Trails & Tunnels
April 2-3, 2024
Day 1: We will start the day with coffee and sweet rolls at an Amish home near Yoder. Then we will meander on over to Larned to take on the life of the Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Larned. Here we will have a ranger tell us about the lifestyle at the fort as well as a tour. You will have the chance to see the ruts left by the wagons on the Santa Fe Trail. Lunch will be served up in the mess hall. Around the corner we will visit the Santa Fe Trail Center and will also have a professional enlighten us about the happenings along the trail. Extra time will be given so individuals can explore on their own. Our next venture will take us to Pawnee Rock where we can experience the feel that Native Americans felt as they watched from atop for the buffalo below or the travelers from the east as they came upon their halfway mark. We will stay overnight in Great Bend. (L, D)
Day 2: It’s tunnel day! After a quick stop at the Barton County Historical Society we are off to Ellinwood to experience the underground life. What did they use these tunnels for? The Ellinwood Wolf Hotel will guide us through this adventure and then will serve us lunch in the old historic hotel built in 1894. Cheyenne Bottoms is the next stop where we will learn some Kansas geography from a well informed guide. Our last thrill is a tour of the Missile Silo Adventure which is an underground bunker in the process of renovation. After this informative stop we will head back to Yoder with tons of new knowledge about the wonderful state of Kansas. (B, L)