Weekend Getaway to Abilene, KS - Day Three

 It's day three in Abilene and it's our last day in this charming town. Daylight savings set in on this day making us even more exhausted than we were the night before. This town had so much to offer and we spent every minute of our weekend taking it all in. It may be considered a small town, but there has been nothing small about the amount of things to do and see. 

(When you find a school named after you, you have to stop and take a pic!)

On our last day, we are "walking" the Cowboy Art Trail. And no, it's not really a walking tour. However there are several cowboy boots and murals within walking distance, but to find the majority of the pieces, we drove to their locations. And the printable map was the perfect guide to get us there. Let's start with the Cowboy Boots. For those of us here in Kansas City, it's much like the Cow Parade or the Parade of Hearts. However, the boots are permanent. The Cowboy Boot project was developed to pay homage to T.C. McInerney's Drovers Boot Store from the 1870s. They used an ad for inspiration to design the boot itself. Check out the ad here. 

(Rose Garden Cowboy Boot)

(Moooo Cowboy Boot)

(Patriotism Cowboy Boot)

(History of Farming Cowboy Boot)

(Crazy Quilt Cowboy Boot)

(Sister City Cowboy Boot)

(Mud Creek Cowboy Boot)

(Wild Bill Hickok Cowboy Boot)

(Varsity Letter Cowboy Boot)

The mural scene is gorgeous! I love seeing what local artists create to beautify a city on it's existing architecture. Historic figures, stamps, the railroad, and more are represented in vibrant colors throughout the town!

The World's Largest Belt Buckle, located in Eisenhower Park, was named "Best Roadside Attraction" in 2023! The structure was designed by local artist Jason Lahr, of Fluter's Creek Metal Works, and was unveiled in December of 2022. The buckle features Dwight D. Eisenhower, Wild Bill Hickok, Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, Historic Seelye Mansion, C.W. Parker carousel horse, C.L. Brown telephone, a racing Greyhound, and Chisholm Trail longhorn all inlaid with blue quartz. It stands at 19 feet 10.5 inches wide and 13 feet 11 1/4 inches tall. It's massive!

The buckle project was funded by a Kansas Tourism Attraction Development grant and donations from 100 businesses and individuals. Fun note, the buckle earned nationwide attention when Jefferson White, "Jimmy" from the hit show Yellowstone, shared about the project. You must take the time to climb the stairs and checkout the view!

Lastly, the Big Spur is a must see! The spur is 28 feet high and stands on its ends to form an arch. It weighs one ton! Makes for a perfect photo op!! Built by Larry Hourston in 2002, it was certified as the World's Largest Spur by Guinness Book of World Records in 2017.  

The spur was the last thing we saw before heading out of town. Again, I can't express how much fun we had in Abilene! It is a must for your weekend getaway this summer! Again, a huge thank you to the City of Abilene for hosting us and to Julie Roller for planning out the most wonderful agenda! We will be back soon!

XO,

Andrea

P.S. This was a sponsored post, but the comments and photos are my own. 

Family Fun Getaway to Des Moines - Day Three

 It's our final day in Des Moines. It was an overcast morning, with a chance of rain later in the afternoon, but that didn't stop us from heading to the Blank Park Zoo. The original children's zoo, Des Moines Children Zoo, opened in May of 1966. It was designed around a nursey rhyme theme featuring a castle with a moat, Noah's Ark, and an animal petting area. In 1982, the zoo closed for renovation and reopened in 1986 as the Blank Park Zoo. This all new 22 acre zoo was no longer considered a children's zoo. And since its reopening, there have been several larger additions made such as the seal and sea lion pool and a major expansion to include Jamaa Kwa Africa. And the newest exhibit is the Alpaca Acres which opened in May of this year. Come along for a tour of the Blank Park Zoo!

As we make our way to David Kruidenier's Australia Adventure, we found beautiful flamingos! These stately pink birds are some of my favorites. Did you know that flamingos are born white? It isn't until they are adults, and from the nutrients found in their diet, that they turn their familiar pink hues. These graceful creatures are simply stunning!

This little otter was so playful and had us all entertained! A swimmer, explorer, and showman as it splashed around the exhibit. The otter had us all moving back and forth to keep an eye on his every move. 

Inside Australia Adventure, Wallaby were everywhere! And they were on the move. 

We saw some of the most beautiful birds!

Penguins, sea lions, tortoises, monkeys and more....

The Alpaca Acres is an extra fee. It's $6 for non members, $5 for members, and it's $2 a cup to feed the animals. They are sweet, and furry, and very photogenic. We really loved hanging out with them for a bit.

The lions were massive, the giraffes tall. The zebras had stripes and the baboons fought. Like the Simon and Garfunkel song goes, "It's all happening at the zoo."

After the zoo, we drove to find the Jordan House. The Jordan House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as it was a stopover on the Underground Railroad. Freedom Seekers would hide out in the fields, outhouses, and barns of the property. Owner James Jordan was considered the "chief conductor" for Polk County. In addition to assisting the freedom seekers, the Jordan House was also open to travelers seeking accommodations on their way out west. It was also a gathering place for local politicians and business leaders. Jordan became a business man and prominent civic leader within Polk County. The Jordan Home remained in the family for nearly a century, but was sold in 1947 to the Church of the Nazarene. In 1978, the West Des Moines Historical Society purchased the home to renovate it as a period home and create the existing museum.

I would have loved to take the time to tour the home, but it is an hour plus guided tour only available on Friday's and Sunday's. They have two different tour times, 11:00 and 1:00, and they require a 24 hour notice. The tours are $5. If you would like more information on this museum, head here. 

The rain began falling while we were walking the zoo, but it was nothing but a slight drizzle. As we were leaving, the rain picked up. By the time we took the photos of the Jordan Zoo, the rain had settled in. It was nearly 1:30 and we needed to get back on the road. Again, it's a nearly three and a half hour road trip. And we didn't want to get tangled up in five o'clock traffic! A quick pit stop to grab lunch and we were headed home.

We thoroughly enjoyed our family fun getaway to Des Moines. Thank you so much to the city for having us! We will definitely be back as there is still some things on our to-do list! If you get a chance, make sure you Catch Des Moines! 

XO,

Andrea

*This was a sponsored post, but all photos and comments are my own.