Places To Visit When I'm Back In Kansas: Part 2 (…And Other Things To Do)

 

Hello again, and welcome back to my monthly blog. Last time, I wrote to you about the new places I wanna try in Topeka like The Pennant and Round Table Bookstore. Now here's part two of my blog entry on places to visiting when I'm back in Kansas.

Let's get started.

The Wheel Barrel 

This is the kind of place I wanna try out in Topeka, it's at 925 N. Kansas Ave. But the question is, "Where to begin?". Well if you like Burgers and wings at Jefferson's and Johnny's Tavern, then we should try out The Wheel Barrel. And trust me, it's really fun. It's a hidden gem nestled in the heart of Topeka, Kansas. And this rustic haven promises more than just a meal, it's an experience. So just picture yourself sinking into a plush seat, savoring the warmth of a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich that transcends the ordinary. And it's home to an award-winning selection of gourmet grilled cheese creations, as well as rotational craft beer options and seasonal artisan cocktails. Their menu changes periodically so there is always something new to taste. This is one of the new places I should try in Topeka.

Moving on to the next one.

Squishington's Candy

Stephanie said to me that it's kind of new in Lawrence and she hasn't been there. She even told me we should go there to check it out. Here's the scoop. Did you know that Squishington was the childhood nickname given to store owner, Jhami by his sisters growing up. Inspired by “a kid in a candy store” vibes, it’s been a longtime dream of Jhami’s to bring a candy store to our community. So by the time I return, I’ll take the time to try this place for the very first time and browse around at some candy stuff. You know, somehow I’ve been looking forward to it all my life. And guess what, it’s right next to the Liberty Hall Theater. Cool!

Okay, here’s the next one I wanna try out.

La Tropicana

I don’t know if you heard this before, but I can tell you that La Tropicana is also the place to go there for lunch or dinner. It’s also the place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! Awesome, don’t you agree. If Stephanie and I can pick a day to go there, maybe we can have ourselves some lunch there and maybe enjoy some live entertainment. Gee, I wonder what kind of entertainment La Tropicana will have here. It could be inside or outside at the patio. That might sound familiar though.

And now here’s some other things I wanna experience here in Lawrence.

The KU Powwow & Indigenous Culture Festival

Every year in the 12th of April, there’s an annual celebration of American Indian cultures in our community through dancing, singing, and honoring the traditions of their ancestors. So this is also one I wanna take a look at here at the KU Lied Center. There’s also an Indigenous Cultures festival, it’s a free community event of the KU Powwow that has activities such as Indigenous films, educational workshops, and children’s activities focused on the cultures and history.

Another thing in KU I wanna experience are these things.

The KU Relays

The KU relays happen every year here at Rock Chalk Park. It’s like more of a track and field kind of thing where athletes run for the gold. In fact, the 102nd anniversary of this event is still happening from April 17th to April 19 this year. I wonder if I can also experience it when I’m back in Lawrence. And I wonder what will the tickets cost to check it out. Maybe Stephanie can take me there, cause I hear that the relays can be really exciting to watch in the spring. This is why KU makes the Jayhawks their official home. I’m about to go Rock Chalk again.

Liberty Hall

Now, get this! Liberty Hall not only does live events such as concerts, independent cinema showings, and other private screening and stuff. It also does special screenings of different classic movies too. So maybe for a special time in Lawrence, I can see a special screening of a classic movie I haven't seen before. You know about that place that used to have video rentals? Well, now there's special screenings to check out here Liberty Hall's main theater. But wait, there's more! Liberty Hall in Lawrence also has plenty of 'outta this world' merch in there, so I might even consider looking into it too.

Now here's some places that I wanna go to when I get things all set up for my next condo in Lawrence.

Jungle House

I don't know if you've read about this, but this is a new one I wanna browse for some plants there. Especially when it comes to Earth Day. It's a downtown Lawrence nursery where it sells organic things like plants, giftware, and home goods, plus potting, and it also does delivery services. So when I finally have my new condo here in Lawrence, I might be able make a bird feeder in my backyard or maybe make a garden. Perhaps maybe a small one, I'm not sure.

