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Wichita, Kansas: Experience the City Like a Local

July 12, 2020 by Vanessa Whiteside Leave a Comment

Disclosure: Visit Wichita sponsored this post, however all opinions and photographs are my own.

What better way to celebrate Wichita’s 150th birthday than by experiencing it like a local? Whether you visit a museum, winery, or take a historic downtown walk, each destination will provide you an authentic experience of Wichita, Kansas.

I’ve included a number of places that I think you’ll love! For bonus ideas, head over to Visit Wichita’s page for 150 ways to celebrate the city I call home.

FOOD AND DRINK

JENNY DAWN CELLARS

When in Wichita, make your way to the city’s first and only urban winery, Jenny Dawn Cellars located in historic Union Station (703 E. Douglas, Suite 180) for a glass of wine, or better yet, a wine flight! Owned by Kansas State University grad, a certified sommelier and winemaker, Jenny McDonald launched the winery in 2016 after years of honing her craft. Visitors to the tasting room can expect a lesson in wineucation as they sip on award-winning wine—a win-win.

Thanks to her extensive research in Napa Valley, and her partnership with grape growers in California and Kansas, McDonald brings the best in handcrafted wines to Wichita. Jenny Dawn Cellars began from McDonald’s unrelenting passion to make and serve first-class wines that easily competes with any nationally recognized brand in concept and quality.

During our visit, we enjoyed two separate wine flights ($15) to enjoy as many selections as possible. Jenny Dawn Cellars serves 2oz pours of each wine along with a slate board of four artisanal cheeses ranging from cheddar to goat cheese imported from Denmark. I highly recommend the Traditional Flight, which appealed to my love of dry wines and included four options from white to red. We also appreciated the Rosé and Trains Flight, a journey of semi-sweet wines.

Wine drinkers from the area love Union Station, a 2019 Chardonnay from Kansas, that is light bodied with a smooth finish. Show your Wichita pride by sipping on sweet wines, Wichita Passion or Wichita Moment.

A bottle of wine sells for $19.99-$49.99 depending on the selection and they can be purchased by the case. If you’re someone who prefers something other than vino during your visit, the winery also serves beer ($5-6). Ask about the charcuterie and dessert plate options to complement your wine of choice.

If you’re unable to make the trip to the winery, you can purchase Jenny Dawn Cellars wines at liquor stores across Wichita, the Kansas City market, as well as several in Kansas towns. Visit the Jenny Dawn Cellars online store to have bottles shipped to your door (she ships to 37 states!).

The tasting room is closed Mondays and Tuesday, so plan your visit by viewing the operating hours here.

THE POURHOUSE

Within walking distance of Jenny Dawn Cellars sits The PourHouse (711 E Douglas Ave) restaurant and tap house. They serve exclusively Walnut River Brewing Company’s craft beers. The PourHouse is the brainchild of WRB’s owners who wanted to make their beer more accessible to the Wichita community since they’re home base is located 30 minutes away in El Dorado, Kansas. An amazing thing happens when hobby home brewers relentlessly work on recipes until they’re perfected. You’ll love sipping on suds at The PourHouse!

Visitors to The PourHouse will discover at least 12 beers on tap, and the restaurant serves quality food, or what I refer to as gastropub dining. I can recommend many items from the menu from appetizers like the Charcuterie Board ($16) and Fried Cheese Curds ($11) to the Cobb Salad ($13), a hearty portion ideal for lunch. Diners like myself will appreciate that all of their salad dressings and most condiments are made from scratch. We devoured the charcuterie board, which could have easily served 3-4 people. All of it was delightful, but I’m still dreaming about the bacon jam.

Some of my favorite beers on tap include the Falconer’s Wheat and Teter Rock Kölsch, although another one of their flagship beers is quite popular, Warbeard Irish Red. I recommend asking about their specialty beer, Carmine, an American Wheat Ale aged in red wine barrels now available in limited quantities. Brewing beer is an art form, and Walnut River Brewing Company is definitely skilled at their craft. They make beer you want to drink.

The PourHouse is closed Mondays. Check their hours via their Facebook page here. (Love to visit breweries? Check out my post about WRB in El Dorado here.)

