Wine, Rock, and Relaxation on the Prairie

What a marvelous way to begin a day -- tasting a myriad of wines at Smoky Hill Winery and enjoying the great snacks they provided free of charge. Then, with a bottle of wine in hand, we headed out for Rock City to settle back for some exploration time in this strange geological formation on the Kansas prairie. We took turns sitting in the Giant's Chair and posing for photos among these chunks of Dakota Sandstone. Then it was back to Salina for a quiet afternoon at Lakewood Park, relaxing by the water and sipping wine before exploring the Nature Center and the butterfly garden located there.

Quick Tips:

Plan this trip for a day when you want a combination of a minimum amount of hiking, climbing and relaxation.

Best Way To Get Around:

I've eaten at the Western Sizzlin' several times and the food has always been very good. It is a buffet setting, with a good variety of selections. The salad bar has fresh fixins and the hot food buffet tables are always well stocked with hot (as opposed to luke-warm) items. Their rolls are fresh; the sweet rolls are especially delicious. Beverages are served by a waitress and used dishes are usually cleared in a timely manner.

Here on the plains (think flat) of Kansas is an area of huge sandstone concretions, considered to be a geological wonder and designated as a National Natural Landmark. There are nearly 200 of these formations of Dakota sandstone. Many of the sandstone formations look like giant rounded mounds and several bear names descriptive of their appearance. One of my favorite rocks here is the Giant's Chair -- which provides a wonderful place for a photo op. It's like sitting in a nature-made throne.

The park is probably about an acre in size and is a wonderful place to allow your kids and yourself to explore. There is a gift shop on the premises that is open daily from 9-5 from May to August. The park itself is open year round.

If you find yourself in the area, make sure you stop and see these strange formations jutting out of the prairie.

Just north of Salina on 9th Street we found a wonderful winery. Who would have thought -- a Kansas Winery? My favorite wines are sweet dessert wines and Smoky Hill Winery offers a plethora of these. I absolutely abhor buying wine at a liquor store because I believe it's best to sample what you are going to buy before you make a purchase and Smoky Hill Winery allows you to do this. Not only can you sample wines, but they also often serve snacks -- for free -- along with their wine sampling events. The winery produces and sells a marvelous Christmas wine -- sure to be the hit of any holiday gathering -- designed to be served warm for those cold December nights.

If you're up to a bit of hiking or simply into nature watching, Lakewood Park Natural Area in Northeast Salina is the place to go. The park was developed around an old sand quarry. There is a wonderful butterfly garden here also, but don't bring your net -- they're not for catching, just for watching.

We continue to visit Rock City as it is a great place to have a picnic and a peaceful place on the prairie to spend a day. No matter how many times I see these boulders I am always fascinated by them. Each one is a unique piece of art just waiting to be discovered here in the middle of Kansas.