Perfect summer

FERNANDO SALAZAR The Wichita Eagle

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Perfect Summer

Contents

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

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TRAVEL Guide to regional casinos Guide to minor league baseball Choose an RV vacation Ellinwood’s underground speakeasy Glamping: Camp out in style Take a ride in a hot-air balloon Try whitewater rafting in OKC

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THINGS TO DO 5 don’t-miss summer events Newcomer’s guide of things to do 3 options for staying cool Outdoor concerts 63 summer events Free family fun Save money with golf passes Events for kids

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Page 28 Courtesy of Slattery Vintage Estates

TRAVIS HEYING The Wichita Eagle

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FOOD Ice cream adventures Want easy grilling? Try a pellet grill Local BBQ experts sell their sauce Rhubarb: A tart summer treat

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OUTDOOR LIVING Add water features to your yard Trends in outdoor kitchens How to make container gardens Backyard games for families Sunflowers: Easy, cheap color How to raise your own chickens Unusual yard art Add color with geraniums

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TRAVIS HEYING The Wichita Eagle MIKE HUTMACHER The Wichita Eagle

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5 events you should check out 1. Reed Family Elephants of the Zambezi River Valley The Sedgwick County Zoo’s new exhibit officially opens at 10 a.m. Friday, May 27, with a ribbon cutting and dedication.

Check out the 10-acre exhibit and meet Stephanie’s six new friends — Simunye, Titan, Arusi, Zuberi, Xolani and Talia.

TRAVIS HEYING File photo

2. Wichita River Festival

JAIME GREEN The Wichita Eagle

It’s a “Party in ICT” when Riverfest celebrates its 45th year from June 3 to 11. In addition to fireworks shows both kicking off and providing the grand finale to the fest, this year will bring an on-site Habitat for Humanity house build, and the River Run will return to the first Saturday, June 4. This year, Blacktop Nationals joins the Riverfest from June 9-11. Musical acts will include the Roots, Naughty by Nature, Elle King and the Violent Femmes. Comedian Sinbad also will make a musical appearance. Admission for all of it is a Riverfest button, which costs $10, or $3 for ages 6 to 12. Ages 5 and under get in free.

4. Harry Potter book release “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” picks up the story of Harry, Ron and Hermione where the epilogue left off, standing on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, waving goodbye to their school-age children, according to author J.K. Rowling’s website, Pottermore.

To celebrate, Watermark Books & Cafe, 4701 E. Douglas, is throwing a midnight party that starts at 11 p.m. July 30, with games, a costume contest with an adult and child division and a trivia contest. It’s a ticketed event. See details at watermarkbooks .com. Look for more events as the release date – which coincides with the 20th anniversary of the original publication of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” – comes closer. Or dust off your wands and conjure up your own celebration.

TRAVIS HEYING File photo Courtesy photo

3. Fourth of July festivities Fireworks will be shot off downtown on the Fourth of July.

The evening will start at 5 p.m. with food trucks and a bar on the Hyatt lawn, 400 W. Waterman; the Astronauts will play 1980s and 1990s covers starting at 7 p.m. The fireworks will be around 9:30 p.m., both aerially and on barges in the river between the Douglas Avenue and Lewis Street bridges. The Wichita Wingnuts will play the Laredo Lemurs starting at 6:05 p.m. at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, 300 S. Sycamore.

On the Saturday before, Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 W. Museum Blvd., will have an old-fashioned Fourth celebration called Celebrate America. There will be a pie-eating contest, carnival games, sack races and a vintage baseball game on July 2. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is included in admission — $7.75, $6.50 for seniors, $6 for ages 12 to 17, $5.50 for ages 5 to 11, free for ages 4 and under — or membership.

5. Automobilia’s Moonlight Car Show and Street Party The event returns to the streets of downtown Wichita on July 9. Look for three food courts, a model car contest, bands, merchandise and, of course, cars, from 6 p.m. to midnight. Admission is free. This event is sponsored by Automobilia, a retail store that’s all about cars.

FERNANDO SALAZAR File photo

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Things to Do

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

Newcomer’s guide of things to do in Wichita

BY GABRIELLA DUNN

gdunn@wichitaeagle.com

I moved to Wichita a year ago, and my friends recently made a list of things I’ve “got to try.”

The idea was to compile a list of quirky, one-of-a-kind experiences in the Wichita area.

Check it out, and maybe you’ll want to visit some of these places this summer.

Bartend for a night at Gianni Bacci’s: Play bartender for a night at Gianni Bacci’s, 301 N. Washington, and benefit a charity while you’re at it. The speakeasy-styled bar and restaurant lets people 21 and older work as “celebrity bartenders” on Wednesday nights. The bar usually allows up to two people at a time, who serve a set menu of five or six drinks from 7 to 10 p.m. Bartenders at Gianni Bacci’s will prepare the drink menu and teach the guest bartenders how to mix the cocktails. They’ll even make the drinks around a theme of your choice. “Just come with your A-game,” said Brian Love, a bartender at Gianni Bacci’s. If guests don’t have a charity chosen for the donations, Gianni Bacci’s will donate a portion of the sales to local charities.

Try some liquid-nitrogen ice cream: The shop uses liquid nitrogen in what looks like a magic trick to make the ice cream before your eyes. The result of such fresh ice cream, the owners say, is a smoother texture that prevents tiny ice crystals from forming. Churn & Burn, 556 S. Oliver, serves ice cream (the churn) and coffee (the burn) year round. Order prepared ice cream from the case or make a custom order on-the-spot with liquid nitrogen by ordering candies or nuts (from Nifty Nut House) to mix in.

