Journey Through Kansas: Biking, Wetlands, Tall Grass and Cream Pies

We’ve been working in Kansas recently, traveling the state’s nine Scenic Byways, and we want to share a secret with you: turns out you don’t have to leave the U.S. to step into a mysterious past or be awed by sweeping, outlandish vistas. You just have to go the very heart of the continent.

Kansas was named for the Kansa tribe, whose name means “people of the south wind.” It’s these winds that sweep across the state, that whisper of the past in the tall prairie grass, that create the open landscape, that blew away the lives and dreams of thousands and that taught the country a harsh ecological lesson in the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

We discovered that much of Kansas’ past is still alive in its homegrown museums, sincere people, and delicious eateries. Everywhere we went we felt connected to a rich and living history. So click your heels three times: here are some of our favorite places to check out on your Kansas adventure.

On the Smoky Valley Scenic Byway, stay at the Cottage Garden Bed and Breakfast, owned by Dave and Mary Hendricks, and hear stories from the area’s past. Dave can tell you about the old schoolhouse on the byway that was built in 1886 and used until 1947, three years before electricity came to the county.

A great itinerary for the bike rider begins with a pedal on the Native Stone Scenic Byway, starting on Route 4 and cruising through winding, rolling hills to Dover, Kansas. Stay at the 1878 Sage Inn and eat at the Sommerset Hall Café, a place we sought out after hearing they had the best coconut cream pie in the US: a light crust, real meringue, a subtle sweet cream, and the sunlight somehow baked in. We were glad we arrived early to validate the moniker bestowed on this pie recipe of Norma Grubb, who baked them daily into her 80s.

Spend the night and show up early for the Stone Fence Restoration Workshop outside of the town of Alma. Check out the video here to see how you can help restore these historic fences and learn the dying art of stone fence masonry next fall. We also loved perusing the antique stores and museum of Alma, where we witnessed a quilting bee that meets every Tuesday and Wednesday.  A highlight was found down the street at the bakery, where we bought delicious homemade chocolate cookies on the honor system. Just leave the money in the jar on the counter.

Kansas is also full of elegant birds that migrate for thousands of miles to a salt marsh that is 1,500 miles from the closest ocean. Stay in the little town of Stafford at the Henderson House Bed and Breakfast, where a continental breakfast means a quiche of egg, potato, sausage, and cheese, muffins and homemade raspberry butter, coffee and orange juice. Follow the path of the Wetland and Wildlife byway to the new Kansas Wetlands Education Center. Don’t miss the story of Cheyenne Bottoms which at 41,000 acres, is the largest freshwater marsh in the lower 48 states, a stopping point for up to 80% of migrating shorebirds in the country. Next, drive south through the tiny town of Ellinwood, where we stopped at John Henry’s for one of the best burgers any of us could remember eating. From there we took the dirt road to the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, one of only 22 sites in the US designated as a Ramsar site. Visit in the spring or fall to catch a glimpse of Whooping Cranes here, a breathtaking site not only because they stand nearly five feet tall with an eight foot wingspan, but because of the tireless effort to save the bird from extinction.

To learn more or outline your own trip, or even just get off the interstate and find rare birds, rare bakeries, or a rarified way of life, check here.