KANSAS
Sunflower State
KANSAS CITY
Closest Airport:
Kansas City [MCI]
Downtown Cheyenne: This gem is just a quick 90 minute drive from Denver. On the way, you go through Fort Collins so if you’re in the area for an extended time, it’s a great day/weekend trip to stop there on the way. Downtown Cheyenne is your quintessential “cowboy” vibe with boot stores and gear, but mixed into this old town charm are new, fun coffee shops, places to eat, cute gift shops and interesting architecture. It’s a great place to start the day for a walk-around.
Terry Bison Ranch: About 15 minutes South is this unique, interactive farm. Right off the highway, its easy to access. The main draw is the Bison Train, a 45-60 minute route through the property where you can literally lean out and feed the “free roaming” bison herd. The train moves very slow and allows ample time to see the animals. They also do a nice narration about the property and past. There’s nothing fancy about this, but it’s very on-point with the area, a bit rustic and let’s you have a pretty unique experience. Our 10-month old enjoyed the ride, but wasn’t so sure about the bison tongues. They also have a restaurant on-site, we didn’t eat there (we went to Fort Collins). They had a bathroom that was clean, but we still opted to change baby in the car. They recommend reservations as the train rides fill up in advance.
Closest Airport
Kansas City [MCI]
LAWRENCE
Closest Airport
Orlando [MCO]
Boardwalk: The historic boardwalk has had a facelift in the past decade with many new rides and some renovations on classics. Along with that came an increased price tag which had us a bit sticker-shocked to start. It’s about $50/person for unlimited rides at the low end and even babies are required to have a ticket. That said, there are ample rides for kids (a whole section now) with lots of fun things to do. Link: https://beachboardwalk.com/
Bathrooms were a little tricky, they don’t have many changing areas, and the area that is for it felt a bit dingy. The stalls are tiny, so to get the kids changed in privacy, you have to take one of the handicap stalls, or change them in the main area. If they can come wearing their suits, it may make it easier.
There is a huge parking lot right near the beach where you can pay to park, or many hotel options within walking distance. The downtown area has lots of places to eat, but not all are kid-friendly, and there can be an eclectic assortment of characters posted up along the main drag, which made for some interesting conversations with our 3-year-old as she observed them.
Beach: is right next to the Boardwalk and is pretty large, so even on busy days, there are plenty of places to find a spot. There are also lots of vendors selling umbrellas and chairs, so if you don’t want to haul one, just bring $15 and buy one when you get there.
Natural Bridges State Beach: ($10 parking fee) is gorgeous and, while incredibly windy, was a nice break and a different view from the main boardwalk beach.
Closest Airport
San Jose (SJC)