August 4, 2021
Nothing is more synonymous with Kansas than the “Wizard of OZ”, a 1939 musical fantasy, that has enthralled generations. The heroine is a Kansas farm girl, so the state wasted no time in laying claim to the key characters: Dorothy, the Wizard, Toto, the Wicked Witch, the Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow.
We’ll know much more about them after a tour of the “Oz Museum” in Wamego, I’m sure, but we have much to see before we arrive there.
1. Moon Marble Company, Bonner Springs, KS – Meet a marble guru
Artist/Owner Bruce Beslow has loved marbles as long as he can remember. At Moon Marble Company, he has been making them and selling them out of the same building along the river in downtown Bonner Springs for over 30 years. Just take Hwy 7 at exit 224A off of Interstate 70 and head south a few miles until you reach the river.
He keeps regular hours but also does some special events during which he can pull out a large section of old wooden bleachers like you and I might remember from our high school gym days, fill them with eager learners and teach them how marbles are made.
2. Marbles of all sizes are made here
Jane and I were fortunate enough to visit him during COVID, which meant his floor traffic was controlled and that he had time to give us a 30-minute personal tour of his facility.
Amazingly, in addition to his vast array of marbles, his store houses nearly any board game that you have ever seen. So, his business has morphed into a museum, laboratory, and store all in one.
This was not our biggest surprise of the 20-day trip, but it was a dandy as the first stop, because it was so darned interesting to both of us and got us in the right frame of mind to be adventurous. It was obvious, we would not know when something like this was going to pop up.
3. Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS – Great debate place
I am a fan of Presidential museums and have visited several from both parties, but, once in a while, you find a famous and impactful person, who achieved much in their life and the only thing they didn’t accomplish was to actually become president. Bob Dole was one such main.
On the University of Kansas campus, the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, houses his life story and makes for an easy-to-follow path through Dole’s life and presidential candidacy, including his recovery from life-threatening wounds he received in WWII.
Besides being a home for hundreds of photos, congressional papers and memorabilia, the Institute hosts many gatherings that support political engagement at all levels. The Institute also houses the Elizabeth Dole Gallery and Reading Room.
4. Booth Family Hall of Athletics, Phog Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS – Cradle of basketball
There are several museums located in Lawrence, but I’m betting none more visited than the Booth Family Hall of Athletics, which is attached to Allen Fieldhouse. Not being my wife’s cup of tea, I did this museum alone, which enabled me to move quickly and not have to explain things to someone who is not a sports fan. And it had no cover charge!
Standing guard at the entry of the Hall, which leads into the fieldhouse, the home of the Kansas Jayhawks, is a statue of the winningest basketball coach in KU history, Forrest “Phog” Allen. Even that refugee from my Alma Mater, the former head coach at the University of Illinois, the uber successful Bill Self has not matched Phog’s 590 wins. I suspect he will eventually surpass Allen, even though my vindictive streak would just as soon he didn’t.
More famous than Allen, was Dr. James Naismith, the purported “father of basketball”. His original 13-rules are posted in the “hall”. However, despite his “fame”, he is the only KU basketball head coach with a losing record, finishing at 55-60. But then they cut the bottom out of the peach basket and the game was never the same. LOL
It’s not all basketball, even though Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain, one of the early basketball “giants”, has a prominent spot here. Don’t forget a couple of other overachievers: Jim Ryun, the great miler and Olympian, and Gale Sayers, who was not too bad of a running back for the Chicago Bears after graduating from KU.
5. Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence, KS – Bad idea that ended up well!
I had hoped to visit the Haskell Cultural Center and Museum, which is located several blocks from KU, but it was not meant to be, because the Center was temporarily closed. It sits at the edge of the Haskell Indian Nations University, a four-year school that is also a public land-grant university.
It is a far cry today from what it was originally intended to be. In 1884, it was founded as a residential boarding school for 22 American Indian and Alaska Native children, who began an educational program that focused on agricultural education in grades one through five.
Today it is home to 1,000 college students from 140 Tribal nations. The institution has evolved from an agricultural focus to an industrial training center to a junior college to a four-year school. It is the oldest continually operating federal school for American Indians. Haskell may also be the only school in the US, who will not receive pressure to change the name of their school’s nickname: the Fighting Indians.
