50 WICHITA UNIQUE DATE IDEAS
No more boring date nights. From quirky outings that spark laughter to experiences that deepen connection, this list is your ticket to exploring Wichita in fresh, meaningful ways.
This guide is for you if you’re looking to:
- Get out of your predictable comfort zone
- Want to surprise your date with the unexpected
- Take a local’s advice
Vanessa Whiteside is a Wichita-based travel writer, influencer, and the creator behind One Delightful Life. A lifelong Kansan with a passion for making life more delightful, she has spent years exploring Wichita’s most interesting attractions and fun-filled attractions.
Download 50 Wichita Unique Date Ideas and start exploring Wichita like a local, one unforgettable bite at a time.
DISCOVER WICHITA DINING
By Vanessa Whiteside, Self-Published
Ready to eat your way through Wichita like a local? My new ebook, Discover Wichita Dining, is packed with honest recommendations, hidden gems, and local tips from years of exploring the city bite by bite. If you want fresh ideas, new favorites, and a guide written by a Wichita native, you have found it.
What’s Inside:
- 3 Cultural Food Tours
- Top 5 Candy Shops
- 10 Healthier Restaurants
- Budget Meals Under $15
- 5 Hidden Gems
- Underground + Secret Bars
- Best Patio + Scenic View Dining
- Bucket Lists in Every Chapter
- BONUS! Restaurants
Vanessa Whiteside is a Wichita-based travel writer, food influencer, and the creator behind One Delightful Life. A lifelong Kansan with a passion for local flavor, she has spent years exploring Wichita’s restaurants, markets, and tucked-away lounges. Her work highlights the people, places, and stories that make Kansas a vibrant destination for curious travelers and food lovers.
Download Discover Wichita Dining and start exploring Wichita like a local, one unforgettable bite at a time.
SECRET WICHITA: A GUIDE TO THE WEIRD, WONDERFUL, AND OBSCURE
By Vanessa Whiteside, Reedy Press
Where in the city can you find an underground troll, an alley crawling with spiders, or a bar hidden behind a bookcase? Secret Wichita: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure takes you on an adventure to find the city’s interesting places and artifacts, unveiling the stories of people who make it unique.
Discover a warehouse of military tanks and a room of ancient coffins. Find out where to conduct a paranormal investigation, follow the yellow brick road, and view an extensive collection of sewing machines. Locals probably remember Joyland amusement park, but do they know the story of the Giant Thriller rollercoaster once located on an island in the middle of the city? How about the electric guitar’s debut in Wichita? Or Pizza Hut’s sauce recipe written on a napkin?
Learn the stories of people who left their mark, like mischief-maker Carry Nation, the original Buffalo Bill, and aviation pioneer Olive Ann Beech. Which man is responsible for establishing the city and naming it? Crack the spine of the book to find out.
Wichita native Vanessa Whiteside is your storytelling guide to offbeat locations and tucked-away treasures. Whether you’re a Wichitan or a tourist exploring the city for the first time, you’ll get to know a different side of Doo-Dah. Buy the book.
100 THINGS TO DO IN WICHITA BEFORE YOU DIE
By Vanessa Whiteside, Reedy Press
Wichita, aka “Doo Dah,” is a mid-size city with attractions that easily rival the nation’s largest metropolises in entertainment value. Fun awaits all who come to discover it! 100 Things to Do in Wichita Before You Die is a bucket-list book, filled cover to cover with timeless destinations and lesser-known places.
Dig into the burgeoning arts scene with tips for the First Friday Gallery Crawl or the Tallgrass Film Festival, founded by a Wichita native in 2003. Find out the story behind the 44-foot-tall Keeper of the Plains statue downtown. Root, root, root for the home team, the Wichita Wind Surge at Riverfront Stadium. Outdoor activities, delicious dining, shopping, concerts, and a thriving arts scene scratch the surface. As they say, “Wichita is what you make it,” and around every corner is an experience waiting for you.
Wichita native and travel writer Vanessa Whiteside is your personal guide to her favorite parts of her much-beloved hometown. Crack the spine of this book and choose an adventure in the city!
The award-winning book was also a bestseller at Watermark Books & Café after its release. Buy a copy.
Buy both books here.
AUTHOR BIO
Vanessa Whiteside is a native Wichitan whose curiosity keeps her looking for new places to discover. She is a travel writer who seeks Midwest adventures and dining destinations to feature on her blog, onedelightfullife.com, which earned her Midwest Travel Network’s 2022 Blogger of the Year. Her articles have appeared in Midwest Living, AAA Explorer, Kansas Living, Experience Wisconsin, Kansas Country Living, and Travel Kansas. The author of the award-winning 100 Things to Do In Wichita Before You Die and Secret Wichita: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, Vanessa avidly supports all things local.
You might find her shopping locally in her free time, snapping pictures of street art, or wandering through a museum. Vanessa is a member of the Travel Industry Association of Kansas and the Midwest Travel Network.
