Tag Archives: Kansas

What Do You See in a Salt Mine?

You may not think of a salt mine as an exciting place to visit, but I’ll swear otherwise. Here’ ‘s a roundup of four salt mines I feel are worth your time and way more than a grain of that mineral.

Wieliczka Salt Mine, Poland

The Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow, Poland, earned one of the 12 prestigious spots on the very first UNESCO World Heritage list. Its operations date back to the 13th century, making it one of the most historic and famous salt mines in the world. Operations continued until 2007, more than 750 years. During World War II, the Germans used the mine as an underground facility for war-related manufacturing. Today, it’s primarily a tourist attraction.

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Tale of Two Kansas Cities

Part 1: Whirlwind Tour in Kansas

If you’re goin’ to Kansas City (like in the song) you are headed to Missouri.  However, if you ‘re driving in Kansas City, Missouri and cross State Line Road, you enter the state of Kansas, but not Kansas City, Kansas.  That aptly named city lies across the river.  Got it?

Chateau Avalon in Kansas City, Kansas
Chateau Avalon in Kansas City, Kansas

I was thoroughly confused until my recent trip to the area.  I landed at Kansas City International Airport and then drove about 15 minutes into Kansas City, Kansas, aka KCK. I had been booked into Chateau Avalon, a 61-room boutique Bed and Breakfast where I found a tin man in my room.  Why Aunty Em, am I really in Kansas or Oz?

Actually the tin man was a knight and my suite named Camelot, but I thought the coincidence was far too wonderful.  The eclectic hotel, with a labyrinth of hallways, is chockful of posh rooms, some with kitschy themes like Egyptian, Hemmingway, Wild West and pirate. Couples find the Chateau a romantic getaway; a hotel where breakfast is always served in bed.  As for me? The tin man didn’t say much, but it was nice to have the gallant fellow in my room.

The tin man in the Camelot Suite, Chateau Avalon
The tin man in the Camelot Suite, Chateau Avalon

During the 1980’s-90’s residents of Kansas City, Kansas found their hometown in a downward economic spiral. Luckily, they got a break. Plans developed to build the $208 million Kansas Speedway that eventually opened in 2000. The NASCAR track spun magic, the opposite of a tornado, and the surrounding county surged with new business. Today, Speedway racecar drivers zoom around a 1.5-mile oval track and new road course.  NASCAR presents two main events per year, overfilling the 75,000-seat grandstands while creating lots of jobs to support all those fans.

Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway

For anyone who truly wants an enviable race experience, reserve a window table at Turn 2 Restaurant in the new Hollywood Casino.  You’ll get an optimal view of the race with less noise.  The restaurant serves American comfort food and features a heart-stopping dessert -phyllo encased brownies.  Of course, gamblers can play the slots, blackjack tables and roulette wheels found downstairs on the casino floor.

Phyllo Wrapped Brownie. Turn 2
Phyllo Wrapped Brownie. Turn 2 Restaurant

Across the street lies Legends Outlet Mall with over 100 restaurants and shops.  Statues and plaques honoring famous folks from Kansas are scattered throughout.  These include former President Dwight Eisenhower, Amelia Earhart, basketball pro Wilt Chamberlin and of course, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.  My favorite part of the complex was the yellow brick road, and yes, I followed it.

Following the Yellow Brick Road in Kansas
Following the Yellow Brick Road in Kansas

Should hunting and fishing be more your thing, visit Cabela’s. Even if hunting and fishing are not your thing, visit Cabela’s and don’t forget to take the kids.  The store is an attraction on its own including a Mule Deer Museum, aquarium, exotic taxidermy safari animals and lots of other critters. The average shopper spends two and a half hours and won’t leave hungry. Anyone want  a smoked elk sandwich? You’ll find one in the second floor deli.

Sports fans celebrated the recent construction of Livestrong Sporting Park, a soccer only stadium, and adjunct to the Speedway.  The venue is the high techiest park in the US and KCK area fans are die-hards. Sitting in the “Cauldron” is like being engulfed in the student section at a major college football game. Watching their constant cheering and waving of flags, banners and arms was almost as entertaining as following the play on the field.

LIVESTRONG Sporting Park
LIVESTRONG Sporting Park

My whirlwind day in Wyandotte County also included a stop at the National Agriculture Hall of Fame, a spot I didn’t think I’d enjoy, but…was I ever wrong. They display a machine that normally sits out in the fields.  Cows enter at will and somehow the machine mechanically finds and then attaches what I’ll call ‘milking hands’ onto a cow’s teats. The apparatus is programed to know how long to attend to each cow and then records the information. Very cool.

Milking Machine at National Agriculture Hall of Fame
Milking Machine at National Agriculture Hall of Fame

Kansas City, Kansas whirled such surprises, I felt my head spin like Dorothy’s house. It wasn’t quite time for me to click my heels and to go home, however. The next morning I was scheduled to follow the road back over the river to explore Kansas City, Missouri or KCMO.

Please return to read Part II of my Tale of Two Kansas Cities.

Baking Mountain Dew Cupcakes

I’m not a fan of Mountain Dew, but I tasted a cupcake in Topeka, Kansas that was enough to make me holler, “Ya-Hoo”. By golly, it did seem to tickle my innards- as the slogan claimed. I thought the unusual treat was fantastic and I loved its green color. I’d describe the taste as sparkling with lemon and lime flavors. 

 My Mountain Dew Cupcakes
My Mountain Dew Cupcakes

When I recently decided to bake cupcakes for a friend’s birthday, I thought I’d try the recipe. Although my cupcakes seemed rather dense, they were still very flavorful and tangy.  I’d make them again.

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