New Perspective on Flint Hills

For a somewhat different perspective on the Kansas Flint Hills, checkout Alex Hawley's latest blog entry and his new promotional video. Intriguing. I think you'll enjoy it!

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)

Pioneer Bluffs Workday, again this Saturday

The latest from Lynn Smith, at Pioneer Bluffs - looks like fun:

Hayloft swings and barn dances, rotten egg fights, courtships, and smoking “out behind the barn.” Horses plowing cover crops in the community garden. Experience Pioneer Bluffs!

On Saturday, August 29, beginning at 12:30 pm, you can watch Belgium horses plow the garden. Then at 2 pm, Joyce Thierer will share “Stories from the Barn,” exploring the barn in symbol and reality at a Prairie Talk in the 1915 barn.

The team of horses will be driven by Winston and Jan Sommerfeld of Country Boys Carriage and Prairie Adventures, Newton, in a demonstration of sustainable gardening practices used at Pioneer Bluffs.

Immediately following the garden demonstration, Joyce Thierer will explore barn structures and what goes on in and around those structures. “My mother always said I was raised in a barn,” says Thierer. “I grew up with barn dances, horses, and a social life that evolved around a barn, which is why I love barn stories. I hope people will bring their own barn memories to share at this Prairie Talk.”

Combined funding from the Emporia Community Foundation and the Kansas Humanities Council will bring this free community event to Pioneer Bluffs.

There will be a volunteer workday during the morning of Saturday, Aug 29, for those who want to enjoy an entire day in the beautiful Flint Hills.

Pioneer Bluffs, on the National Register of Historic Places, is a mile north of Matfield Green or 15 miles south of Cottonwood Falls on Flint Hills National Scenic Byway K-177.

Lynn Smith
Executive Director
Pioneer Bluffs Foundation
620.753.3484 office
785.393.1569 cell
www.pioneerbluffs.org

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)

Save our endangered tallgrass prairie

"Save our endangered tallgrass prairie" is the title of a great article by The Kansas City Star Editorial Board. Thanks to Dennis Toll at Flint Hills, Tall Grass for bringing it to our attention, on Facebook.

Be sure to check it out, and continue to spread the word!

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)

Flint Hills Stone Wall Workshop upcoming

The next Flint Hills Stone Fence Renovation Workshop along the Native Stone Scenic Byway is scheduled for Friday, Oct 9, 9 am, to Sunday, Oct 11, at 4 pm, 1.5 miles north of Alma, on K99.


These workshops are now held each March and October. Check my earlier posts for different photos I have taken (the above photo from the workshop sponsors). Phone 785-765-4655 for more information. Also, you can go to: http://www.wabaunsee.com/ - see upper right corner for link to more info, photos, background.

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)

Trains, Planes and Auto Show - in the Kansas Flint Hills

See the Trains, Planes and Auto Show in Waterville on Saturday, August 22.

Check the web site above, for all the events scheduled.

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)

Kaw Mission Band Concert and Ice Cream Social

Join the Kaw Mission Band Concert and Ice Cream Social at the Kaw Mission in Council Grove on Sunday, August 16.

This annual event is growing in popularity each year - join the fun!

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)

Beattie Milo Festival

Find time this year to visit the Beattie Milo Festival in Marshall County. In Beattie, the Milo Capital of the World, this will be the 40th annual festival celebrating the Milo crop.

From 8 am to 10 pm you will be involved in a continuous series of events and activities for the entire family - from the Little King and Queen contest to frog jumping; from co-ed softball tournament to Chicken BBQ - with races of all kinds all day long.

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)

Flint Hills Beef Fest - Emporia

Don't miss the annual Flint Hills Beef Fest this week in Emporia!

Celebrate the grass cattle industry with with a variety of events and competitions. August 14th to the 16th, at the Lyon County Fairgrounds, in Emporia. Don't miss the Flint Hills Beef Fest!

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)

Three Events for August 8 - Check them out

We recommend three events for Saturday, August 8, in different parts of the Flint Hills:

1. How about the Clay Center Farmer's Market?
or
2. How about the Axtell Harvest Fest in Marshall County?
or
3. in the southern part of the region, check out "Women of the West" at Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita!

Whatever you choose, ...

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)

Pioneer Bluffs - Voices from the Past

Here is the latest info from Lynn Smith, at Pioneer Bluffs:

Join the archive group this Saturday, August 8, noon to 4 pm, at the Chase County Museum in downtown Cottonwood Falls - it will be a fun afternoon of unfolding historical letters and correspondence for permanent, safe storage. (And I'm sure a few will have to be read during the process.) Don't miss this chance to see the Helen Rogler collection and preserve history!

If you'd like to see what was discovered at the July archive work session and read more about Helen's experiences, check out the blog at http://helenrogler.blogspot.com/.

Added note: I will be on vacation Aug 5 - 12. The Pioneer Bluffs office will not be open on Monday, Aug 10.

Thank you for your support and interest in Pioneer Bluffs. Lynn

Lynn Smith
Executive Director
Pioneer Bluffs Foundation
620.753.3484 office
785.393.1569 cell
www.pioneerbluffs.org

I would love to be there - Enjoy!

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)

Goessel Threshing Days

Goessel Threshing Days will be held this year August 7-10 in Goessel, including threshing demonstrations along with a full slate of entertainment and educational activities.


Visitors can tour the museum complex and several historic building filled with related activities.

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)

Increase in Visitors from Europe

I just responded to a traveler from the Netherlands who had visited my Virtual Geocache west of K-177 on US 50. I get about one a week from someone visiting from Germany or another central/northern country.

You may have recently read, as I did, the news articles about the joint KS-OK promotion office in England and Germany. We had a presentation about a year and half ago at a Flint Hills Tourism Coalition meeting. They said it takes about five years to build up a reputation that generates the kind of numbers we would like to see from that area. It seems to me all the effort over recent years is working. Thanks to the Kansas Travel and Tourism Division, under Becky Blake, and others, including the Flint Hills Tourism Coalition, for all their efforts to share our little corner of the world with interested others. These folks really appreciate the way of life in the Flint Hills, and want to take away memories, leaving the Flint Hills for others to enjoy as well!

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)

PGA Tour Nationwide Tour in Wichita next week

For the ninth consecutive year, the Wichita Open Nationwide PGA Tour event will be held at Crestview Country Club August 3 through August 9 - a week-long event. Full details can be found at the Nationwide PGA Tour website.

See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)