On the downside, in the 1880-90’s living conditions were harsh. Organized under the semi-military style of the Carlisle Indians School, in Pennsylvania, students wore uniforms to enforce conformity and end tribal identification. Their hair was cut short, while most Indian men kept long hair. The children marched to classes and exercised regularly and were punished for failing to follow school rules.
From the ashes of a bad idea gone ever badder (stripping a people of their culture); those early students could have never imagined what the university would grow into today!
6. Combat Air Museum, Forbes Field, Topeka, KS – Want to fly an airplane?
The Combat Air Museum is housed in two large hangars built in WWII at Forbes Field (Air Base then) and maintained as a museum holding over 40 aircraft. Despite the presence of Soviet Migs and numerous US fighter planes, I soon focused on two areas.
I met a WWII veteran with many hours in the air and he soon had me convinced to enter the flight simulator and attempt to fly a Cessna trainer and I happily complied. I didn’t crash and this moment only “scratched” the life-time “itch” I have had to pilot an aircraft.
The other vehicle that I was attracted too, was a Boeing Chinook CH-47D helicopter. It was truly a “work in progress” with many hours of loving care yet needed to restore it to life. I looked it over with great interest because these “birds” were one of my best friends as a Marine in Viet Nam. I have ridden in them many times and was thankful each time that I didn’t have to walk several miles to reach a destination that one of these beauties could reach in minutes. Truly a welcome sight for a squad of Marines decked out in full gear. I “love” those tin cans and their brave pilots. Fee is $7.00 for seniors.
7. Evil Knievel Museum, Topeka, KS – Man of broken bones but not spirit
You can’t grow up in my generation without knowing about our greatest daredevil: Evil Knievel. His museum is located in the “Historic Harley-Davidson” dealership in Topeka, which has its own collection of rotating motorcycle memorabilia.
A two-story, 13,000 sq ft museum has room for Knievel’s jump bikes, leathers and helmets. In addition, there is a Snake River Experience Room featuring his X-2 Sky Cycle. You can also learn just how many broken bones he accumulated during his career and then, for thrills, make a 4-D virtual reality motorcycle jump.
8. Oz Museum, Wamego, KS – See Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow
For a long time, I thought “Oz” was all Kansas had going for it, but in the past 30 years, I have discovered it has so much more. However, it seems undeniable that the state has created a “cottage” industry from the 1939 movie and that’s just pretty smart.
Wamego, KS, which is located nine miles north of I-70 off of exit 328, is one town that has gone a step further and revitalized its tourism trade based around the movie. In 1995, the concept of a museum and permanent venue was conceived after a successful exhibit of Oz memorabilia owned by a Wamego native occurred. After eight more years of planning, the key piece, the Oz Museum opened. Today, over 2,000 items are part of the exhibit and you can even watch the movie, if your time permits. Fee is $9.00 for seniors.
9. Columbian Theatre, Wamego, KS- a year-around venue
Nearby, the Columbian Theater, The OZ Connection, Toto’s Tacos, the Oz Winery, the Yellow Brick Road and numerous Oz-themed businesses flourish and particularly look forward to OZtoberFest.
This annual fall blowout attracts countless visitors, who come to see a variety of activities, including: OZ Costume Contest, Toto look-alike-contest (for dogs only), Indoor/Outdoor OZ Market, Classic Car show, Road to OZ BBQ Challenge, Wizard’s Beer & Wine Garden, Munchkinland, and Auntie Em’s Boutique.
10. Totos and Boom City-Wamego, KS today
Just for fun, be sure to look for the 15 unique Totos Around Town, that are decorated and spread over the city.
BTW, thousands of folks pack into this town of 4,372 each July 4 for the Wamego Fireworks Show, a massive fireworks display. This event has earned Wamego the moniker of “Boom City”.
I’ll have to admit their capitalizing on the “Wizard of Oz” in the extreme has been a “boom” for this formerly sleepy Kansas town over the past 20 years.
Daily Trip Data
Miles driven: 125 mi
Gas price: $ 2.89 per gallon
Motel cost: $85.95 (Quality Inn)
Preview of Day 3
Tomorrow, we’re looking forward to visiting the Kansas State University gardens, the Flint Hills Discovery Center, Ft. Riley, the Eisenhower Presidential Museum and family home, and the World’s Largest Czech Egg.
