I think the most unusual animals that we saw were the Bongos. It has always been my understanding that bongos were little drums played by beatniks. I never knew that they were also animals. As you can see from the photos, they…Read More

I think the most unusual animals that we saw were the Bongos. It has always been my understanding that bongos were little drums played by beatniks. I never knew that they were also animals. As you can see from the photos, they have quite unusual markings. These animals are nearly extinct and I am glad that I had the opportunity to see them in the flesh.   Close

Another area of interest for me was the camels. The two dromedary camels remained right next to the viewing area the entire time we were by their enclosure. Though one of the camels simply stood around with a very composed look on its…Read More

Another area of interest for me was the camels. The two dromedary camels remained right next to the viewing area the entire time we were by their enclosure. Though one of the camels simply stood around with a very composed look on its face, the other seemed to think that it was time for 'Fun With Lips.' I almost couldn't get my husband to move along because he was getting such a kick out of this animals 'exploration of the various postures available to camel lips.'

The pen area was relatively clean. It was a warm day when we visited and though there was the usual animal odor of feces and urine it was not overwhelming nor terribly offensive.

The bactian camels were rather difficult to view due to the construction of the enclosure. They must be powerful animals and rather adverse to being penned up as the bars of their enclosure were quite thick.

We enjoyed the camels tremendously.   Close

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…Read More

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.   Close

Just north of Salina, outside the small town of Minneapolis, Kansas, is a nature oddity that you won't soon forget. In a field of about 5 acres, you find 200 rocks. Yes, rocks, but these are the size of houses or cars and they are…Read More

Just north of Salina, outside the small town of Minneapolis, Kansas, is a nature oddity that you won't soon forget. In a field of about 5 acres, you find 200 rocks. Yes, rocks, but these are the size of houses or cars and they are alone in the wheat field. They are said to be over a million years old and made of Dakota sandstone. They were created from a grain of sand and pushed up through the earth to create this large formation. The cost of entrance is just $3 per person and a map may be purchased for a small fee. There is a covered picnic area for families to enjoy the day, and the walk is an easy one. Take a look at a website I found, www.washburn.edu/cas/art/cyoho/archive/KStravel/rockcity.   Close

Taking our two jack russell terriers along on trips can present difficulties, such as "where do you potty them". Driving around Salina, Kansas we found a lovely park and visited it numerous times during our two day stay. The park is located on the corner…Read More

Taking our two jack russell terriers along on trips can present difficulties, such as "where do you potty them". Driving around Salina, Kansas we found a lovely park and visited it numerous times during our two day stay. The park is located on the corner of Ohio and Magnolia and is only 2 to 3 miles east of the shopping mall. The park is free and really worth the time.

The park seemed to be a large 5 to 10 acres of numerous activities. There was a small pond with a gazebo. You may see fish, ducks, and even beautiful swans. We enjoyed the numerous walking paths that winded in and out of the trees and followed the creeks that flowed throughout the park. If you have children or if you are a kid at heart there is a wonderful playground. Jami, our female, loved to jump and bark at the ducks and they seemed to be playing back.    Close

My husband's sister first introduced us to Coronado Heights back in the 80s. My husband and I were visiting her and her family so we packed up a picnic lunch and set off for this 'really neat place' they had found. And neat…Read More

My husband's sister first introduced us to Coronado Heights back in the 80s. My husband and I were visiting her and her family so we packed up a picnic lunch and set off for this 'really neat place' they had found. And neat it was. There, in the middle of the flat plain, sitting up on a lone hill, was a Spanish-type stone fort. It appears quite out of place and draws you to it from miles out.   Close

We had such a number of choices of where to eat in Salina. Our first thought was the restaurant next to the Outpost, however none of us wanted to have a full, sit-down meal. We did get a kick out of the Tinman…Read More

We had such a number of choices of where to eat in Salina. Our first thought was the restaurant next to the Outpost, however none of us wanted to have a full, sit-down meal. We did get a kick out of the Tinman standing outside, with his welcome to Kansas-style hello though.

Coyote Canyon on Ninth Street, a wonderful steak buffet that we frequently enjoy, was our next thought. Always liking to get our money's worth at a buffet, it was decided that none of us were hungry enough to eat very much, so Coyote Canyon was out.

Salina also offers the standard fast food restaurants, but even though we were in the mood for sort of fast food, we were not in the mood for the standard fast food fair.

Anyway, we ended up at Schlotzsky's Deli. The perfect solution for the three of us. (See dining entry for description of Schlotzsky's.)   Close

The Refuge is home to two beautiful cougars. They were quite affectionate with one another while we were viewing them. I certainly wouldn't want to meet one of these cats in the woods unexpectedly, but they were magnificent to watch.…Read More

The Refuge is home to two beautiful cougars. They were quite affectionate with one another while we were viewing them. I certainly wouldn't want to meet one of these cats in the woods unexpectedly, but they were magnificent to watch.   Close

The African Hunting Dogs were extremely obliging the day of our visit. When we arrived at their enclosure they were sleeping, but after a few seconds, both of them woke up, stretched and interacted with one another. After I was able to take several photos,…Read More

The African Hunting Dogs were extremely obliging the day of our visit. When we arrived at their enclosure they were sleeping, but after a few seconds, both of them woke up, stretched and interacted with one another. After I was able to take several photos, they lay back down and went to sleep. The dogs have beautiful markings and behaved in a manner similar to any house dog, though I am sure they are quite wild by nature. They were a pleasure to see.   Close

Bears are another animal I really like seeing. At Rolling Hills Refuge they have both Sloth Bears and Black Bears. Neither pair of bears was very active on the day we went, probably due to the temperature -- a little warm for any animal with…Read More

Bears are another animal I really like seeing. At Rolling Hills Refuge they have both Sloth Bears and Black Bears. Neither pair of bears was very active on the day we went, probably due to the temperature -- a little warm for any animal with such a thick coat. I found the sloth bears to be the most interesting. Their face is so different, at one moment resembling that of a dog, at another moment looking somewhat like a panda.   Close