Disclaimer: My trip was hosted by the City of Andover and the Andover Chamber of Commerce. All photos and opinions are mine.
I love a small town with big city amenities. Andover, Kansas, a 20-minute drive from Wichita, checks all the boxes. Each time I visit, I encounter kind residents and an ever-growing list of fun things to do.
Use my day trip round-up itinerary as a guide to explore Andover, a vibrant community offering visitors plenty of outdoor adventures, dining, and delightful shopping. You’re going to fall in love with Andover.
APPRECIATE BOOKS, ART, AND ACTIVITIES
Andover Public Library
If ever there was a library that offered something for everyone, including drop-in visitors, it’s the Andover Public Library (1511 E. Central Avenue). We visited to inquire about checking out disc golf equipment, but we discovered so much more.
We perused shelves of gently used books for sale available for purchase with a one-dollar donation. At a nearby window, we watched bluebirds compete for nesting boxes as butterflies flew from flower to flower at the library’s garden. To my surprise, I also discovered a partially completed puzzle on a table, which I sat down to work on for awhile.
I was impressed by the library’s modern amenities, including a spacious art gallery. During a self-guided tour, we admired the handiwork of painters, illustrators, and photographers whose work was curated to showcase local talent.
Additionally, the library offers endless fun for families. The children’s section includes activity bags parents can check out that teach kids about science, baking, and the outdoors.
We couldn’t resist opening a library account, which provides free online books via the Libby app and allows you to check out disc golf equipment. Each golf bag has three discs (driver, mid-range, putter) and a laminated course map available for one week.
PRO TIP: The Andover Public Library hosts events open to the public. View their online calendar to plan a fun outing.
PLAY A ROUND OF DISC GOLF & ADMIRE NATURE
Andover Central Park
I’ve explored countless parks during my travel writing adventures, and Andover Central Park (1607 E. Central Avenue) scores high marks for its scenic beauty and activities for all ages. It has everything from live concerts at the Capitol Federal Amphitheater® and fishing clinics during Greater Andover Days to its dog park and disc golf course.
We played the 18-hole disc golf course, which UDisc ranks high based on over 600 ratings. Players can expect concrete tee pads and baskets with flags at each hole.
The map and signage make the course easy to follow, and the scenery consists of mature trees and George Lake. The play is moderately complex, with short and long shots from well-kept, wide fairways. Although the map included amateur and pro-play options, pro baskets were unavailable during our visit.
On occasion, a basket is partially hidden or elevated, making for unique shot opportunities. We were the only ones walking the course during the early morning hours on a weekday, and very few people walked the paved pathways near the course.
Walking from Hole 1 to 2 requires golfers to meander a woodland path under a tree canopy. Holes 13-18 are designed around Lake George, a home to waterfowl.
If you need to rest between holes, I recommend choosing a shaded bench seat near Hole 13 and 15.
Pro Tip: The park is home to Capitol Federal Amphitheater®, which hosts live events. Bring a lawn chair and a friend to enjoy concerts and theatrical performances when you’re not playing disc golf.
SHOP LIKE A LOCAL
Renew Consign & Café
Renew Consign & Café (403 W. Central Avenue) carries like new consignment ranging from furniture to seasonal decorations. But unlike a typical resale store, it also doubles as a pie shop serving tea and coffee drinks.
The cozy store is stocked to the brim with treasures. I recommend walking to the rear of the store to view the clearance table, where each item is priced at one dollar. The owner is also known to announce store-wide sales.
Reward yourself for scoring good deals with a slice of homemade pie, a cupcake, or a cinnamon roll. Renew Consign & Cafés outdoor patio is open year-round.
PRO TIP: Monitor the store’s Facebook page to learn about parking lot clearance sales when vendors slash prices.
Walnut Valley Meat Market
Pack a cooler because you’ll want to buy up the store at Walnut Valley Meat Market (620 Andover Road). The butcher shop sells vacuum-sealed individual cuts of beef and pork and carries an intensive inventory of link sausage.
The staff member told us that most of their meat selection is processed in El Dorado. A fan of sourcing groceries close to home, I also appreciated their dry goods inventory and jarred pickled vegetables.
Whether it’s a thick-cut fresh or frozen steak or pork chops you’re after for dinner or a package of Honey BBQ Snack Sticks, Walnut Valley Meat Market’s got your covered.
PRO TIP: The family-owned store is known for hosting flash sales while supplies last. Follow its Facebook page to view announcements.
Sunlight Thrift Boutique
Who doesn’t love a good deal? At Sunlight Thrift Boutique (614 N. Andover Road), you’re likely to score great deals on clothing or home decor items.
Add men’s and women’s new and gently used apparel and shoes to your closet. Well-organized racks of kids’ clothing for all ages, toys, and board games are displayed.
You can feel good about purchasing items at Sunlight Thrift Boutique because proceeds from each purchase are donated to Sunlight Children’s Services, which provides resources and a temporary safe home for abused and neglected children and their families.
We bought new-to-us board game and a couple of men’s polo shirts. You’ll be shocked at the low prices of most items. New inventory is added six days a week.
