Anybody Ever Have Any Fun in Wichita?

[ronandannette]

We're headed there this upcoming weekend to see an old friend. We're all out-of-towners; agreed to meet in Wichita because it's halfway between where he lives in northern Kansas and OKC, where we'll be flying into. We've got one full day. Besides just sitting around the hotel and visiting, is there anything particularly interesting to see or do there?

 

[Micca]

I grew up there but haven't lived there for years, I do go back occasionally to see family and friends. I don't know what I'd recommend for "fun", it's easy to get around if you have a car. They do have some nice restaurant choices there, you might check Reddit for current recommendations. This place gets good reviews, and it'll get you out of the hotel lobby https://botanica.org/

 

[ronandannette]

I grew up there but haven't lived there for years, I do go back occasionally to see family and friends. I don't know what I'd recommend for "fun", it's easy to get around if you have a car. They do have some nice restaurant choices there, you might check Reddit for current recommendations. This place gets good reviews, and it'll get you out of the hotel lobby https://botanica.org/

Thanks! We will be grabbing a rental at OKC and driving up first thing Saturday morning. Staying at the Hotel at Oldtown - ever heard of it? We're going to dinner-theater (how mid-western, right? ) Saturday night and I think I'd like to try this mystical Cracker Barrel that's spoken of for breakfast on Sunday. So that just leaves an afternoon. If there was anything of particular historical or geographical significance, we'd give it a look. The Gardens is a decent idea.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Anybody Ever Have Any Fun in Wichita?

For a moment there, I thought I was on the new Controversial board.

 

[BrianL]

For a moment there, I thought I was on the new Controversial board.

That's what I wanted to say - "No, nobody has ever had any fun in Wichita."

 

[TiggerTrigger]

We spent the night in Wichita during a road trip. We didn't have a ton of time there, but we explored the campus of Wichita State, drove around downtown for a bit, and also went by Frank Lloyd Wright's Allen House. We only saw it from the outside, but they do tours. There were also some really nice looking park areas along the rivers, not to far from downtown. There were also a number of cutesy places to eat around the Allen House area. I think we ate at some pizza place called Ziggy's. I believe it was in an old converted house, but there were several neat looking eateries around as well as some ice cream shops.

 

[firefly_ris]

The botanical gardens looks nice, and the underground salt mine looks interesting, but I've never been to Wichita so take that with a grain of salt (badum bum). There also appears to be a Frank Lloyd Wright home there too which I always like (we have 2 here in western new york). We do a lot of driving trips with stops in "random" places so I'm of the belief you can find something interesting almost anywhere you go.

 

[Micca]

Staying at the Hotel at Oldtown - ever heard of it?

Not really. The development of Old Town was still underway when I moved from there. It's def in the entertainment district in the heart of the city. I'd imagine it's a nice spot in an old vintage building.

We're going to dinner-theater (how mid-western, right?

Haha, yeah I suppose so. I've lived in the midwest for much of my many years and have never been to one, but it could be fun.

I think I'd like to try this mystical Cracker Barrel that's spoken of for breakfast on Sunday.

By all means you should try it! It's just diner food in a rustic setting but certainly people enjoy it. A local joint called "Nu Way" is interesting. It's crumbled up ground beef served on a burger bun and it is delicious. I know it doesn't sound like much, but the way they season and prepare makes it yummy. It's a "Malt Shop/Soda Fountain" kind of place, there are several locations.

If there was anything of particular historical or geographical significance, we'd give it a look.

There's a lot of Old West history there, maybe this? https://www.oldcowtown.org/Pages/default.aspx

"No, nobody has ever had any fun in Wichita."

That's not true Brian! It was a really fun place, but then I moved away.

 

[Micca]

There also appears to be a Frank Lloyd Wright home there too which I always like

I totally forgot about the FLW house! My in-laws lived across the street from it! D'oh! It is cool if you can get a tour. Good suggestion!

 

[ford family]

Nobody suggested asking the lineman?

ford family

 

[mickeyboat]

Nobody suggested asking the lineman?

ford family

Can't - he's still on the line.

