WICHITA

TRIP 1: 

A wild and wonderful weekend … in Wichita? Susan Kraus 
makes a case for the state’s biggest city.

Wichita has changed dramatically even in the last 10 years. 

What used to be an area filled with rusting warehouses has been 
transformed into a “district” with new restaurants, galleries, 
boutiques and a hopping music scene. A free trolley takes folks 
between city spots. Miles of biking and walking trails extend 
along the Arkansas River and through nature preserves. 

Only some 165 miles from Lawrence, you can hop in the 

car at 4 p.m. on a Friday afternoon and be checked into your 
Wichita hotel by 6:30. Or leave early Saturday morning and still 
have two days to explore and play. And if you haven’t stayed 
there lately, prepare to be surprised. 

ROMANTIC RUNAWAY WEEKEND 

For romance, stay in Old Town, where you can walk to 

dozens of restaurants, bars, galleries and shops. My favorite 
is the Hotel at Old Town, located right on The Farm and Art 
Market Square. It’s historic and elegant, and you can reserve 
a room with a whirlpool tub big enough for linebackers. The 
hotel offers very reasonable rates, free parking and full-course 
hot breakfasts in a lovely four-story atrium. 

EAT AND DRINK

Leave your worries behind at Mort’s Martini and Cigar Bar, 

with more than 150 martini options, international beers and 
live music (see bands on the patio seasonally, solo and duo acts 
inside in winter). 

Oeno (rhymes with vino) Wine Bar features craft beers, 

pitchers of mojitos, great tapas and wood-fired pizzas. There is 
live music, with a DJ after 10:30. You can linger here for hours.

The Brickyard has an outdoor band venue, and, more 

recently, a casual restaurant with darn good food. (The all farm-
to-table cuisine by an innovative chef left me drooling.) 

Enjoy a gelato at Caffe Moderne. Try Sabor Latin Bar and 

Grille for Latin cuisine, Wasabi Japanese Restaurant for sushi, 
Larkspur Bistro and Bar for seafood, Hana Cafe for Korean and 
Japanese, Taste and See for eclectic international … or ask a 
satisfied-looking local what their favorite place is and why. 

DAYTIME FUN

Take in the Wichita Art Museum, with its extensive 

American art collection. I loved coming face to face with the 
originals of prints that I’ve had on my walls, and I gaped, 
open-mouthed, at the magnificent Chihuly glass creations. The 
Botanica has 26 themed gardens, sculptures and fountains, an 
oasis for those looking to take a stroll, with more than 150,000 
tulips and daffodils in spring. Follow the Downtown Art Walk 
Guide to discover more than 40 public outdoor sculptures, 

PHO

T

OGRAPHS

GO WICHIT

A C

ONVENTION + VISIT

ORS BUREA

U

71

LM

su15