PRO TIP: If you’d like to donate items for the store to sell, look for the drop-off garage door behind the store.
K. Westphal Jewelers
Shop K. Westphal Jewelers (610 N. Andover Road) when you deserve a beautiful piece of jewelry. Sparkling diamonds, gold and silver necklaces, and bracelets and watches shimmer from inside glass cases.
I was curious about the latest trend, Forever Jewelry, a product and service the store offers during appointment-only sessions. Designed to be worn every day, a gold or silver necklace, bracelet, or anklet’s end pieces are welded together. The store also offers charms or a connector for each piece during select events.
The family-owned and operated jewelry store’s selection will please you. Whether you desire a new treasure for your jewelry box or need one repaired or restored, K. Westphal Jewelers does it all.
SAVOR A MID-DAY MEAL
Metro Bistro
If you’re craving a mid-day sandwich after a day of exploring Andover, Metro Bistro (321 S. Andover Road) satisfies. The menu features sandwiches with creative toppings unlike anything else, and the pasta dishes and salads mimic this culinary style.
Made-to-order sandwiches like The Philly are prepared with sirloin (more like a ground beef patty than sliced meat), onions, Swiss cheese tomatoes, and crushed ripple potato chips. The non-traditional lunchtime meal is one of eight featured sandwiches, including their signature sandwich, The Bistro Burger. It was my favorite of the two options.
But it’s not your usual burger. Expect unique ingredients added to toasted Cuban bread. Burger meat is topped with grilled portobello mushrooms, fresh arugula, Fontina cheese, and red onion and drizzled with copious amounts of balsamic sauce. Side items are available upon request.
PRO TIP: If you’re interested in a hearty plate of pasta, ask about their menu featuring chicken, beef, or seared salmon-topped entrees.
GIVE IN TO YOUR SWEET TOOTH
CuppaYo
Save room for dessert at CuppaYo (626 S. Andover Road), where self-serve frozen yogurt is available in numerous flavors, and the toppings are nearly endless.
I was pleasantly surprised to find non-dairy sorbet and 100 percent vegan, plant-based froyo flavors at some self-serve stations. I grabbed a paper bowl, one of three available sizes, and filled it with Pumpkin frozen yogurt topped with a caramel drizzle and Heath® candy bar pieces, a tasty mix that wasn’t overly sweet.
Of course, CuppaYo’s topping stations include chunky bites of chocolate, cookies, and gummy candies, but for more health-conscious customers, you’ll also find fresh sliced fruit and nuts available.
A staff member weighed my frozen yogurt bowl at checkout to finalize pricing. It was less than four dollars. The experience was so much fun that I signed up for the loyalty program to earn points toward free frozen yogurt.
PRO TIP: Ask about the Flavor Theme of the Month.
PLAY A GAME OF PICKLEBALL
13th Street Sports Park
The 13th Street Sports Park (1008 E. 13th Street) is a new multi-sport park featuring pickleball courts, a splash pad, baseball fields and batting cages, sand volleyball courts, and half-court basketball. Leisure activity spaces include a walking path, picnic areas, and a handicap-accessible playground.
A newly constructed sports park, it is truly a remarkable place for families and friends to gather. Open to the public, an event lawn is available for hosting events and food truck parking. With so many options for exploration, we immediately selected one of four available pickleball courts for a game.
I had a blast learning how to play the game, and let’s just say we didn’t keep score. All the same, I appreciated the newly surfaced courts, positioned at a comfortable distance from other pickleball players.
Afterward, we played like kids on the state-of-the-art playground equipment (the swings are the best!) and walked toward the Redbud Trail.
PRO TIP: Bring your sports equipment, and don’t forget to pack sunblock. Follow Andover Parks and Recreation’s Facebook page for upcoming event announcements.
WALK OR BIKE A NATURE TRAIL
Redbud Trail
Access the Redbud Trail at 13th Street Sports Park, which spans east toward Wichita or west to Augusta. Andover is about the midway point along the 16.1-mile trail.
The rail-trail features different surfaces depending on your route of choice for walking or biking, including concrete, crushed limestone, and gravel flanked by wooded areas.
The trails are 10 feet wide, making it easy for dog walkers, joggers, and bikers to navigate together. The Andover-August rail trail is well-marked, and free parking is available at the 13th Street trailhead.
END THE DAY WITH HAPPY HOUR & DINNER
The Greens at Terradyne Country Club
We concluded a day of outdoor fun and shopping with a relaxing Happy Hour drink followed by dinner at The Greens at Terradyne Country Club (1400 Terradyne Club). The upscale dining experience is open to the public, while country club members gain exclusive access to the golf course and locker rooms.
Our host ushered us to a dining table with a view of the putting green, Hole 1, and Hole 18. Seated near a stone fireplace and dark wood accents, we sipped Oak Grove wines by the glass between appetizers, bone-in wings, and ahi tuna bites.
Happy Hour specials feature $3 off wine by the glass, $3.50 well drinks, and $3 Coors Light and Bud Light draft beer on Tuesday-Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and all day on Wednesday.
