Teeny tiny world
This past weekend I took a trip of a different kind — into a micro world right off my patio. Saturday was cool and breezy and seemed like a good day to pull weeds between the patio bricks and around the patio before I moved plants out for the summer. I did spend a couple…
Road trip: Geary State Fishing Lake
If you’re looking for an unexpected surprise, look no further than Geary State Fishing Lake in Geary County, Kansas. This lake is located 10 miles south of Junction City. Roadside, it appears quite ordinary, with a little sign pointing the way to the lake. But trust me, you’re going to want to visit this 97-acre…
Milford Lake + The Cove restaurant
Weekend road trip alert! If you haven’t been to Milford Lake lately, this place is worth the visit and even has a tasty place to eat while you’re there. Milford Lake is the largest lake in Kansas boasting 163 miles of shoreline, swimming beaches and a 14 public ramps. You can launch sailboats, boats or…
10 tips for an old-school road trip
Recently, we took an impromptu road trip, which spanned three states in 14 hours. To be fair, the trio of states were in the northeast corner of Kansas. We managed to hit Kansas (of course, we live there), Nebraska and Missouri. Below are some of my tips for taking a memorable old-school road trip. Get…
Funeral Museum in St. Joseph, Mo.
Driving by a quiet funeral home in St. Joseph, Mo., you’d never expect there to be a hidden little museum, but that’s exactly what is located in the Heaton-Bowman-Smith Sidenfaden Chapel, located at 3609 Fredrick Ave., in St. Joseph. On display in the museum is caskets, historical tools used by morticians and funeral homes, and…
Tipping hotel housekeepers
Gratitude is so vital in this world we live in from taking time to thank the universe for another day to thanking everyone around you for their role in this beautiful world. This week I was on a business trip in Orlando, Florida, and each night before I went to bed I set aside time…
Mound City, Kansas
Mound City, Kansas, is another true hidden gem located in Linn County. A quick history lesson about the town. It’s the original origin of the term “Jayhawkers.” The city’s website states: “During the Civil war the members of the Seventh Kansas regiment, commanded by Col. C. R. Jennison, became known as “Jayhawkers,” and probably from this…
Mine Creek Battlefield
On my way to the small town of Pleasanton, Kansas, this past weekend, I found myself at another Kansas gem. Having lived in Kansas my entire life, I have never been to Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site. First, I’ll talk about Plesanton. The City of Pleasanton was founded in 1869, according to their website after General…
John Redmond
Phew! It’s been a long while since I’ve blogged! The next several blog posts I’ll be posting about Kansas and some hidden gems! Last week I found myself spending the evening after work at John Redmond Lake, which is near Burlington, Kansas. It is flanked by gorgeous Flint Hills and provides camping facilities, places to…
The Little Melvern Caboose
If you have a train enthusiast in your life, Melvern, Kansas, is the place to be. Off the main street in Melvern, is located on Kansas 31 highway four miles north of Interstate 35 (exit 160) and three miles east of US 75. The caboose is located in Melvern Railroad Park, where you’ll also find the Atchison,…
Magical country roads
One of my favorite forms of therapy is driving up and down country roads — for hours at a time. There is so much I see during these drives and so much I would miss if I simply sat on the couch every night. The long, winding roads of Lyon County have become my second home, where I go…
St. Aloysius Church Historic Site
Another road-side gem in Kansas is the St. Aloysius Church Historic Site in unincorporated community of Greenbush, Kansas. To get there go to the website below and follow the map. It’s a fantastic photo opportunity! According to the Kansas Travel website, a church and church ruins are side by side. “The 1887 St. Aloysius Church was…
Abandoned Kansas: Camptown Greyhound Park
The dogs no longer run at an abandoned track in Frontenac, Kansas. The track, formerly known as Camptown Greyhound Park, wasn’t open very long. Some reported it closed after just 13 weeks of operation, while other sources reported it closed after six months of operation. It reportedly re-opened in 2000 after its 1995 failure. It again closed…
Arkansas gem: Castle Rogue’s Manor
While in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, I had many adventures. Another one of those adventures was the opportunity to explore the grounds of Castle Rogue’s Manor near Beaver, Arkansas. This fascinating place is a hidden gem, but a warning in advance, it’s only open by appointment or by permission. We obtained permission from the owner to…
Frozen in time: Dinosaur World
On a recent trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, we came across a fascinating find — a former amusement park frozen in time. A sign still points to the park roadside. Once you get there, however, it’s evident that the park is long-closed. The park, which opened in the 1960s, was once the largest dinosaur-themed park…
An unexpected find: ICT Pop-Up Urban Park
Saturday night mom and I were driving in downtown Wichita looking at the cityscape when we drove by something unexpected that I had no idea existed and it was a true thing of beauty. The ICT Pop-Up Urban Park, which is located at 121 E. Douglas, was formerly a hole in the ground Wichita called…
Day of Kansas ‘ghost towns’
Today was Adventure Day — a day to explore “ghost towns” right in my own backyard. In one day we managed to visit several towns: Cedar Point, Clements, Elmdale, Diamond Creek and Dunlap. It was a glorious fall day today. The leaves are starting to turn and the cool fall air coupled with abundant sunshine made…
Missouri State Pen
This weekend I had the opportunity to live a dream — an overnight paranormal investigation of a decommissioned prison. I went with a group to Missouri State Penitentiary, in Jefferson City, Mo., which was originally opened in 1836 and decommissioned in 2004. It was once the largest prison in the United States and held 5,200…
Birthday wanderings
In true Wandering Pigeon style, I got lost for my birthday. What an incredible day it was. First, one of my passions is photographing old and abandoned things. Especially buildings, and my birthday road trip didn’t disappoint. It provided some surprises along the way too. Osage City provided my first photographic opportunity. But they weren’t selling slushes…
Wamego, a Kansas gem
Love it or hate it (and no, this isn’t a political post) — Kansas is a pretty unique place. Who else can claim the famed Oz with Dorothy and Toto? And who else, but Wamego, can claim a fitting museum — the Oz Museum? There isn’t another state in the United States that can claim…
The Emerald City lives up to its name: DK 200
I’ve long called Emporia my Emerald City. A term I starting using for Emporia one day as I came up one of the final hills northbound on the Kansas Turnpike at dusk. I’ve always loved Emporia and the way it shimmers in the distance a few miles outside of town reminds of the Emerald City. Saturday,…
Goodbye Joyland
Disclaimer: All the photos were taken legally — I never entered the park. It is so sad to see that the demolition of former amusement park, Joyland, is in full swing. For those of you who don’t know what Joyland is: Joyland Amusement Park was an amusement park in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It was in continuous…
Joyland Wichita, KS
Disclaimer: All photos were obtained legally, without trespassing from a public right of way. Saturday I visited a childhood haunt in Wichita, Ks. From Wikipedia: Joyland Amusement Park is a former amusement park in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It was in continuous operation for 55 years, from June 12, 1949, to 2004.[citation needed] The park was…
The Wandering Pigeon 