Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Dorothy’s House and The Land of Oz

Connie Attractions & Events, Kansas August 5, 2019August 3, 2019Dorothy's House and The Land of Oz, Liberal Kansas attractions, Things to do in Liberal KS 6 Comments

When insurance salesman Max Zimmerman attended a convention in California in 1978, he went to dinner with his name tag still on. His waitress told him she had never been to Kansas. Max asked what she might expect to see in the state. She replied, “Dorothy’s house,” referring to the classic movie The Wizard of Oz. So upon his return home to Liberal, Kansas, Max and the community worked to bring Dorothy’s house to Liberal. Today, the attraction includes both Dorothy’s House and The Land of Oz.

B-29 Doc Comes Home to Wichita

Connie Attractions & Events, Kansas May 9, 2019December 21, 2019air show, aircraft, B-29, bomber, Doc, Kansas, Superfortress, Wichita, World War II, World War II aircraft, WWII 0 Comment

The restored B-29 Superfortress named Doc is back home in Wichita, Kansas, where it was made during World War II. The aircraft appears in 12 to 15 air shows every year and offers periodic rides. When not at an air show, visitors can tour the plane at the B-29 Doc Hangar, Education & Visitors Center in Wichita.

Dalton Gang Hideout Secret Tunnel

Connie Attractions & Events, Kansas April 17, 2019February 16, 2024Dalton Gang Hideout, Meade Kansas, Things to do near Liberal KS 0 Comment

The little house on a corner in Meade, Kansas, looked like any family home in the late 1800s. The family who lived there appeared to be the average family. John Whipple owned a local mercantile. His wife, Eva, partnered in a millinery shop before the two married and Eva gave birth to a little girl. But the wife and mother didn’t come from your average family. She was a Dalton, and three of her ten brothers belonged to the Dalton Gang. After Eva and John moved out of the little house on the corner, a 95-foot tunnel connecting the house with the barn was discovered. Historians believe Eva occasionally harbored the Dalton Gang in the house, and the Wild West outlaws used the tunnel to avoid being noticed. Today you can tour the Dalton Gang Hideout, walking from the barn, though the tunnel, and into the house.

2018 Midwest Wanderer Year in Review

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Ohio, Road Trips January 4, 2019January 4, 2019Alton Audubon Eagle Festival, Great River Road 2 Comments

What a busy year! As we look back on our photos, it’s hard to believe we packed so much into 2018. Besides two month-long trips west, we spent a lot of time touring the Midwest. We traveled the Great River Road from the Mississippi River headwaters near Bemidji, Minnesota, down to the Quad Cities. We also visited southwest Kansas for the first time, with stops in Liberal and Dodge City. As we look at our year in review, we’re sharing a few photo highlights from our 2018 travels, which perhaps will give you inspiration for your 2019 travel plans.

Mid-America Air Museum: 100+ Aircraft, Home-Built to Military

Connie Attractions & Events, Kansas, Podcast November 14, 2018July 4, 2022Air museum in Kansas, Air museum in Liberal KS, Aviation museum in Kansas, Liberal Kansas, Liberal Kansas attractions, Mid-America Air Museum, Things to do in Liberal KS 5 Comments

The lightweight Beechcraft 35 Bonanza civilian airplane, produced post-World War II, was expensive compared to other personal aircraft. Because of the steep price, mostly professionals, like doctors and lawyers, could afford them. The tail, an unusual V shape, was designed to reduce both the weight and drag of the aluminum plane, helping to make it faster than most of its competitors. But unfortunately, the tail design was also attributed to an initial high accident rate. That early Bonanza became known as the “Doctor Killer.” The Beechcraft 35 Bonanza background was just one of many fascinating stories we learned as we wandered the Mid-America Air Museum in Liberal, Kansas. Located on the former Liberal Army Air Field, the museum displays over 100 planes, ranging from small home-built aircraft to large military jets.

Dodge City Trolley Tour: Exploring Queen of Cow Towns

Connie Attractions & Events, Kansas November 5, 2018November 5, 2018Boot Hill Museum, Dodge City, Dodge City KS, Dodge City tours, Dodge City Trolley Tour, Fort Dodge, Gospel Hill Dodge City, Kansas attractions, Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame, Mueller-Schmidt House, Santa Fe Depot, Tours of Dodge City 0 Comment

Bar brawls and gunfights were the norm in Dodge City’s early days. Today, it’s a thriving cattle city. On the Dodge City Trolley Tour we learned about both the city’s lawless Old West days, and about today’s thriving cattle industry, which makes up 60% of the area’s economy. It’s not surprising that Dodge City, located in southwest Kansas, is known as the “Queen of the Cow Towns.”