Philadelphia Background After a very quick elevator we were led
They Took Us Up 500 Feet in Philadelphia, And Then We Saw It Read More »
We find no fault with people who are proud of their home town. We are both from Wyandotte County, which is lovingly referred to as being a “Dotte”. Traveling has just made us appreciate our local life even more, and we are always happy to spend a day around “Our” town. Up Early in Western
What would you do if you saw a lion overhead? It seems like zoos are finding new ways to engage their visitors with the exhibits. Some use wide open expanses to simulate the natural environments of the animals that inhabit them. Others offer feeding and interactive experiences for their guests. The Philadelphia Zoo decided to
Are you tired of settling for a chain restaurant along the interstate during your vacation? One of the most difficult choices that travelers make is where to dine. We found dining options in Wichita to be numerous, and wonderful. Join us as we recap some of our top Wichita dining choices, as well as a
Our visit to Yard House at the Legends Shopping Center was timed to take advantage of two things; Happy Hour specials, and their shady patio. Enjoying a Happy Hour in Village West is something that wasn’t available a few years ago. These days it is becoming a little more common, and we hope its popularity grows.
It seems like just about any Friday we can find a special event in the metro. Overland Park has it’s Local Life 3rd Friday, which is held in the old downtown area around Santa Fe Drive. The majority of the businesses involved can be found between 79th St. and 81st St. Makings Of A Street
An especially adventurous day in Philadelphia required us to start with an abundantly sustaining breakfast. A visit to Le Pain Quotidien was just the thing we needed. The company is Belgian, and the name means “Our Daily Bread” (easier to spell), which is fitting for a bakery/restaurant combo. A Walk-able Itinerary The walk from our hotel, The Logan Philadelphia,
The Delaware River area in Philadelphia is a great place for a stroll. Just south of the Ben Franklin Bridge, we found Spruce Harbor Park. It is advertised as a pop-up park, which has been around for about four years. It certainly highlights the potential for other urban waterfront areas. Duck, Duck, Goose Located at
We know that the picture doesn’t necessarily exemplify non-stop action, but it was one of my favorite captures. There is a good chance that the gorilla is wondering just how much fun he would have checking out some Wichita attractions. Now we didn’t have time to do everything available in Wichita, but we certainly tried
Philadelphia has so many firsts that there seems to be one on every block. Shane Confectionery has the distinction of being the oldest continuously run candy maker in America. It was by chance that we ended up finding this unique shop. A Sweet Old Store As we strolled down Market Street, on our way to the
Our visit to the Turn 2 restaurant, in Hollywood Casino, showed us that sometimes the hidden gems are right under our noses. Not only does this place have some delicious dishes, but the views of the track at Kansas Speedway are unparalleled by any restaurant in the city. We want to thank Turn 2 Restaurant for
The timing for our trip to Philadelphia fell just a couple months after the opening of the new Museum of the American Revolution. This brand new attraction features over thirty audio-visual experiences for visitors. I have to admit that I was over excited when I heard it would be ready in time. Revolution Was In
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There were a lot of firsts for us during our visit to Philadelphia. A chance to tour the USS New Jersey was certainly a big first. Besides being our first travel opportunity in the Garden State, it was also our first steps on a battleship. To say it is an impressive ship would be an
We discovered last weekend, that sitting in a vineyard on a hot evening helps lower the temperature a few degrees. The occasion was the Summertime Music Series at Holyfield Winery. We have mentioned this Basehor small batch vintner previously, and even written an article about them. Jazzing up The Vineyard Holyfield Winery runs the summer series
The Museum of World Treasures is located in the Old Town section of Wichita. The first portion of our visit had us staying just across the street at Hotel at Old Town. Housed in a three-story converted paper warehouse, their collection spans a wide range of topics and time periods. We want to thank the
We have made many trips to the historic Independence Square. On a lot of those visits we stopped in to Clinton’s Soda Fountain for a sweet break. Clinton’s sits squarely on the corner of Main Street and Maple, and offers a great vantage point for people watching. Harry’s Home Away From Home Clinton’s building has the honor
Harry Truman’s First Job Wasn’t At Clinton’s, but It was still Sweet Read More »
The Mid-America All-Indian Center, in Wichita, is the only facility solely dedicated to the culture of the American Indians, located in the state of Kansas. Situated on the point of land that overlooks the Arkansas River, a visit to this unique museum was a chance to explore the cultural history of the people who first
A visit to UpDog felt appropriate considering we were in Harry Truman’s hometown. After a few hours of exploring, we had built up an appetite, but we were in need of a quick meal, as we still had lots more to see and do. Hot Dogs – America’s Meal It was a quiet day on the
We were certainly looking forward to our first visit in Philadelphia. I am an amateur history buff, and find the Revolutionary War period to be especially interesting. Crystal is not so much about the battles, as she is about the personal stories. Our hopes were that Philly would provide plenty of things for both of
Being natives of Kansas City, we believe we know a little about barbeque. The opportunity to add Delano Barbeque Company to our itinerary meant a chance to sample one of our favorite cuisines. This restaurant has only been around for a little over a decade, but it has certainly established itself as a Wichita staple in
Downtown Independence Square is easily walk-able, but a ride with Pioneer Trails Adventures is a great way to get a new perspective. We have visited this historic locale on many occasions, but never like this time. We had just completed a tour of the old jail, and now we were ready to experience a trail ride. A
One of our main goals is to uncover those almost hidden places like Public. The hunt can be tantalizing, and the rewards are often far above our expectations. Many times it is the background story that adds an extra layer of mystique to one of our destinations. We want to thank Public for their hospitality. Rest assured
One of our first stops in Wichita, was the Sedgwick Historical Museum. We know that a good way to get a quick understanding of a city you are visiting, is by making a trip to the local historical museum. Our arrival was on a bad weather day, so it made for a perfect indoor treat. Palace of
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Our last morning in Wichita brought us to Jimmie’s Diner for breakfast. The owners of the restaurant happened to be there that morning, and we had the pleasure of visiting with them for a while. They made us feel like a couple of the locals, and filled us in on the interesting history of this
Visits to places like Cocoa Dolce can be very hard on us. Being travel bloggers means that we spend lots of time testing a wide variety of foods. When it comes to sweets, we try to locate the really good ones, so a small portion will suffice. Of course, If it’s really good chocolate who can
The Sedgwick County Zoo has a history of continuous improvements. Since it’s early days in 1971, this Midwestern zoo has had big dreams, which it strives to fulfill. With almost 300 species, this zoological park has blossomed into a major attraction. We want to thank the Sedgwick County Zoo for their hospitality. Rest assured that all opinions