Kansas has so many tornados it is called Tornado Alley. Lebanon, Kansas is the exact MIDDLE of the United States! And the Oz Museum is in Kansas. You can visit Dorothy’s ruby slippers and other props from the movie Wizard Of Oz!
Tallgrass Prairie is a natural wonder located in the Flint Hills of Kansas. There are many insects, birds, and mammals that live in the Tallgrass prairie. Mostly bison. The bison live off the grass in Tallgrass Prairie! The grass is short in the spring and tall in the fall. There was once 170 million acres of Tallgrass prairie in North America. Now there is just 4%, mostly in Kansas at the nature preserve.
Strataca is an underground salt museum in Hutchinson, Kansas. The salt mines are 650 feet below the surface. It started in 1923 as the Carey Salt Mine. It became the Hutchinson Salt Company in 1990. It has 150 miles of tunnels! The salt deposits are 250 million years old. Visit and take a train ride through the mine!
William Becknell started the Santa Fe trail in 1821. The trail is 900 miles from Franklin, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The trail is a trade trail. It’s for moving goods, not people. Railroad came in 1880 and ended the need for the trail. You can still see wagon ruts left by wagon wheels. Wildlife that lived in the plains were coyotes, antelope, hawks, meadowlarks, mule deer, & herds of bison. Now cattle graze instead of bison, trees instead of open prarie, and highways instead of the trail.
Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly by herself across the Atlantic Ocean. She received the United States “distinguished flying cross” for this. she was born July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas. Her home is a museum. You can visit and learn more about her life. She disappeared on July 2nd, 1837. She was trying to fly around the world. She went missing over the Pacific Ocean. She has been missing for 82 years, 10 months, and 30 days.
Kansas is also known as the Sunflower State. The sunflower is also Kansas’s state flower. The sunflower is known for seeds and oil. Mount Sunflower is the highest place in Kansas. Fun fact: the worlds tallest sunflower reaches 30 feet and one inch! I made a picture of a sunflower too.
Piper,
You have made me curious about Kansas for the first time. You discovered some really interesting places there that would be very fun to visit. I would love to see the original props from the Wizard of Oz. Amelia Earhart’s house would be interesting to see too.
I think the prairie would be beautiful. I’ve heard that it looks like the ocean when it is breezy because the grass moves like the waves
You voice was clear in the details and fun facts that you shared.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas
Who knew Kansas would be so interesting ~ peaceful and quiet!
🌻Mrs. Eaves