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Range map: Places to see Fourth of July fireworks shows
Back in April, I worked on an article for the Wichita Eagle on places within driving distance of Wichita, Kan., to see a great fireworks show on the Fourth of July (Follow the boom: Fourth of July road trips). This ran in a special summer guide tabloid published in May — a little early for many people to make plans for the July 4 weekend so I thought I’d share the information I gathered now that it’s a little closer to Independence Day. I’m including bonus material, too. Several of these destinations got cut from the article because of space…and the Wichita Eagle didn’t use the photos that I gathered from the tourism…
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Trip pix: Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, Murchison, Texas
Years ago I donated a few dollars to The Fund for Animals and they sent me a copy of a book by a guy named Cleveland Amory that told the story of how he started a place called Black Beauty Ranch. I remember that it was in Texas and put it in the back of my mind that someday I’d visit when I was in Texas. I forgot about it, even during at least a two dozen trips to the state over the past decade. Then last year a good friend of mine who lives in the Dallas area posted about volunteering at Black Beauty Ranch. It triggered my memory and…
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Wichita, Kansas –> St. Louis, Missouri: a slow road trip
I’ve read a few articles and books lately that used the phrase ‘slow food movement’ – the idea of eating food that is locally grown versus fast foods of which you don’t know the origins. It’s a part of the larger ‘slow movement’ that is all about slowing down the pace of life. So here’s my attempt at extending that philosophy to the road trip. If I were practicing a slow road trip and following Wichita State University’s men’s basketball team to the Midwest Regional of the NCAA tournament in St. Louis this weekend, here are some places I might stop along the route. Please pass this along to anyone…
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Lee’s memories from 365 home Wichita State basketball games
Guest post by Lee UNDEFEATED. Who would have thought those would be the last words of the fans at the end of a Wichita State basketball season. I made it to 15 of the 17 home games this year and not many were close. The longtime Wichita State fan in me is used to nail-biters that have previously ended in a bad way. Earlier in the year the WSU athletic department highlighted a man who had been going to Shockers games for more than 50 years, and this got me curious about how many games I’ve been to in my life. I don’t fall into the category of the super…
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A whopper of a proposal: how Lee asked me to marry him
I knew a proposal was coming, I just didn’t know exactly when or how. Lee and I had started dating in 1995, moved in together in 1996 and had shopped for rings in the last few months of 1997. In January 1998, the opportunity to buy a house {the same one we live in today} popped up suddenly and we made the decision to go for it even though we weren’t yet married. Hmmm, maybe we will open the door to our new house for the first time and I’ll see rose petals spread all over the floor surrounding the ring. Or maybe he’ll drop to one knee during one…