We appreciated watching golfers at play and chatting about the day while waiting for a dinner selection; a Grilled Chicken Caeser wrap with a choice of side dish. Opting for the roasted Brussels sprouts, I loved them even more than the sandwich wrap as they were perfectly prepared and sitting on a bed of semi-sweet sauce.
The locally owned and operated restaurant, known for its American cuisine, serves a variety of appetizers, lunch, and dinner options for every kind of diner. I recommend dining on the patio (weather permitting) or indoors with a remarkable golf course view.
PRO TIP: Our drop-in visit on a Tuesday did not require reservations; however, groups will want to reserve a table or private room in advance. Arriving solo? Sit at the newly remodeled bar.
BONUS THINGS TO DO
Upcoming Events
Thanks to a well-organized chamber and the city’s efforts to provide activities for all ages, there is no limit to what you can do in Andover year-round.
I’m a big fan of Andover’s community events because they always promise an entertaining time, including their biggest festival of the year, Greater Andover Days.
During summer months, they host music concerts and Movies at the Park events at Andover Central Park’s Capitol Federal Amphtheater®.
Mark your calendar on the second Thursday in December to attend Hometown Christmas, which features a free holiday light display with illuminated trees and luminaries. After the light show, prepare s’mores at the fire pit or board a horse-drawn wagon for a ride through the park.
Have you visited Andover? If so, I’d love for you to share your travel suggestions in the comments to inspire a return visit.
Inside the Buffalo Bill Culture Center, you’ll find permanent and on-loan displays that provide details of the area’s history. I watched a fascinating short movie, “Hidden History – The Ghost Town of Sheridan Kanas 1868,” about a lawless town made up of mostly saloons not far from Oakley. The Kansas Pacific Railroad’s tracks ended there. The video told of men hung from railroad trestles and a mass grave created to bury the dead. The town existed for 15 short months. You can view an oil painting, “End of the Track,” by local artist Chuck Bonner on the wall of the center.
The center also serves as the town’s travel information center, so it’s best to stop there before exploring Oakley. I discovered extensive travel brochures, maps, and a gift shop. The staff was eager to answer my questions and offered me freshly brewed coffee. If you need to research area attractions, knowledgeable employees will help you, or you can use the free WiFi to search the internet. A pet-friendly building, and travelers with dogs appreciate the indoor and outdoor accommodations.
George Sternberg’s rare fossil, a 15′ Xiphactinus Audax, is the world’s oldest known mosasaur, and it sits on display for museum visitors to enjoy. The room that houses it also showcases a mosasaur skull. For fossil hunters and fans, this room promises to get their hearts racing. Since the museum sits on the 
Other museum rooms tell the story of the life of the prairie. You can walk into a replica of a sod house, view the interior of a general store, and listen to audio stories about the railroad. What do you think it would have been like to live before modern technology? The museum showcases the impact of modern communication on society, dating back to the telegraph to the telephone.
I scanned the land. I didn’t see tall rocks protruding from the land. Where were they? Then, out of nowhere, I spotted them. Monuments Rocks or “The Chalk Pyramids” stood as an outcropping just off the road, and I had the entire place to myself.
Located on private land, Monument Rocks is open to the public during daylight hours. The sedimentary formations are Niobrara Chalk, formed during the Cretaceous period on the Western Interior Seaway 80 million years ago. The lines in the rock indicate how the limestone evolved over the years. Listed as one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas, it nearly takes your breath away. It’s easy to see why it was listed as the first National Natural Landmark in Kansas.
I circled the formations with my car and then parked. My path was bright white, and the sun bounced off the rock, illuminating the area. It’s hard to describe the size and scale of the formations. They are enormous. It is reported that every inch of rock represents 700 years of history.
If you’re interested in visiting the outcroppings for yourself, I recommend traveling on a cool weather day or during the morning hours. Avoid making the drive if rain is in the forecast. It’s advisable to pack water and wear closed-toed shoes. To get there, drive 20 miles south of Oakley on U.S. 83, then 4 miles east on Jayhawk Road, 3 miles south, and 1 mile east (dry weather road only).
The Keystone Gallery overlooks the Smoky Hill River valley with a view of Monument Rocks in the “Badlands of Kansas.” I encourage you to look inside the glass cases at the museum and ask questions. Each fossil comes with a story about its discovery, journey to the museum, and the process of preparing it for display.
Before I left Keystone Gallery, I had one question for Chuck and Barbara. What was the story of the old car sitting near the entrance? I was told that Chuck used the 1948 Chevy Suburban for fossil hunting. Now, it sits as an artistic showpiece on the property. Oh, the stories this car could tell! Look closely at the photos below to enjoy the characters representing creatures of the deep.
I’ll never forget meeting Chuck and Barbara. They taught me so much about the region, but more importantly, how to enjoy what you do for a living. To visit Keystone Gallery, drive on U.S. 83, 26 miles south of Oakley or 18 miles north of Scott City. Thirty years later, the couple continues to share their love of fossils with others. View the gallery’s hours 
A visit to Oakley offers more than a few tourist stops. (I’ll return to visit 
