Each year, to put it lightly, there must be a short section of the journey that is not known for its great road trips. 

This year I chose Kansas. It’s so undesirable as a destination that I actually didn’t reserve anything for four days, assuming we could find our way, day by day, like old times pre kids. As planned, every single place we stopped was empty and void of campers or swimmers. Not as planned was that Amy would find some absolutely gorgeous campsites and killer activities. I’d honestly drive this route again. It’s peaceful. 

Amy first brought us to Fredonia Bay Campground, in Fall River State Park. We hopped over the flood debris and swam next to our campsite. The kids played on the play ground and in the morning we got an amazing sunrise on the lake among some fun sandstone rocks. The massive trees, lake, and constant 40 mile per hour winds offered relief from the sweltering sun in the mid day but also made driving a cube fun. 

Once in Wichita we discovered the Exploration Place, a science focused children’s museum that had a lot of fun and unique challenges which entertained us for several hours. 

Instead of staying in Wichita, Amy brought us to Smarsh Creek in Cheney State Park, we again had our choice of essentially any site. I found the largest trees I could and we soon found a cute creek behind the bus which let us extend our swimming streak to seven days straight. In the morning we woke up and followed a wildlife trail covered with recent beaver activity and footprints. Although the beaver eluded  us this time we still got to see lots of incredible birds and frogs. 

Today I hope for day of history as we approach Dodge City. I’ve heard a lot about it. Let’s see if it can live up to the rest of Kansas so far.