I will be going thru Kansas on US Highway 281. I've done some research and will share with you what I've assembled off the internet so far. One thing one would not think and link is Kansas and Sand Dunes. Huh? Yes. Sand Hills State Park, Hutchinson, KS. Kansas has lots of colorful stories.
Kansas is in the middle of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American "Heartland". It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa tribe, who inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south wind", although this was probably not the term's original meaning.
After the Civil War, the population of Kansas exploded when waves of immigrants turned the prairie into productive farmland. Today, Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural states, producing many crops, and leading the nation in wheat, sorghum, and sunflower production most years.
Though most people say that Kansas is "flatter" than a pancake and it certainly look like it is, it actually slopes from an elevation of more than 4,000 feet long the Colorado border to 700 feet on the Missouri line.
Dodge City, Kansas is the windiest city in the United States, with an average wind speed of 14 miles per hour.
Links that maybe of interest to travelers on US Highway 281:
Sandhills State Park:
Official State of Kansas Travel and Tourism Web site:
Kansas Government:
Kansas Road Conditions:
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks:
Kansas Historical Society:
Kansas History:
Kansas History Online:
Kansas Arts Commission:
Ya'll Drive Safely...
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