Prairie Passages in Kansas

This is a U. S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration program:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/greenerroadsides/sum03p4.htm
with beautiful brochure, I'll share at class next Tuesday. Among other things, it is a "pioneering partnership, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas were funded by the Federal Highway Administration to develop a plan for a national wildflower corridor...planting of native wildflowers and grasses along roadsides." !!

In the brochure: "A VANISHING PRAIRIE: Many roadsides in eastern Kansas allow the motoist to appreciate a vanishing prairie. Will less than one percent of the tallgrass prairie remaining in North America, these roadsides preserve and display this unique native landscape. Please help us preserve and protect the roadsides by not picking wildflowers and native grasses or stopping along the roadway."

;-)

The Leave No Trace Principles of Outdoor Ethics

Excellent principles for experiential tourism, agritourism!
http://www.lnt.org/programs/lnt7/index.html

Look over the whole site and their programs, as well.
Great program, great reminders.

Dr. Bill ;-)

Restored Schoolhouse, District No. 8, east of Madison

The Weekend edition of the Emporia Gazette, on the front page of the Essence Section, has a wonderful story, today, of the 1930s style rural school that has been preserved and now restored, two miles east of Madison, Kansas, on Kansas Highway 58, District No. 8.

Schools classes from Emporia, Olpe, Madison and Hamilton have spent a day at the restored brick school, restored to its 1930s condition.

Dr. Bill ;-)

Bleeding Kansas National Heritage Area

Twenty three counties in eastern Kansas are in line to be declared a National Heritage Area, see website at:

http://bleedingkansas.org/

The feasibility study is especially interesting, along with the story, of course.

Dr. Bill ;-)

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Celebration

On Saturday, October 15, there will be a Celebration in the FLINT HILLS OF KANSAS at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Chase County, Kansas.
Their website is: http://www.nps.gov/tapr/
Evening BBQ and Dance, afternoon Live Auction benefiting the Kansas Park Trust and Nature Conservancy, and day long tour events. Governor Sebelius will make an announcement at 2:30 p.m. Enjoy a great day on the prairie in the FLINT HILLS OF KANSAS!

Dr. Bill ;-)

Cultural Heritage Tourism website of interest

See: http://vision3.com/stuff/culturalHeritage/site/resources.htm

Start with the upper left corner: How to get started: a) The Four Steps, and b) The Five Principles.

Check it out.

Dr. Bill ;-)

Quail Valley Fun Barn, Winfield

Look forward to visiting the Quail Valley Fun Barn, south of Winfield.
Website: http://www.thefunbarn.com/index.htm
I've seen Les Gillam and his band perform, folks love to dance to them!
They are coming to the Fun Barn... great entertainment.

Dr. Bill ;-)

Better Fermata report location-Flint Hills of Kanas

The Fermata report, and many of the parts that are hard to read in the full report, are now available at their website:
http://www.fermatainc.com/kansas/

Here you have many options, full, executive, appendix, and full page photos of the brochures that only in thumbnail in the report.

Meeting with Kansas Department of Commerce folks soon, to collaborate on implementation parts we can work on.

Dr. Bill ;-)

Fermata, Inc., report on Kansas Flint Hills arrives

The Kansas Flint Hills report from Fermata, Inc., prepared for the Kansas Department of Commerce, Travel and Tourism Division, is now available for review and implementation, at:

http://www.webabouteverything.com/fermata/fhexptourismstrategy092305.pdf

I am very pleased with the Heritage Theme adopted. I really did not expect them to be so broad, comprehensive, in their approach, but I certainly to accept it. I look forward to partnering and cooperating on implementation planning.

More comments to come!

Dr. Bill ;-)

Jane Eckert, Ben Allen in Flint HIlls of Kansas

There was a good "round-table discussion" in Emporia, today, on agritourism opportunities in the FLINT HILLS OF KANSAS. Several providers actively participated with agritourism leaders Jane Eckert and Ben Allen and members of the sponsoring Flint Hills RC&D Agritourism Initiative Committee at the Lyon County Extension Service Meeting Room. Also attending were three of the MBA students in Dr. Smith's Entrepreneurship through Agritourism MBA class at Emporia State University.

Dr. Bill ;-)

Kansas Flint Hills Adventures and Jan Jantzen

Another important activity in the FLINT HILLS OF KANSAS:

The Grandview Ranch is home to Kansas Flint Hills Adventures and Jan Jantzen.

His web site is: http://www.kansasflinthillsadventures.com/

Note, however, that Kansas Flint Hills Adventures is:

A “by appointment business” located in the Greater Emporia area of Kansas (620) 342-2625 – call Jan on the telephone to arrange for your visit. He wants to talk to his clients. It is an important part of his experiential tourism service business. You will enjoy the adventure!

Dr. Bill ;-)

Visit Chautauqua County, in the Flint Hills of Kanas

Consider a visit to Chautauqua County, the very south end of the Flint Hills of Kansas. Highway 99 runs straight south (a few little westward jogs) into Oklahoma, right through Chautauqua County, the home of our Ben Allen (http://www.emporia.edu/business/baeprojects.php - scroll down a bit to see Ben Allen). U.S. 166 runs east and west through the county. Sedan is the county seat, on 99, and home of Bill Kurtis and the Red Buffalo Ranch (just north of town a couple of miles, west of K 99), and many improvements in the town main street - art galleries and other stores, both sides. He has invested a lot of money and effort into agritourism in the area (see: http://pepperbay.com/sedan/, among other sites - put Bill Kurtis Kansas in Google and get a bunch)

Dr. Bill ;-)

Flint Hills of Kansas Webquest by 4th grade class

http://learning.usd383.org/tlcf/tlcf2001/products/hansen/default.htm

is a neat Webquest by the 4th grade class at Ogden (KS) Elementary School, Manhattan-Ogden Schools, USD 383.

Enjoy!

Dr. Bill ;-)

BroomWeed BlueGrass Festival, Sept 23-25

Check out some local bluegrass bands and pickers in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, this weekend, Sept 23-25: http://www.emmachasecafe.com/broomweedinfo.htm for more details.
Emma's Cafe has music each Friday night. Website also has other local activity details/links.
Stay overnight at the Grand Central Hotel: http://www.grandcentralhotel.com/
The Steak Grill Room at the Grand Central Hotel is highly recommended for steak lovers!

Enjoy!

Dr. Bill ;-)

Flint Hills Scenic Byway named U. S. Scenic Byway

The Flint Hills Scenic Byway runs on Kansas Highway 177 from Council Grove to Cassoday, through Morris, Chase and Butler counties, in the FLINT HILLS OF KANSAS. The Flint Hills Scenic Byway passes through the Tallgrass Prairie, the last remaining piece of untouched prairie in North America, and crosses the Santa Fe Trail.

On Thursday, 22 Sep 2005, the Federal Highway Administration announced that the Flint Hills Scenic Byway was named National Scenic Byway for its natural, recreational, historic and scenic qualities. Also named was the Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway on Kansas Highways 4 and 156 in Barton, Reno and Stafford counties. The Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway extends for 77 miles through the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and Cheyenne Bottoms. Congratulations to the supporters of both byways on a job well done.

If you are a member of the Creative Class and/or an experiential tourist, the FLINT HILLS OF KANSAS invites you to experience the Flint Hills Scenic Byway on one of your next travel experiences.

Dr. Bill ;-)