Page 457 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

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n Dodge City
* 27,000. ~ @ n 400 W Wyatt
Earp Blvd, (800) 653-9378.
∑ visitdodgecity.org
The Wild West’s two most
colorful characters, lawmen
Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson,
earned their tough reputations
in Dodge City during its brief
but boisterous heyday. Between
1872 and 1884, the town
Hikers at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Flint Hills flourished as a High Plains
buffalo-hunting, cattle-driving,
The Tallgrass Prairie National center. The town’s colorful and railroad center. The Boot
Preserve, 20 miles (32 km) past is recreated at the Old Hill Museum re-creates the
south of Council Grove, protects Cowtown Museum. The original infamous Front Street strip of
what remains of a 17-sq-mile jail and period houses, as well as saloons and burlesque houses
(45-sq-km), 19th-century cattle stores and saloons from surroun- that earned Dodge City the
ranch. A hiking trail leads ding rural communities sobriquet of “Hell on the Plains.”
visitors from the ranch’s are on display here. To its The museum organizes various
Second Empire main southeast is the Mid- shows and stagecoach rides.
house through large America All-Indian On the museum grounds is
stands of native prairie. Center, which depicts the Boot Hill cemetery.
The ranching community 19th-century Great Plains Before hordes of cowboys and
of Cottonwood Falls, lifestyles of the Kiowa, gun-toting buffalo hunters came
located about 3 miles Cheyenne, and Lakota to town, Dodge City was just
(5 km) south on Route tribes. The main feature another stop on the Santa Fe
177, contains another at the center is a Trail. Ruts from the old wagon
impressive Second reconstructed village. trail can still be seen 9 miles
Empire structure. The “Gallery of Nations” (14 km) west of Dodge City along
Built in 1873, the red- Statue, Indian features the flags of US 50 and at the Fort Larned
roofed, limestone Chase Center Museum, over 500 Native National Historic Site, 55 miles
County Courthouse Wichita American nations. (88 km) east of Dodge City. The
is the oldest still in use site contains several restored
in Kansas. E Old Cowtown Museum original sandstone structures
1865 Museum Blvd. Tel (316) 219- from the US Army fort that
E Konza Prairie 1871. Open Apr–Oct: 9:30am–4:30pm protected travelers along the
McDowell Creek Rd. Tel (785) 587- Mon–Sat, noon–4:30pm Sun; Nov– Santa Fe Trail from 1859 to 1878.
0441. Open sunrise–sunset daily. Apr: 10am–4pm Tue–Sat. & 7
∑ konza.ksu.edu ∑ oldcowtown.org P Boot Hill Museum
} Tallgrass Prairie National E Mid-America All-Indian Center Front St & 5th Sts. Tel (620) 227-8188.
Preserve 650 N Seneca St. Tel (316) 350-3340. Open Jun–Aug: 8am–8pm daily; Sep–
Hwy 177, 2 miles (3 km) N of Strong Open 10am–4pm Tue–Sat. May: 9am–5pm Mon–Sat, 1–5pm Sun.
City. Tel (620) 273-8494. Open 9am– Closed public hols. & 7 Closed Jan 1, Thanksgiving, Dec 25.
4:30pm daily. ∑ nps.gov/tapr ∑ theindiancenter.org & 7 ∑ boothill.org

b Wichita
* 660,000. ~ £ @
n 515 S Main St, (800) 288-9424.
∑ visitwichita.com
Wichita developed in 1865 as a
lawless railhead town, where
cowboys driving cattle north
from Texas on the Chisholm Trail
(see p475) would stop to let off
steam in the city’s rowdy
saloons and brothels. Those
early cattle hands would not
recognize today’s Wichita, which
has grown into a busy aircraft
manufacturing and oil-refining Fort Larned National Historic Site, east of Dodge City

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