The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
Boys Town is the home for wayward youth made famous by the Spencer Tracy movie of the same name. A home for wayward youth is not a place I normally bring my kids when we are sightseeing, but the story connected with this place is so inspiring and the visitor center is so emotionally powerful I just thought it was really important for us as a family to check it out. You’ve surely heard the expression, “he’s … [Read more...]
The Henry Doorly Zoo is really nice zoo with various indoor and outdoor environments to explore which really worked out for us as a torrential rainstorm unleashed just as we headed in. The zoo is divided unto different climates such as rainforest, desert, temperate etc. As you wander through each one you can take in the various creatures and critters who make it their home. As an interesting side note, the rain … [Read more...]
Without offending any natives, let's be honest, Kansas is not somewhere that ranks as a hugely popular travel destination. But for those curious to explore, Kansas offers a multitude of interesting opportunities to find out what makes the heartland of America such a special place. In our minivan, our journey took us to Wichita, Topeka and across the state up to Hollenberg and Lebanon where we stood in the … [Read more...]
Wow did I really come to appreciate the United States Postal Service after a visit to the Pony Express Museum. So back in the day, if you were a pioneer in the heartland, your mail was delivered by Pony Express-meaning it was transferred from rider to rider over hundreds of miles on horseback to get to you. The riders were young men—17 to early 20’s—who would ride for 2 days and then change horses at different … [Read more...]
My kids and I have been to quite a few space museums but the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center is definitely our favorite right behind NASA in Houston. What we loved most was that the exhibits were really informative because they were easy to understand-that goes a long way, especially when you are traveling with kids. As an American I had absolutely no idea that our space programs was started here by a German … [Read more...]
If you cut the US in half, top to bottom and side to side, you would end up here at the Geographical Center of the United States. As we followed the signs we ended up in the middle of someone’s cornfield. There’s a marker to commemorate the site so be sure to snap a picture just like we did to prove you were there! … [Read more...]
Visiting the Brown Vs. Board of Education National Historic Site was by far one of the most incredible and moving experiences we have had on ANY of our trips. This is the only national park named for a court case—the landmark case that ended legal segregation in public schools. Monroe Elementary School in Topeka, Kansas, is not the only site where the story of Brown v. Board of Education can be told. There were … [Read more...]
After seeing the sites, Massachusetts feels like it was literally the birthplace of the nation. From the Battle Green in Lexington and Minute Man Park near Concord to the North Church, and Bunker Hill, the American Revolution got it's start right here. It's just amazing to me how folks live so close to such monumentally historic places. The home where John Hancock and Sam Adams hid in waiting for Paul Revere's … [Read more...]
On the way to the Kansas State Capitol Building we couldn't help but marvel at the gorgeous landscape. How is this different from where you live??? As you've probably already realized my family just loves visiting state capitol buildings. They are almost like magical jewel boxes filled with treasures waiting to be discovered. The Kansas State Capitol Building was no exception. My kids raced to check out … [Read more...]
A trip to Kansas wouldn’t be complete without a visit Oz-the Oz Museum that is! That’s right, it wasn’t just a dream--someone actually assembled quite a collection of Wizard of Oz memorabilia and opened this quirky museum in the town of Wamego. The kids and I ventured inside and were greeted by an enormous Tin Man. After paying our entrance fee, we wandered inside through scene after scene from the Wizard … [Read more...]