THIRD PLACE BREWERY

Continue the craft beer tour by heading over to another independently owned and operated business, Third Place Brewing (630 E Douglas Ave #150). A cozy space to gather with friends or make new ones, we appreciate that locals and tourists alike love the laid back atmosphere. Although we’ve always enjoyed drinking a pint indoors, they also have an outdoor seating area east of the building where you can often find local bands playing.

Red Headed Stranger is a popular beer selection amongst locals, but I’d encourage you to try one or more of their rotating taps. I appreciated drinking Danke Schön (Berliner Weisse) as well. Note: If you visit before July 21 and mention #CelebrateWichita150, you’ll get $2 off your second pint (per person).

A trip to the taproom is always an experience! We met a nice couple who was visiting from Kansas City just to try our city’s breweries. Excitedly, I welcomed the chance to tell them about our city and thank them for supporting our local economy. We swapped brewery tour stories and shared our favorite bands with one another as the conversation turned to topics of missed summer concerts and nostalgic vacations.

Third Place Brewery is located directly across Douglas Avenue from the new Naftzger Park, an outdoor entertainment venue, park, and commercial retail space.

PEACE LOVE & PIE

No adventure downtown is complete without a stop at Peace Love & Pie (645 E. Douglass, Suite 104) adjacent to Naftzger Park. More than a pie shop, the eatery is the dose of nostalgic comfort that we all crave. What I love about Peace Love & Pie is that they consider eating pie to be an experience that conjures up feel-good vibes or as they say, “Pie happens. Enjoy the journey.”

The shop offers mouthwatering pie by the slice ($5), and if you want to order a whole pie, you can reserve one in advance for pickup. During my visit, I had the hard decision of deciding on which one of six seasonal summer pies that I wanted to try. They all looked so delectable!

I devoured a warm slice of Triple Berry made with blackberries, blueberries and raspberries topped with dried lavender bug streusel crumb. Upon first bite, the lavender’s floral flavor came right through, a welcomed delight. One might think that coffee (they serve a local favorite, Reverie Roasters) or milk would be the perfect complement to a slice, but I opted for a glass of wine with mine. They match each available pie with a wine, making the tasting experience a true journey of flavors.

The entire menu is authentic. They make every recipe from scratch. Other menu options include Pie Shakes ($6), Pie-Faits, Franken Pie (a pie designed with seven of your favorite slice selections, $30), Pie à la Mode (+$2), Pie-Fries (think fries but made with baked pie crust), and specialty coffees and teas.

Whether you’re enjoying a day at Naftzger Park or looking for a place to enjoy a locally made dessert, Peace Love & Pie is a must-stop! Don’t miss their HapPie Hour Sunday and Thursdays from 4pm-6pm when slices are $4, Franken Pies are only $20.

Shop Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11am – 6pm. You can also find Clementine, their pie van, serving slices to happy diners at Bradley Fair. Find the pie van by visiting this link.

AUGUSTINO BREWING COMPANY

But wait! The brewery tour doesn’t end yet! Hop in the car and head west from the downtown district to Augustino Brewing Company, 756 N. Tyler Rd. There, you find locally produced beers and a tasty, bbq restaurant The Angry Elephant.

During our visit, Augustino had four of their flagship beers on tap including a Blonde Ale, Wheat Ale, IPA, Nut Brown Ale, and Coffee Porter. You can expect to find several more speciality beers on the menu. Of course, I sampled a few before ordering a signature series selection, Chad’s Hibiscus Saison ($6.25), a summery-sweet craft beer that I enjoyed enough to order twice.

Depending on the night, you might catch a live band playing in the tap room. Check the event listings via their Facebook page here.

The Angry Elephant was voted #5 Best BBQ in Kansas by USA Today in 2019. The servings are large and the flavor is big or what I call a “flavor bomb.” Owner Sanitago Munoz’s menu is loaded with delicious smoke bbq sandwiches and the heaping appetizers, like the loaded nachos below, are more of a meal than a starter. Have a sweet tooth? You will want to save room for towering desserts. Dining with the family? Stop in for dinner on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday and order an adult entree and kids eat free.

The brewery and restaurant is closed Mondays. View the hours here.