Eta - I lived in Derby many years ago and don't remember there being much to do except there was a zoo I think.

 

[Micca]

don't remember there being much to do except there was a zoo

Yes and though I haven't been there this century, it has a solid reputation. So there's another option.

 

[TippyThomas]

Dang, now I've got that song stuck in my head.

 

[fla4fun]

We're headed there this upcoming weekend to see an old friend. We're all out-of-towners; agreed to meet in Wichita because it's halfway between where he lives in northern Kansas and OKC, where we'll be flying into. We've got one full day. Besides just sitting around the hotel and visiting, is there anything particularly interesting to see or do there?

Try asking the front desk at your hotel for suggestions. You will get a local’s perspective and they could give you ideas that you might not get from fellow travelers.

 

[AppleDumpling]

If you’re in the downtown area, you can walk across the river on a pedestrian bridge and see the landmark statue called the Keeper of the Plains, which honors the city’s Native American history. At night, they light a ring of fire around it.

 

[lovesmurfs]

If you're willing to travel a bit, the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson is about an hour away. It's an air/space museum second in size only to the Smithsonian.

If there's interest in that stuff, it's amazing.

https://cosmo.org/

 

[Micca]

a ring of fire

Dang, now I've got that song in my head!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We spent the night in Wichita during a road trip. We didn't have a ton of time there, but we explored the campus of Wichita State, drove around downtown for a bit, and also went by Frank Lloyd Wright's Allen House. We only saw it from the outside, but they do tours. There were also some really nice looking park areas along the rivers, not to far from downtown. There were also a number of cutesy places to eat around the Allen House area. I think we ate at some pizza place called Ziggy's. I believe it was in an old converted house, but there were several neat looking eateries around as well as some ice cream shops.

It sounds like you travel the way we do. When we have very limited time in an area, we always drive around the downtown area, drive around the college campuses, then look for anything unusual that we can quickly see.

Try asking the front desk at your hotel for suggestions. You will get a local’s perspective and they could give you ideas that you might not get from fellow travelers.

You would think that would be the case, but we've found it exceedingly rare. We spend a lot of time in hotels. The front desk is rarely helpful, unless they have a concierge.

I know your sister works in a hotel. Does she find that people normally work there a long time? We run into many more people who say they just moved to the area or they just started working there. Occasionally, we do get lucky & find someone who knows the area well, especially in small towns. Conversely, bartenders & servers are often a good source of local information.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

It sounds like you travel the way we do. When we have very limited time in an area, we always drive around the downtown area, drive around the college campuses, then look for anything unusual that we can quickly see.

Definitely for some of it. This was the first day of a 6,500 mile road trip and I was trying to make the journey as interesting as our key destinations. We'd driven from Houston to Wichita on day 1 with a stop in Oklahoma City to see the national memorial and the softball hall of fame. We made it to Wichita much earlier than planned, so we tried to make the most of that one evening we'd be in town. The next morning, we were on the road again...driving through parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota before stopping for the evening in Fargo.

 

[fla4fun]

You would think that would be the case, but we've found it exceedingly rare. We spend a lot of time in hotels. The front desk is rarely helpful, unless they have a concierge.

I know your sister works in a hotel. Does she find that people normally work there a long time? We run into many more people who say they just moved to the area or they just started working there. Occasionally, we do get lucky & find someone who knows the area well, especially in small towns. Conversely, bartenders & servers are often a good source of local information.

Yes, they have a lot of people who have worked there more than ten years. They were just starting a major refurbishment when the Pandemic hit, so they closed until the refurbishment was completed (about two years). Many of their employees found other jobs during the interim but I would say at least 80% of them came back when her hotel reopened, probably more. Of course, that all comes down to the working conditions and culture, and they have a good manager there who is firm but fair. Having a good boss can make all the difference.

I agree with including bartenders and servers when it comes to recommendations. I have also asked bell services when they are taking my bags to the room. It’s an easy conversation starter and I never know what info I will receive.