Author: kansastrailguide

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Run or bike the first ever Bridge to Bridge event 9/17/16

The first ever Tour de Trails 5k will be this Saturday — 9/17/16. Hosted by the Central Kansas Conservancy, the race will be held start north of the railroad bridge on the Valkommen trail in Lindsborg and then moves onto the Meadowlark Trail.

The Meadowlark Trail, on the former Union Pacific railroad corridor, stretches 13 miles from McPherson to Lindsborg, though you won’t have to go the full length for this race.

There’s a 5k for runners as well as a 5k for cyclists. Here’s the schedule:

9:00 – 9:45 – Registration/Packet Pick up

10:00 – Bike Event Starts

10:10 – Runners/Walkers Event Starts

11:00-12:00 – Finish Line Festivities Enjoy Refreshments and Give-a-Ways!

Registration is $15 and you can sign up here.

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Free parks day on October 1

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas is pairing with the KDWPT to offer up a free state parks day on Saturday, October 1. Check out the video below for more details, and pick up a book here to get your trails picked out!

https://vimeo.com/176605117/3d49ba6b0a

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Flint Hills Nature Trail Challenge On The Verge of Completion!

Flint Hills Nature Trail

Flint Hills Nature Trail near Council Grove

Our challenge to thru-hike the Flint Hills Nature Trail has been accepted, and is on the verge of being completed! Follow the final legs of the trip on the Kanza Rail Trails Conservancy Facebook Group. We’ll post a complete story as soon as the journey is completed, cheer on Maggie Reather as she hikes on towards Council Grove! #FHNT

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Kansas Chocolate Festival in Topeka

A delicious day is coming your way in Topeka on September 24

kansaschocolatefestivallogo_rendered_3f539611-cee1-4104-8a90-f41be5bf4e9eStart the day at 8am with the 12th annual Winged Foot 5k/10k run and 4k walk. Once you’ve finished the race, you’ll get some chocolate treats to keep you going the rest of the day!

From 10am to 5pm, wander along Kansas Avenue to find food trucks (all of which will have at least one specialty item featuring chocolate), live music, and vendors. Watch demonstrations of taffy pulling, chocolate clay, and fudge.

On the main stage, presentations throughout the day will give information on where chocolate comes from, a history of chocolate, pairing chocolate with other foods and spices, and more.

On the Statehouse lawn in the evening, you can watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring the late Gene Wilder.

If you want to show off your cooking skills and get a chance to win $300 – enter the Kansas Chocolate Competition.

Get more details and information about the schedule of events here.

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Visit us at the Kansas Book Festival this weekend

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This Saturday, September 10 is the 6th annual Kansas Book Festival at the statehouse in Topeka.  Kicking off the day is the awards ceremony for the Kansas Notable Book Awards in the House Chamber.

We’re excited and honored to be receiving the award, and we’ll also be presenting and signing books at 2:00 in the Visitor’s Center Auditorium.

Held at the Capitol building in Topeka the festival combines author presentations, vendors, children’s activities and entertainment, and, of course, tasty food!

Find out more details about the full schedule here. Some authors we’re excited to see are George Frazier, author of The Last Wild Places of Kansas and Jane O’Connor, author of the Fancy Nancy series.

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Celebrate the National Parks 100th Birthday in Kansas

2016 is the centennial celebration of  America’s National Parks, and nationally recognized historic sites can be found throughout the state of Kansas. Our favorites are those with trails to explore, like the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City (keep an eye out for the bison herd!) and the Brown V Board of Education National Historic Site which is the start to the Landon Nature Trail.

Here are two places to join in the celebrations for the National Parks on the official parks birthday weekend (August 27 and 28).

Baseball game at Fort Scott, early 20th century. Don Miller. NPS website.

Baseball game at Fort Scott, early 20th century. Don Miller. NPS website.

August 27, 2016 at Fort Scott National Historic Site – Vintage baseball and picnic in the park

From the NPS website:

Bring your family and a picnic basket full of your favorite food.Eat on the grounds of a frontier 1840s fort while listening to period music.Music will be provided from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Then at 1:00 p.m., you are invited to watch a Civil War era baseball game that will be held on the grounds of the historic site. Two vintage teams will square off against each other;the Topeka Westerns will take on the Wichita Bull Stockings in a rousing game using 1860s rules, uniforms, and equipment.

August 27, 2016 at Fort Larned – Picnic in the park

A prairie dog show and talk starts the day at 10am at the visitor’s center, and throughout the day will be presentations on the history of the area along with a concert by the revived Fort Larned Post Band. Find out more details of the day here.

 

We’ll keep you updated on more centennial park events throughout the rest of the year.

Planning to go to one of these? Let us know in the comments!

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3 Kansas restaurants to celebrate National S’Mores Day

So it’s National S’mores Day. I’m not sure when the tradition started of making national days began – already in August, according to NationalDayCalendar.com, there’s been a National Raspberry Cream Pie Day (August 1), National Root Beer Float Day (August 6), and National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day (August 8).

Photo by Derek E-Jay

These days are a bit strange, yes, but why not join in on the fun!

While s’mores are the classic end of a camping/trail day treat, toasted over a fire, here are three places in Kansas where you can get your s’mores fix without the campfire.

The Donut Whole (1720 E Douglas Ave, Wichita) makes their donuts from scratch with locally sourced ingredients and along with other unique flavors like Maple Bacon and Peanut Butter and Grape, they’ve got a S’mores donut. Oh, and they’ve got a 24-hour drive up window.

The vanilla marshmallows are made in house at Pinstripes (Prairiefire, 13500 Nall Avenue, Overland Park) for their s’mores dessert. You can counter some of the calories by playing bocce ball or going bowling.

At Sheridan’s Frozen Custard (stores around Kansas City and in Topeka) you can get a cone filled with fresh made vanilla frozen custard and topped with marshmallow creme, graham cracker, and chocolate chips.

 

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World’s largest Czech egg now upright in Wilson

Kristin by the Czech Egg in Wilson

Kristin by the Czech Egg in Wilson

Built in 2012, painted in 2015, and now standing proudly in its own pavilion in the tiny town of Wilson, Kansas is a 22 foot tall Czech egg.

Wilson, a town of around 800 people, is the Czech capital of Kansas due to the large number of immigrants from there that settled in the area.

Now about that egg. The tradition of painting eggs with intricate designs at/around Easter is centuries old, and these eggs are called kraslice. And this 7,000 pound hollow structure was hand-painted with motifs and designs symbolizing good fortune and new beginnings. It’s world’s largest status isn’t yet technically official as Guinness World Records still has to measure and sign off, but I’d defy you to name a larger Czech egg anywhere!

If you go:

Exit 206 off of I-70

Corner of 27th Street and Avenue D

 

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Presentation and book signing in Hays – July 30 at 1pm

We’ll be in Hays at the Hays Public Library at 1pm this Saturday, July 30. Our presentation will include just what you can find on the trails of Kansas if you take the time to get off the highway.

Far more than a flyover state, Kansas has plenty of trails for those on foot, on wheels, and on horseback. We’ll tell you our favorite spots around the state, give you some information about writing the book, sign books, and books will be available to buy a $24.95.

Hays Public Library