OTHER THINGS TO DO

WICHITA HISTORY WALK

Do you love learning about local history when you travel? Use the PocketSights app to listen to the story of downtown Wichita created by The Wichita Library! The free app connects to your location for a self-guided tour of the area’s buildings and parks allowing you to take a stroll while learning the significance of historic places. Each site on the app’s tour includes images and an audio narration.

You can also use the app in the East Douglas area, Delano District, or while on a walking tour of Old Cowtown Museum.

As a native Wichitan, I was amazed at how much I didn’t know about the buildings that I’ve passed hundreds of times. For example, I didn’t realize that the Delano District was originally known as a town called Elgin and was considered to be a rowdy wild west town and home to artists and innovators. When wild cowboys would get injured or shot, they were taken to a hospital at the intersection of Douglas and Seneca, now occupied by a QuikTrip gas station.

The app also gives you the option to take a photo in real time and upload it to the historic page you’re listening about in the app. Mind blown! You’ll love exploring Wichita’s neighborhoods while learning the city’s past. Download the PocketSites app here.

GREAT PLAINS TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM

If you glance up while walking along the Downtown Historic Walk on Douglas Avenue near the Union Station, you’ll spot the Great Plains Transportation Museum with many trains on display.

Opened to the public in 1986, train enthusiasts come from all over to learn the history of trains and view them first-hand. A lover of trains since my grandpa worked for Frisco Railroad, I jumped at the chance to tour the train cars. Did you know that railroaders were the settlers of the west? Steam railway replaced travel by stagecoach in the mid-1800s, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation. Trains made travel readily available from Kansas City to Lawrence in 1864. Within 20 years there were 8,000 miles of track in Kansas. A branch of the Santa Fe Railroad expanded to Wichita and the town “busted wide open.”

Today, the museum displays steam locomotives, meticulously restored train cars, railroad equipment, and the indoor exhibits showcase prints and artifacts.

The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays during these hours. Stay tuned to their Facebook page about upcoming events they host including the Great Plains Trains and Toy Trains Celebration, Railfest, and Final Friday art crawl.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Plan a road trip or flight into Wichita (we have a new and improved airport!) to experience a city that’s pride is on display for you to discover. I encourage you to talk to small business owners or strike up a conversation with a local. We’re inclined to brag about our city because we’re proud of its history and vitality.

To discover more ways to experience the city like a local for #CelebrateWichita150, check out Visit Wichita’s list of 150 things to do. Have a delightful visit!

Do you have questions about Wichita? I’d love to help you navigate your visit. Comment below or email me at info@onedelightfullife.com. For more highlights of Wichita, follow One Delightful Life on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

Abilene, Kansas: The Boyhood Home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower

July 25, 2017 by Vanessa 8 Comments

“The proudest thing I can claim is that I am from Abilene.” – President Dwight D. Eisenhower

The 34th president of the United States and 5-Star General was raised in Abilene, Kansas. Founded in 1857, the town grew when the railroad and the Chisholm Trail intersected causing it to become the first cowtown in America. Today, the small but bustling town draws history enthusiasts and day trippers looking for an afternoon of entertaining tourist stops.

Just east of Salina on Highway 70, the town that raised a president includes sites for the young and old. Full of tourist stops and antique shops, you’ll be hard pressed to see everything the town offers visitors in one day.

These are the stops I can recommend:

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home, 200 SE 4th Street.

Tourists can explore all three sites on 22 acres of land that include five buildings housing artifacts and documents that trace his life from his childhood to his final days. In fact, Eisenhower and his immediate family were laid to rest on the property, a memorial that visitors can also visit. Across from his library, the museum houses far more than nostalgic “I Like Ike” buttons. The museum curators painstakingly collected nearly everything bearing his name to the clothing he wore while at war.

After slowly making your way through his museum passing by artifacts documenting his achievements and his family life, you can step outdoors and see his small boyhood home in the distance. Visitors are able to tour the interior of the home led by a tour guide about every thirty minutes. Siteseers awaiting the next tour should sit outside on one of the shaded benches until the next free tour begins.

The three bedroom 19th-century home is situated on its original site and the bottom level is open to visitors. The house and its contents look exactly as his mother left them before she passed on. It feels surreal to stand in a president’s boyhood home. You will feel a real connection to Eisenhower by the end of your tour.

