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 exploation, almost every little town has something of interest.

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.

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.
• Lawrence -- Medium-sized city midway between Topeka and Kansas City (Kansas). Very artsy and bohemian, for Kansas. Home of the University of Kansas.
• 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, Olathe, 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

Other destinations

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.

Talk

Residents of Kansas believe that they speak unaccented English, but there is a faint southern influence.

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.

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.

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 Newton, Charlie's Restaurant (part of the Newell's Truck Plaza) offers excellent breakfast burritos 24 hours a day.

In Abilene, The Brookville Hotel offers family style fried chicken dinners. [2]

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.

Get out