Travel Highlights: Toto, Are We Really in Kansas Right Now?
As we worked our way south from Iowa, we stopped in Lawrence, Kansas to spend a week visiting with friends who live in the nearby town of Olathe.
Our homeschooling curriculum had us reading The Wizard of Oz later in the year, but how could we not skip ahead and read it together while we were in Kansas? As a home educator, reading this book in this place was one of the coolest parts of the trip for me.
I couldn’t help but find myself saying, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” all week long because the northeastern part of the state was absolutely nothing like what I had been expecting. I love how this trip is challenging me to confront my preconceived notions.
Here’s the highlight reel from our time in Kansas:
First Impressions
I was immediately taken aback by the beauty of the Kansas sky. The blue seemed to expand forever into the distance and the clouds looked like perfectly plump tufts of delicious whipped cream. Now I’m drooling.
There was much more to do than we were expecting, too. We weren’t bored for a minute during our weeklong stay. In fact, we could have used some more time to explore the area (but, maybe not in November when it was a little too chilly for our North Carolina hearts).
Where We Stayed
We stayed at Clinton State Park, in campground three, which offered electric hookups and pretty views of the lake through the woods. Plenty of spots had full-sun available for those who use solar panels, but we chose a wooded spot for a little more privacy.
Since November is off-season, we weren’t able to make reservations before our stay and I was nervous that we wouldn’t get a spot. But, of course we had no problem finding a free spot…because it was off-season.
Still, there were quite a few campers out there with us. The campground was quiet, the kids enjoyed the playground, and Lake Clinton offers gorgeous sunset views. We would definitely stay at Clinton State Park again.
What We Did
Between spending time with friends and running all the errands involved with being brand new to the full time travel lifestyle, we didn’t have too much time to explore all the beautiful natural areas surrounding us.
Still, we saw at least ten deer in the campground every night on the way back to camp, the kids enjoyed taking hikes down to the water, and they even spotted a young bald eagle on one of their hikes!
On a particularly cold and wet day, Mitch took the kids over to the University of Kansas Natural History Museum and they all loved it! They explored fossils, plants, fluorescent minerals, and sculptures (Lee was particularly interested in the ones pictured below).
There was so much to see and explore in the museum. We all highly recommend you stop by when you’re visiting the area!
What We Ate
We have been trying to stay away from in-person dining before the kids are vaccinated against Covid, but we made an exception for El Potro Mexican Cafe in Lawrence.
And, I’m glad we did! The staff was very precautious and there was plenty of space inside to distance. The food was fabulous, the jalapeño margarita was spicy, and they offer free queso and chips. In the opinion of the Arndts, there’s not much better than free queso.
The best thing we ate, hands down, didn’t come from a restaurant. One of our friends made a delicious home-cooked shrimp and grits and it was to die for. And, for the second time while writing this, I am drooling.
Of course, the best part of Kansas was visiting with friends we hadn’t seen in years and watching our kids play together.
But even if we didn’t have a reason to visit again soon, we would definitely be back to visit all the beauty and nature northeast Kansas has to offer.