A man liked by nearly everyone who met him or admired his career, you’ll find yourself looking up to the man in more ways than one while standing near his statue.

You will be enamored by this house from it’s size (it housed his whole family!) to the family’s rich traditions recorded inside.

See the blue ceiling on the porch? It’s suppose to mimic the sky. A famous photograph of the family taken on this porch is on display in the museum.

This stained glass window is part of the Eisenhower Memorial where his wife and children are buried.

Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau, 201 NW 2nd Street

This quaint visitor’s center employs one super helpful tour guide! Ask her anything. She is a proud resident prepared to give you historical facts and free maps too. The building is actually a historical Union Pacific Depot that is open seven days a week. If you stop here first before beginning your tour of the town, you can watch an introductory video or gather materials for your journey. Don’t forget to take you photo inside an original bright red phone booth located just outside of the center. A farmer’s market selling produce and homemade wares takes place on the grounds on Saturday mornings.

The original Union Pacific Railroad Depot, Abilene’s Visitor Center is small in size but big on personality.

Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad Excursion/Dinner Train, 888-426-6687, 200 SE 5th Street

You can also ride the historic rails in Abilene from the 1887 Rock Island Depot and Gift Shoppe. After buying your ticket for the the next scheduled dinner train tour, you can tour the depot’s artifact museum. The walls of the depot show the writings of railroad workers of the past. Have a question about the historic rails? Ask the depot’s employee, a kind woman behind the counter who knows quite a bit about the town’s history. The dinner train departs at 6:30pm four times each summer and at 6:00pm four times each fall.

Diesel, steam locomotives, a caboose, and gondola care are also on display for viewing or riding. Fares for kids three and under are free, children up to age 11 $7.50-$15, and adults $15-$30.

Be sure to head over across the depot to see the recreated Old West downtown watch the gunfighter show starting at noon each day. The volunteer impersonators interact with the crowd and shoot blanks at one another to tell the story of the wild west.

Located outside the front doors of the Old West saloon, the “bartender” took our photo and served us cold root beer and freshly made popcorn for the gunfighter show.

Heritage Center, 412 S. Campbell Street

This national historic landmark was voted one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas and includes over 100 years of telephone history on site. It is a short walk from the Eisenhower complex. You’ll see early models of telephones to modern day advances in technology. It’s mind-blowing.

Behind the museum visitors can take themselves on a self-guided tour of log cabins, the 1901 C.W. Parker Carousel (rides available!), a one-room school house, and much more! The operator of the carousel has worked as a volunteer there for years and smiles ear-to-ear while sharing the history of this stunning restored piece of local history. Don’t forget to have him take your photo!

We were the only people riding, but that just made it more special.

This print shop interior exhibits the original letterpress used to print the town’s newspaper.

You can go inside this one-room school house, a work of art restored by volunteers. Ring the bell too!

I worked in secondary education for over a decade, seven of those years as a high school teachers. This one-room school house speaks to me. I love every inch of it.

Greyhound Hall of Fame, 407 S. Buckeye

Missing your family pet while on the road? Stop by a building dedicated to the history of the greyhound breed and its racing history. Two greyhounds on site serve as the welcoming committee. If you don’t have time to visit, cruise through the parking lot. You might just find one of the dogs in its kennel outside the building waiting for you to pet him!

Ike’s Place Bar and Grill, 100 NW 14th Street

Dark and cool inside, this expansive sports bar’s walls are covered with black and white framed photos of Eisenhower’s life. The menu features typical sports bar grub but also includes homestyle entrees such as homemade soups and their famous meat chili. The waitress recommended several sandwiches and the chili as the most popular eats. This restaurant’s customer service was friendly but a little slow, but the reasonable prices and tasty lunch made up for it. You’ll enjoy the added Eisenhower history lesson from the wall artifacts and menu trivia included in your visit.

Having just scratched the surface of Abilene, I look forward to returning to check out the infamous Brookville Hotel (hot fried chicken and family style side dishes) and the enormous Seelye Mansion.

Do you know of a fun day trip excursion in Kansas? Comment below with your favorite detour stop! A proud Kansan, I’m ready to visit another great destination in the Sunflower State.