Another excellent day to ditch the interstate and take the scenic way from Kansas City to Wichita. A few well placed stops turned a simple drive into something worth remembering.
I picked up the Prairie Spirit Trail in Richmond, part of the Kansas State Parks system and stretching 52 miles from Ottawa to Iola. As previously documented, I was raised as a proud indoor child, so hiking and biking are not exactly my love language. But I respect the effort.
This made park number 19 for me out of 29. At this point I’ve got a shot glass collection that could qualify as a small museum, so adding a line of Kansas State Parks glasses feels like an obvious next step. I’m just saying, I’m ready to do my part for the gift shop economy.
Following the trail south, or at least running alongside it like a supportive but less athletic friend, I rolled into Garnett.
The old train depot there has been standing since 1931, saved from demolition and now serving as a trailhead and a great photo stop.
Around it, the town added a few artistic touches including a bicycle sculpture created by local artist Jenelle Klehammer about three years ago. It’s called, “I ride my bike, I roller skate, don’t drive no car.” An ode to Benny.
There is also a carved stone piece called “Unity Creates Possibilities…Together We Can Achieve Our Goals.” Up close, what looks like a simple rock turns into a garden of carved flowers and butterflies also by Klehammer.
A few blocks away, Donna Harris Memorial Park packs a lot into a small space. There is a fountain, a Victorian style clock, and a mural painted by local artists Tessa McCown, Lillian Richardson, and Asa Young.
They donated the talent, and the community covered the supplies. That feels about right for a Kansas town.
The Anderson County Courthouse anchors the square, surrounded by green space and the county’s veterans memorial, built in 2021 with interactive kiosks.
It is also home to one of the Strengthen the Arm of Liberty statues, which always feel like they are mid speech, rallying the courthouse pigeons.
Then there is the Walker Art Gallery. For a town this size, walking inside feels like stumbling onto a grand piano in a one room cabin. The Mary Bridget McAuliffe Walker Collection started in 1951 and somehow grew into a lineup that includes:
John Steuart Curry, Robert Henri, Walt Kuhn, Edouard Manet, and Dale Chihuly. You walk in expecting “local gallery” and leave wondering how Garnett pulled this off.
The answer involves a letter, a little luck, and a New York art dealer named Maynard Walker. A resident wrote asking if he had local ties. He wrote back. Months later he offered to loan a few paintings. That turned into a full donation, which turned into more donations. What started as about 70 pieces grew into something much bigger. Not a bad return on a single letter.
Next stop, Iola. Right in the center of town sits a clock and bell that once belonged to the 1905 Allen County Courthouse.
The building is gone, replaced in 1959, but the clock stuck around thanks to a few folks who knew it deserved better than the scrap pile. It now keeps time like a retired old pro that still shows up to work.
Iola also honors its veterans with a memorial nearby, and just around the corner sits the boyhood home of Frederick Funston.
He packed a lot into 51 years. Arctic exploring, a 1,500 mile canoe trip down the Yukon, fighting with Cuban forces, rising through the ranks to Major General, and earning the Medal of Honor. Also, he was about five foot four, which makes the whole resume feel even more overachieving.
Just outside of town is one of Kansas’ newest state parks, Lehigh Portland, built on the bones of an old cement plant and quarry along Elm Creek. The visitor center is still coming together, but the setting is already doing its job. Trails wind through the area and the lake is genuinely impressive. I could absolutely see us staying here, assuming “roughing it” includes air conditioning, running water, and electricity.
Yates Center wrapped up the day. It holds the title of county seat for Woodson County and the 1923 courthouse stands right in the middle of town like it has been waiting for you to show up.
Out front, the veterans memorial reads like a quiet roll call in stone. Names from every era, arranged with care, meant to be walked up to and read, not just passed at 30 miles an hour. In a town this size, those names still echo. That is what makes it land a little differently.
Before heading out, I took a look at the old Woodson Hotel, built in 1887 and now living a second life as apartments. Its best story involves Buffalo Bill and a night that got a little too lively, ending in a full blown brawl after management asked everyone to settle down. Even the quiet towns have their moments.
There are plenty of other great stories and road trips to check out.
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