WaKeeney, KS Road Trips

Western Kansas may seem dull, but it contains a great deal of pioneer history and small-town oddities. When visiting this region, it's important to remember which time zone you are in. Four counties in Western Kansas (Greeley, Hamilton, Wallace, and Sherman) are located in the Mountain Time Zone, while the remainder of the state is the Central Time Zone.

Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City The Boot Hill Museum contains a reconstruction of 1876 Dodge City and Boot Hill Cemetery, so named because most of the deceased were buried with their boots on. Christmas Tree Lighting in WaKeeney, known as "Christmas City of the High Plains". Even in the middle of summer, you can find Christmas decorations in WaKeeney. The town's biggest night of the year is Christmas Tree Lighting. The tree stands 35 ft (11 m) tall, making it one of the largest Christmas Trees between Kansas City and Denver. The tree is lit on the Saturday following Thanksgiving and remains lit until New Year's Day. Frank Walker Museum in Stockton. Features one of the largest displays of dolls in the area. Lorenzo Fuller was one of Rooks County's more famous residents. Other displays at the museum include items from a one room schoolhouse, local history and records on obituaries, genealogy, newspapers, yearbooks, land and schools. High Plains Museum in Goodland has a full-size replica of America's first helicopter, and contains exhibits on the colorful early history of Sherman County (of which Goodland is the seat), railroads, telegraphs, and the Dust Bowl. Mid-America Air Museum in Liberal is the fifth-largest air museum in America. Contains over 100 aircraft from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, as well as helicopters and general aviation aircraft. Prairie Museum of Art and History in Colby. The crown jewel of this museum is the Kuska Collection, which consists of furnishings, silver, glass, ceramics, and 2,000 rare dolls.

Bazaar Day in Liberal. Third Thursday in July. Local businesses offer discounts of up to 75% off. Beef Empire Days in Garden City. Beef Empire Days are held around the first week of June. Activities include a steak cookout, tennis tournament, horse shoe tournament, 3 on 3 basketball tournament, softball tournament, and a parade. Chili Cook-Off in Liberal. Occurs every year in September, and in addition to the cooking contest, it features a carnival. Dodge City Days in Dodge City. Dodge City Days are usually in the first week of August. Rooks County Free Fair in Stockton. In early to mid August and features Motorcycle and IMCA Sanctioned Car races, demolition derby, lots and lots of food, rides, and fun capped off with a headline performance. In 2007, Country Music Stars Jack Ingram and Taylor Swift performed. Wild West Festival in Hays. The Wild West Festival around July 4. Events include a baseball tournament, a carnival, a parade, an art exhibition, and a fireworks display, along with numerous other activities.

Interstate 70 runs east-west through the northern half of this region. Via I-70, western Kansas is roughly four hours drive from Denver or five hours from Kansas City. I-170 runs through Colby, Goodland, Hays, Quinter, and WaKeeney. Wichita Mid-Continent Airport (ICT IATA) is roughly three hours drive from Hays, the easternmost city in the region. Most small cities in the region, including Hays (HYS IATA), Goodland (GLD IATA), Garden City (GCK IATA), Dodge City (DDC IATA), and Liberal (LBL IATA), offer commuter service to Denver.

Driving is the best way to get around in this region. Be sure to get off the interstate and take the back roads; you never know what you may find.

Like the rest of Kansas, this is Tornado Alley. If you plan to visit Western Kansas, it would be a good idea to learn about Tornado safety.