Wichita: More than you’d expect

Wichita, KS. Population: roughly 366,046. Known for being the Aviation Capital of the World. I’ve been to Wichita before. Twice, actually, to visit friends. Once when they lived in a duplex, which was more space at half the rent I paid for my 1-bedroom in Chicago, and again in January of this year. They had moved to a house since then, and started a family. Nice house, too. Typical southern Plain suburbia with an awesome front porch, rehabbed kitchen and super nice hardwood floors. You can really stretch a dollar down here, and come out with some nice goods. I figured that was about all that was good about Wichita, other then the friends who live there. Then again, this was the first time I’d be spending more than a weekend, so there might be more to Wichita than meets the eye.

Turns out that is true. Wichita may not look like much, but it has something to offer even city folk like myself. I’ll be the last to admit it, but Wichita is kind of growing on me.

On Monday, we went to the Wichita zoo. Well, technically the Sedgwick County Zoo. It was actually pretty cool. I’ve been to the Milwaukee Zoo, Brookfield Zoo and of course, the Lincoln Park Zoo, but it occurred to me that it has been a few years since I’ve been to any of those, let alone any zoo. I kind of figured they were all the same. Perhaps it’s the gap in age and visits, or perhaps visiting the zoo is viewed through the new experiences of an entrepreneur, but not all zoos are the same.

One of the cool things at the Sedgwick County Zoo is the Jungle.It is an enclosed space that is as close to the jungle in look, feel, smell and animals as one can get without physically going to the jungle. There are signs posted about closing the doors so the birds don’t escape. Various birds you’d find the jungle do, in fact, fly freely throughout the place. Ones that don’t fly waddle, or wander, around. It was pretty cool. I was in awe. Literally. And what is a jungle without fruit bats?! It took a minute to realize that they were fruit bats and not, well, other kinds of bats. Of course, the sign helped, too. There were just so many bats. I had never seen so many in one place, in real life before. It was a little unnerving, but also quite cool. They look bigger in person than they do on TV, that’s for sure. We hurried through that part, along with some other people. The fruit bats didn’t seem to care though, or notice. And that is perfectly OK.

Yeah, so birds roam freely around the place. All types of birds. Some are pretty quick, andtiny, which helped to illustrated a down side of taking pictures with a Droid: slow shutter speed. But I did manage to snap this one, which turned out well. Two birds I’d never seen up close before. And the bright plumage of the scarlet macaw against the darker plumage of the blue victoria pigeon set against the green and brown of the jungle offered a nice contrast.

We also saw the Cessna Penguin Cove (ironic, no?), amphibians and reptiles, and the tigers and giraffes near, and in, the Africa exhibit. Not a bad day to spend a Monday, and before it got really hot. And yes, it does get hot in Wichita. Rather quickly, I might add.

It turns out, there is, in fact, a river that runs through Wichita, in a manner of speaking. Right by the Mid-America All-Indian Center, where the Keeper of the Plains keeps watch. It is also near Exploration Place, a rather niftily designed structure. We went for a walk along the river, the Arkansas River (pronounced ARE-Kansas), Wednesday afternoon. The bridges are nicely, and tastefully, done. Sometimes it seems more thought goes into pedestrian bridges than overpasses or other vehicle-related bridges. There were a few other people out, enjoying the nice weather. It was the best day yet, weather-wise. Not too hot, about 85ish, and low humidity. Perfect afternoon for a walk.

The Keeper of the Plains is a big Indian statue, and every night during the summer there’s a fire ceremony. There are large stones that surround the Keeper, and they have gas grates over them that, as you might expect, are lit at night. I’m told there is a ceremony with lots of recorded music, and that it is kind of cool. Fire is involved, so what’s not cool about that? Alas, didn’t get a chance to see it this trip, so another reason to come back.

All in all, it was an awesome visit. Wichita isn’t all bad. And it has excellent frozen custard. We went to a place called Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. It’s a local joint that serves awesome frozen custard. There’s a sign inside that declares frozen custard to be a “frequently misunderstood product” because it is actually a “gourmet ice cream treat.” There’s a special process for making frozen custard, and Freddy’s has its own unique method, which it uses to produce fresh frozen custard throughout the day. I must say, they do a excellent job.

So thus ends my week in Wichita. Tomorrow I head for Oklahoma. I’ve decided to check out the Route 66 Park, and the Will Rogers Park and Horticultural Gardens in Oklahoma City before heading to Bartlesville. Spending the holiday weekend with friends in Bartlesville, then getting my kicks on Route 66.