Cowboy Country - Kansas and Oklahoma

Before entering Kansas, we need to have our boots and hats ready as we're going straight through the heart of Cowboy Country!

We're hoping to follow the Santa Fe Trail from Kansas City to Kanopolis State Park. Before the railroad was built in 1872, the Santa Fe Trail used to be a major trade route across Kansas into Santa Fe New Mexico. It was also a very dangerous route with travelers having to take their wagons along 900 miles of arid plains, desert and mountains with very little freshwater and food and the danger of a Native American attack. We are lucky to be doing this trail with a car full of supplies, we just need to watch out for the rattlesnakes!

We're then heading to Wichita which has a lot of reasons to be famous - Aircraft capital city, world's first Pizza Hut, tornadoes (Wichita is part of Tornado Alley), etc... but most important to us, our mate Jay used to visit it a lot and we're looking forward to seeing the people and places he described in real life!

After Wichita, we are leaving Kansas and heading into Oklahoma down the Chisholm Trail. The Chisholm Trail was used after the civil war to drive cattle from ranches in Texas to the railroad in Kansas and each have their own unique history from the time.

After reaching Oklahoma city, we are then picking up Route 66 to Tulsa! This part of Route 66 is supposed to be pretty special with lots of neon road attractions including POP, a restaurant with the largest collection of fizzy drinks in the world.

Plan for Kansas:

State:	Kansas
Towns of Interest: (FB) = Firebreak	Wichita Hutchinson
National Parks:	N/A
State Parks of Interest:	Mushroom Rock State Park Kanopolis State Park
Places of Interest: (N) = Night Stay	Santa Fe Trail (National Historic Trail - Route 56) - Kansas to Dodge City Council Grove (Tree stump shrine for the treaty that was agreed to allow travelers through Indian land) Marion Lake Kanopolis State Park (N) (From the towering Dakota sandstone bluffs to the caves and crevices of Horsethief Canyon, the park and surrounding area offer rugged beauty and stunning vistas) Mushroom Rock State Park (The 5 acre park is about 2 miles south of the highway on dirt roads that can be very bad after a rain. Rocks have a mushroom shape) Cheyenne Bottoms Refuge (Called the Jewel of the Prairie)  Hutchinson  Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center (A space museum, with a collections of international space hardware) Strataca / Kansas Underground Salt Museum (Underground Salt Mine) Wichita (N) Botanica: The Wichita Gardens (collection of themed gardens covering nearly 20 acres of Wichita land) Old Cowtown Museum (located outside of downtown Wichita on the banks of the Arkansas River. Composed of over 50 historic and recreated buildings, the museum illustrates how the city of Wichita and the county of Segwick would have appeared between 1860 and 1880) Old Town (Covering a four-block area inside Central, Washington, Douglas, and Santa Fe streets, Old Town Wichita is a historic district comprised of authentic brick streets lined with authentic lampposts and converted warehouses. These spaces now serve as restaurants, shops, cafes, bars, entertainment facilities, art galleries, offices, condos, and other various public attractions.) Wichita Toy Train Club and Museum (The museum is host to a variety of authentic collectable items related to trains, with entire layouts of these rare pieces spread throughout the gallery space. Over 50 feet of display cases exhibit a variety of train and train related items from numerous brands and lines.) The Keeper of the Plains (13.4 metres Cor-Ten steel sculpture by Kiowa-Comanche artist Blackbear Bosin) World's First Pizza Hut Nifty Nut House (Huge sweet and nut shop - number 1 attraction)
Routes of Interest:	Santa Fe Trail (this 240-mile (386-kilometer) drive leaves from Wichita, travels north to Newton, then cuts west and north to Hutchinson, Lyons, and Great Bend before dipping back south to Kinsley and Dodge City. Highlights: Old Cowtown Museum, Mid-America All-Indian Center, Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Boot Hill Museum and Front Street. (http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips/wild-west-kansas-road-trip/))
Where to Stay:	Kanopolis State Park Kanopolis State Park consists of two primary campground areas (Langley Point Area and Horsethief Area). The facilities include nearly 450 campsites that range from primitive to full utility hookups. ($10) Wichita Wichita Suites Hotel ($52) Hotel At Old Town ($87) Wesley Inn ($62) Super 8 Wichita East ($56)
Useful Links:	http://underkansas.org/explore-strataca/about-strataca/ http://www.kshs.org/capitol http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-state-capitol-plan-your-visit/18649 http://ksoutdoors.com/ http://www.travelingwiththejones.com/2013/10/24/roadtrip-across-kansas-5-fun-places-to-stop/ http://www.roadsideamerica.com/location/ks http://www.kansas.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/the-story-of-kansas/article1065044.html

Plan for Oklahoma: 

State:	Oklahoma
Towns of Interest: (FB) = Firebreak	Oklahoma City
National Parks:	N/A
State Parks of Interest:	Natural Falls State Park
Places of Interest: (N) = Night Stay	Chisholm Trail Enid (The historic town of Enid was a well-known watering hole during the cattle drive) Kingfisher Yukon Oklahoma City (Nx2) Bricktown Entertainment District (revitalized downtown warehouse district) National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (This internationally renowned museum, home to the prestigious Prix de West art exhibition, inspires visitors with an astonishing array of Western art, American Indian and frontier artifacts, galleries filled with Western firearms and even a fully constructed turn-of-the-century cattle town) Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum (Learn about the events that led up to the 1995 bombing, its horrific aftermath and the city’s remarkable recovery within the on-site museum, which features bomb-damaged artifacts, moving oral accounts and powerful video presentations.) Historic Stockyards City (one of the largest livestock markets in the world, to immerse yourself in authentic cowboy culture) Downtown Oklahoma City (either walk the Canal or take a guided tour on a boat) Route 66 Dinner at Pops in Arcadia on Route 66 - artdeco building with the most number of pops available in the world  Tulsa (N) Natural Falls State Park (features a 77-foot waterfall cascading through rock formations and creating a hidden, serene atmosphere at the bottom of a narrow V-shaped valley. A railed observation platform allows hikers to overlook the falls and another observation deck with seating is located at the foot of the falls offering two vantage points to enjoy one of the most scenic wonders in the state.)
Routes of Interest:	Route 66 Chisholm Trail (Route 81) - Cattle driving route
Where to Stay:	Oklahoma City Motel 6 ($44) Days Inn Oklahoma City South ($41) Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Oklahoma City Airport ($99) SpringHill Suites by Marriott Oklahoma City Midwest City/Del City ($103)  Tulsa  Studio 6 ($40)  Motel 6 ($49) Desert Hills Motel ($35) - retro route 66 motel
Useful Links:	http://www.travelok.com/things-to-do http://chisholmtrail150.org/ http://www.travelok.com/article_page/road-trip-the-chisholm-trail