Striped Cow

Yes, we all love the Striped Cow in downtown Lawrence. It's quite like a huge gift shop full of shirts and other things too. But you know something, it's where art meets life. Cool, huh! Maybe I can browse around and look for something interesting there. I wonder if I can find new socks for new sock puppet ideas.

There's also things that I love visiting there in Lawrence, such as...

The Toy Store

The Dusty Bookshelf

And of course... there's this store.

The Merc

I remember my first time going there as a kid, that was when my mom and I went grocery shopping for organic foods. When I walk into that store, I smell the organic aroma of the Rice Dream scent at any time. When I was little at The Merc, there was a play section where little kids can play around with the toys and View-Master movie sets. It used to be located in downtown Lawrence and now it’s at the Hillcrest Shopping Center close to Royal Crest Lanes. She got organic foods and looked around and browsed around the store. There was also this one time I got myself an ice cream sandwich there. Maybe the next time I get more groceries, I can finally find something good. If I were to go to The Merc on Earth Day before or after the Earth Day Fair in South Park, I would bring in my fruits and vegetables in a basket just in case I want to volunteer for my community. But for me, I might go there and buy myself some fruits to make myself a fruit salad. But the real question is, how am I gonna keep all my fruits and vegetables fresh in the fridge.

The Bee Store

You know my friend Anthony Schwager, he's the young man who owns the store here at The Malls Shopping Center. And I wonder... What are the odds of finding organic things from his beehive? I can tell you. Whenever there's a chance I can check out the location for The Bee Store, I can finally get myself some things from his store. I hear that the store will be reopening for a limited capacity every Tuesday from 11AM to 1PM and Saturdays from 1 to 5PM. And maybe if I'm lucky I can come over there and see him for the time being. I'm sure that Anthony Schwager will be pleased to hear from me.

Say hi to the folks, buddy.

Sunfire Ceramics

I always love going there to make some stuff for myself. In fact, maybe I might even go there again and probably create a better looking jar to put some dollar bills and coins in to save me some money, just like a piggy bank. And maybe also on that day whenever I'm at Sunfire, maybe Stephanie and I might make something different like a paintbrush holder, a sugar jar, or something useful to come up with.

Now here's one that's not in Lawrence, but in Baldwin City.

Vinland Valley Nursery

I'll tell you all about it. Here at Vinland Valley Nursery, you'll find hundreds of native perennials, trees, shrubs, and annuals there. And it's also about landscape design too. Here they grow food too. So if I ever get the chance, I can visit Vinland Valley and look around at the plants outside the gardens. If you haven't experienced it yet, then consider yourself lucky. I hope that someday I can experience it for myself. How many sunflowers can you find here? You decide. Have I forgot to tell you this place can grow their own tomatoes too? Pretty groovy! Hey Stephanie, maybe someday you can take me there and we'll look at some flowers.

Now here’s another one that I wanna try out before I wrap this up. Have you ever heard of street fishing or we like to call ‘KAW River Fishing’?

Well, if we get kinda lucky on this one, then check this out! Everyone can go fishing here in Lawrence Kansas these days, especially when you’re visiting the Lawrence River. So maybe for a special time, we can finally go fishing somewhere here at the KAW River. And who knows when we can actually catch a big one, kinda like this one right here. Here’s what it’ll look like when you see this location.

Now there's just plenty of places and other things that I really want try and do when I'm finally back, and this is gonna be just the beginning of another era.

So if you like part two of my blog entry on the places to visit when I'm back in Kansas, feel free to give me more suggestions on some more places to visit and check out in Lawrence Kansas and in Kansas City. I hope that you will love this one soon. And remember that these places will be part of my to-do list pretty soon.

So in other words, take your time and let me know what you guys think.

Well, I think that's it for now. Check back later for more stories on the Lawrence Kansas monthly blog. Keep it locked cause later on I'll be making my Lawrence Kansas vacation video soon, so I'll keep you guys updated. Have a great day and I'll see you next time.