Page 456 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

454  THE GREA T PLAINS

Kansas v Flint Hills

For most Americans, Kansas conjures up images of rolling ~ @ n (800) 759-0134.
∑ kansasflinthills.travel
wheat fields, flatlands, sunflowers, and scenes from the 1939
film The Wizard of Oz. The real Kansas, however, is infinitely more The shaggy, rolling Flint Hills
interesting, both historically and geographically. Reminders of are among Kansas’s most
spectacular natural features.
the state’s turbulent 19th-century history as an Native American The best way to explore the
resettlement territory, anti-slavery battleground, and cattle- area is to drive along the scenic
drive destination can be seen frequently as one traverses 85-mile (137-km) stretch of
the principal Interstate Highways, I-335 and I-35, and the Route 177, running south
meandering backroads. Kansas is also home to the largest from the university town
continuous area of natural tallgrass prairie left in North America, of Manhattan, across I-70, and
down to Cassody at I-35. About
preserved in the undulating Flint Hills, and to the Museum at 6 miles (10 km) southeast of
Prairiefire, a natural history museum, in Overland Park. Manhattan is Konza Prairie, the
country’s largest remaining
History Museum and the parcel of virgin tallgrass prairie.
Spencer Museum of Art. The 13-sq-mile (35-sq-km)
Exhibits and events at Dole preserve contains a variety
Institute of Politics promote civil of spectacular hiking trails. The
discourse in a bi-partisan, Flint Hills Discovery Center in
balanced manner. Manhattan explores the biology,
geology, and cultural history of
E Spencer Museum of Art the tallgrass prairie.
1301 Mississippi St. Tel (785) 864-4710. Route 177 intersects US 56
Open 10am–4pm Tue–Sat (until 8pm at Council Grove (40 miles/
Thu), noon–4pm Sun. Closed public 64 km south of Manhattan).
hols. 7 ∑ spencerart.ku.edu The town takes its name from
a huge oak tree, the Council
Oak, which commemorates
Entrance to the Kansas Natural History c Topeka the spot where the Kansa and
Museum, Lawrence Osage tribes agreed to allow
* 125,000. ~ @ n 618 S Kansas the old Santa Fe Trail to pass
x Lawrence Ave, (800) 235-1030. ∑ visit through their ancestral lands.
topeka.com
* 88,000. @ n 402 N 2nd St, The Kaw Mission School, now
(785) 865-3040. ∑ explore A quiet government center, a state historic site, was set up
lawrence.com Topeka’s most significant by the Methodists from 1851
historical attraction is Kansas to 1854 in an attempt to
Founded by New England Regionalist painter John Steuart “Westernize” male children
abolitionists in 1854, Lawrence’s Curry’s mural in the Kansas from the Kaw (also known
strong “free state” leanings State Capitol, where a major as Kansa or Kanza) tribe. This
made it a target for Missouri’s renovation was completed in experiment did not succeed.
pro-slavery “border ruffians,” 2014. The mural, The Settlement The site now displays artifacts
only 40 miles (64 km) to the of Kansas, depicts abolitionist from the Mission School.
east. The attractive, downtown John Brown in a
retail district is lined with 19th- dramatic confrontation
century stone and brick with pro-slavery forces
commercial buildings, reminders that threatened to
of the city’s massive reconstruc- make Kansas a slave
tion drive after a destructive state in the 1850s.
1863 raid led by Confederate More background on
guerrilla William Quantrill. this tense period can
A restored 1889 railroad be found at the superb
depot houses the Lawrence Kansas Museum
Visitor Information Center, of History.
which relates key episodes in
the city’s history and provides P Kansas Museum
information about the University of History
of Kansas campus, just south- 6425 SW 6th Ave. Tel (785)
west of downtown. Situated 272-8681. Open 9am–5pm
astride a hill, known locally as Tue–Sat, 1–5pm Sun.
Mount Oread, the campus Closed public hols. 7 The red-roofed Chase County Courthouse, Cottonwood
includes the Kansas Natural ∑ kshs.org Falls, Flint Hills
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp460–62 and pp463–5

454-455_EW_USA.indd 454 11/2/16 2:46 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm