Homeschool Facts

Ok, so you are now entering the state of Kansas and you are dreading the long, flat boring drive where there is nothing to see or do. Well, wake up and look around! Kansas travel has an extremely interesting history, beautiful prairielands, fantastic museums, cultural events and atrractions and the most wonderful people in the midwest! Going from the large cities like Kansas City to the litty bitty towns of Garnett you will find great people and interesting things to do and see.

Small town Kansas is not a joke. There are a large number of very small towns (under 1000 people) in the state. Just look at Selden with a population of 177 as of July 2007. Now, they may be small but these communities have pride! What the smaller towns mean is that there is more open space to be enjoyed. Here people appreciate the land and all that comes with it, from the fabulous farms to the wheat fields and great hunting. There are farms and hunting clubs available in the state for you to try your luck with the pheasants during hunting season. You’ll enjoy the experience.

Ghosts, goblins and scary homes, that’s what you can expect when you visit the “Most Haunted Town in Kansas.” Atchison not only takes pride in this title but they have the Haunted Atchison Trolley Tour in September and October to take visitors around to the different homes that are acclaimed to be haunted. You will ride on the 1880 AT&SF trolley while seeing houses such as the McIntreer Villa where lights in the tower go on and off and there is not electricity there, ghosts appear in the windows and in family photos. Hear the footsteps that are in rooms where there is no one and doors closing in rooms that are empty. Scary! The one hour tour will show you a number of homes in the community that are claimed to be haunted…come and find out all about them.

Take the time to enjoy Henry’s Sculpture Hill near Augusta. Here are sculptures created from steel and/or found objects will have you enjoying the creativity of this wonderful artist. The display is privately owned and the artist has stopped tours, at least for now. He said because of “maintenance, insurance, old age, and attitude, [but] serious buyers who are looking for original steel sculptures are welcome by appointment.” Take a little time and see this delightful site.

Have you ever thought about being in the Garden of Eden? Well you can be, right there in Lucas, Kansas! This unique “log cabin” was guilt in 1907 by a retired school teacher and Civil War veteran and in the final 31 years of his life created this unforgettable legacy in three parts. The “log cabin” was built with logs up to 27 feet long and cared from limestone. Dinsmoor, the builder, call it “the most unique home for living or dead on Earth.” He gave tours of this 11 room home during his lifetime. Now tours are given daily May through October. Weekends in January & February. Weekdays March, April, November & December. The cost for the tours is just $6 for adults and $1 for age 6-12. The garden is built of limestone and 113 tons of concrete and tells the history of the world starting with its creation. Come and see the 150 figures plus other forms such as insects to 40 ft tall trees in this unique and fascinating garden in the small town of Lucas.

Manhattan has more than college football. There is the great Fort Riley where you can really get to study military history. As part of your learning experience you can visit the last cavalry training stables with its original cobblestone flooring which used to house 76 horses. Today it still houses horses for the Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard where 20 head are ready for parade all the time. This facility was built in 1889. This is just one of the many historical sites you can see and learn about while at the Fort. Although today the technology and advancements in military power are constantly being updated, history is still worth learning about.

Flat land right? How about the Gypsum Hills in central Kansas with their canyons, rolling hills, mesas, and buttes? That sure isn’t flat and boring! There are red cedar trees growing on the red land that is full of iron oxide so the land is actually red! Take the 42 mile drive from Coldwater to Medicine Lodge on the Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway and you will be surrounded by beauty. Now, when you are off the paved roads and back on the dirt roads keep in mind that it is open range area so watch for livestock. You don’t have to get off the paved roads, but it sure is fun if you do.

No one can say that those from Kansas don’t have a sense of humor. In the town of Canton there are two water towers, one Hot and one Cold. Now how many towns do you know that would do that? It’s great to know there is such a place in Kansas!

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