Summer Fun - A Weekend in Wichita, KS Part Two…

 

Welcome back for Part Two of our weekend in Wichita, KS, the Heart of the Midwest. We have a full day of adventures packed into this post, so sit back and let me take you on our journey.

On Saturday morning we woke up to sunny skies and excitement on what the day would bring. We also woke up to a marathon taking place along the river complete with hot air balloons. McKinley played our resident commentator by keeping us in the loop on everything going on outside the window!

Once dressed, we hit the ground running. First up, breakfast at HomeGrown. This cute eatery is also located at Naftzger Park and features indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for the patio, because the park is the perfect view on a glorious Saturday morning. Families are out on bike rides, having their own picnics in the park, or just starting the day like us and on the wait list for some HomeGrown eats. Best tip Jessica gave us, download the Yelp app and get on their waitlist as you’re heading their way. We waited no less than five minutes for a table. This place fills up fast and the number one reason is the food!

Known for their coffeecake and homemade pop tarts, you do not want to miss either one. We opted for the pop tarts, one each of the cinnamon sugar and strawberry, and to be completely honest, I never want a boxed version again. The crust was tender and flaky and the filling abundant. My favorite was the strawberry! Definitely need to attempt a second bake of my own homemade version. The menu is full of healthy bites that also allow for a little guilt. I had their BLT+A+E and it was amazing! After the first half of the “sammie”, I had to eat the good stuff from inside the bread. I was stuffed! Joel had their Gimme the Meats omelet and McKinley had their Funfetti pancakes. We left full as ticks and thankful for the day of walking ahead!

What I love about Wichita’s downtown is that everything is pretty much within walking distance. Park and forget it! We made our way down Douglas Ave to the Great Plains Transportation Museum (GPTM). This place is something special! Kids, big and small, will get a kick out of being able to walk around, climb into, and explore retired freight cars and steam engines. McKinley was in heaven! This train loving kid’s face screamed pure joy! From the light in his eyes to the 100 watt smile on his face, this place was his personally playground. And, when you FaceTime Meme and Granddaddy while there, you know this place is magic!

GPTM was incorporated in 1983, after the museum closed in 1977, when it lost its home inside Union Station. A small group of railroad supporters decided that there was a need for these locomotives to be on display once more, and in order to make that happen, they needed to create a new home. The GPTM officially opened in 1986 with a grand opening that following June of 1987. The museum continued to acquire additional train cars over the years and now you can tour a massive steam train, diesel train, four cabooses (my husband’s favorite train car), two switchers, a baggage car, postal storage car, crane car, and more! It’s like a real life, large scale Thomas the Train docks! 

Have you ever wanted to see the world’s largest complete T-Rex? Maybe crusty bones of lost creatures? How about ancient tombs or Civil War artifacts? Then you need to head to the Museum of World Treasures! This place truly has it all. Larger marble Budda’s, shrunken heads, military memorabilia, and so much more. We met T-Rex Ivan and several of his fossil pals. These guys were huge! I can’t imagine encountering one in real life. There are sea creatures of the plains which included a fossilized skeleton of a Xiphactinus. Not gonna lie, so not cute! And Logan the Tylosaur, walked the Western Inland seas of Kansas and is now considered the state fossil. We definitely didn’t learn that when studying the state of Kansas in social studies this past year. 

The second floor of the museum is dedicated to military memorabilia. Starting with the Civil War, you will find weaponry, uniforms, and a reconstructed military campsite. Both World Wars and the Vietnam and Korean wars are laid out before you as well.

This is a museum where patrons can spend hours exploring the world or come back time and time again to discover something new that they missed upon their first visit. What is the one thing you would want to see first? 

While chatting with the staff after our visit, they told us about another a museum we might be interested in, the Wichita Toy Train Club and Museum. This town is filled with so many treasures! We hit the streets and walked the short couple of miles to this sweet little spot. Open Saturday’s only, this museum is all about the art of collecting, operating, and maintaining toy trains. The layouts are impressive, new construction always taking place, and they have been in existence for over 30 years. If you, or your kids, are into model trains, check out this special place. And while we walked the short couple of miles to this museum, we continued to discover several of Wichita’s impressive murals. 

So, we’ve climbed aboard giant pieces of locomotion, walked among ancient Romans and Jurassic creatures. We’ve experienced small scale toy trains, and stood beside gorgeous artwork. I think it’s time to talk food! Lunch was at the family friendly River City Brewing Co. where we sat on their upper deck overlooking the Old Town Farm and Art Market. River City Brewing opened in 1993 and was the first brew pub in Wichita. There are several RCB handcrafted beers on the menu and roughly 16 total on tap. And as you take the stairs to the second floor, you pass by the bar and the large barrels where they brew their RCB line. 

Taking in the view, we sat in the summer sun, chatting about what all we’d seen so far. Lunch consisted of cheese pizza for McKinley, and because Joel and I were still full from breakfast, we opted to split two appetizers; naked wings, with a side of blue cheese and ranch, and an order of their spinach dip. Both delicious! And if you’re lunching at a brew pub, you’ve got to have one of their signature beers. I tried the Harvester Wheat, a lighter beer that hit the spot! The laid back atmosphere was perfect for a Saturday afternoon. 

So, we find ourselves mid day, mid way through our day in the city, and I have so much more to share. A botanica visit, a hotel refresh, dinner at the coolest spot, a little shopping, dessert, and a Keeper of the Plains nightly ceremony that is absolutely stunning against the setting sun along the base of the Arkansas River. Want to keep reading? Come back for part three! Summer Fun in Wichita continues….

XO,

Andrea

*This trip was sponsored by the City of Wichita. All opinions expressed are my own.