Kansas Holidays

Kansas’ pastoral landscape is wide open and sparsely populated, making for unbeatable scenery that you’re free to explore at your own pace. Twelve scenic byways crisscross the state, taking you from areas like Flint Hills’ tallgrass prairie, where the bison still roam, to the 80 million-year-old Little Jerusalem and Monument Rocks in the western Badlands. Prepare for fishing and kayaking along the Kansas River Trail, dotted with small prairie towns and teeming with wildlife and natural beauty. Delve into caverns nearly 200 metres underground at Strataca Underground Salt Museum, and see spectacular flocks of migrating birds at Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Cycle or ride horseback along the 188-kilometre Flint Hills Nature Trail that follows the old Santa Fe Trail route. Dazzling sunflower fields in summer almost make it worth planning your trip around peak bloom season.
 
Food to Remember
When you sink your teeth into the unmistakable flavours of Kansas City-style barbecue – meats slow smoked over a variety of woods and covered with thick tomato- and molasses-based sauces – you’ll understand what all the fuss is about. And don’t forget to order famed Kansas beef served in steakhouses across the state. Kansans are friendly by nature and are happy to direct you to their favorite places to get barbecue, fried chicken and homemade pies – just some of the preferred comfort foods in abundance. You can even go straight to the source and pick up field-fresh produce, milk, cheese and flowers at working farmsteads. One thing to keep in mind when it comes to Kansas cuisine: Don’t let curb appeal fool you. Some of the best eating is in mom-and-pop, off-the-beaten-path local hangouts.