Eat steaks in a cattle barn in El Dorado: It doesn’t get much

MIKE HUTMACHER File photo

Families ride paddle boats at O.J. Watson Park.

File photo

Jamee Lowe, left, and Christian Shomberg use liquid nitrogen to freeze a batch of espresso ice cream at Churn & Burn.

Courtesy of Gianni Bacci’s

more Kansas authentic than a steak dinner inside a cattle barn.

The Real Deal Cafe, 2593 SE U.S. 54 in El Dorado, doesn’t have a sign displayed outside and is unsuspectingly inside the El Dorado Livestock Auction barn. But it has some of the best steaks around. The Real Deal is open Thursdays, auctioning day, from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 4 to

Bartenders mix drinks at Gianni Bacci’s. The bar lets people guest bartend Wednesdays from 7 to 10 p.m. and donates a portion of the proceeds to a charity of their choice.

8:30 p.m. Steak dinners with sides and a salad run between $22 and $25. The cafe serves breakfast Thursday mornings.

Be sure to order the chips and salsa as an appetizer. The owner sells the salsa at Whole Foods,

Dillons and Green Acres and serves it with fluffy homemade tortilla chips.

Drinks at Frosty Mugs then karaoke at The Stop: For dive bar night out, visit Frosty Mugs, on South Washington just north

of Harry, then head less than a block to the corner of Boston and Washington for karaoke at The Stop. Frosty Mugs is a long, narrow brick building painted green with a Pabst Blue Ribbon sign that says “Frosty Mugs” over a red awning.

Paddle boat at O.J. Watson Park: Act like a kid again at O.J. Watson Park, 3022 S. McLean Blvd., with a day of paddle boating ($3 for 30 minutes per person), mini golf ($3 per person), fishing and a ride on the new train ($3 per person).

Visit Timbuktu’s patio: Timbuktu Bar & Grill, 1251 N. Andover Road, has been open since 1982 and claims to be the first and oldest bar and grill in Andover. Check out the bar’s mural-lined patio with face cut-outs to take photos and a gorilla statue named Buk Gorillini. Yell “Howdy Joe!” for a free basket of chips. And the bar has adult coloring books, Farkel, Old Maid and checkers to entertain you while you wait for your burgers. Make sure to order the jalapeno relish. It’s cash or check only, but the bar has an ATM. Children are allowed at all times, too.

Watch planes take off and land with patio dining: Stearman Field Bar and Grill, 14789 SW 30th St. in Benton, has a bar and grill with garage door walls that rise above the restaurant to create an outdoor patio right at the base of the Benton Airport runway, where general aviation planes take off and land. The grill is open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Kayak down the Arkansas River: A nonprofit called the Arkansas River Coalition organizes kayak and canoe floats during the spring, summer and fall. The group welcomes firsttime paddlers on most of its floats with a suggested $15 donation for using its equipment.

Floaters meet at a set location around 8 or 9 a.m. on Saturdays for floats about 8 to 10 miles in length. The group also organizes twilight floats in Wichita from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the Arkansas or Little Arkansas. To receive announcements about scheduled floats, e-mail wallyseibel@aol.com.

Gabriella Dunn: 316-268-6400, @gabriella_dunn

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Things to Do

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

‘‘

WE WANT THE MINDSET TO BE ‘WHY DRIVE 15 MINUTES AND LOSE WHEN YOU CAN DRIVE 60 MINUTES AND WIN.’ Mike Beezley, player development manager for 7 Clans Casinos

KC WRIGHT Courtesy photo

Five casinos make up the 7 Clans Casinos near Newkirk, Okla., about an hour south of Wichita.

Area casinos offer more than gaming

BY MELINDA SCHNYDER

Eagle correspondent

W

here can you see live buffalo and longhorn cattle up close, play a round of golf, swim in a resort-style pool, get a massage, enjoy a five-course wine pairing dinner and hear live music and comedy?

Casinos in Kansas and Oklahoma.

While all of those attractions are not offered at a single location, they are available across the region’s casinos. Along with thousands of slot machines and hundreds of table games, nongaming entertainment and amenities keep visitors at casinos longer and appease the nongambling members in a couple or group of friends.

“Most people who come to

Dodge City come to the casino, but as a historic Western town, we have a lot more to see and do,” said Kari Casterline of the Boot Hill Casino & Resort. “We can be a day trip, but we also get couples and girlfriend weekend getaways from Wichita. We even have people who drive up from Amarillo just to get one of our steaks for dinner.”

Kansas has eight casinos. It’s a different story in Oklahoma, which has more than 100 casinos, including more tribal casinos than any other state.

“At our First Council casino in Newkirk, I compete with five other casinos right in my backyard,” said Mike Beezley, player development manager for 7 Clans Casinos. “We have to have the best customer service, offer better gaming – meaning looser slots – and give them more entertainment.”

Beezley said 64 percent of his

market comes from Kansas, so he also competes with casinos here, especially the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, which is closest to his largest market in Wichita.

“We want the mindset to be ‘why drive 15 minutes and lose when you can drive 60 minutes and win,’ ” he said.

7 Clans Casinos’ five properties are among the closest in Oklahoma for Wichitans. Others in the area of Interstate 35 and U.S. 77 south of the Kansas state line include Osage, Kaw Nation SouthWind and Tonkawa Tribe operations. The casinos in northcentral Oklahoma vary in size and amenities but are close together, making it easy to visit many on one trip. For the largest in Oklahoma – and the world, in terms of number of games – you’ll have to drive to WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, on I-35 about 280 miles south of Wichita and 75

The Wichita Eagle

A blackjack table at the Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Dodge City on its first day of business in December 2009. The casino is managed by Butler National Corp. of Olathe.

tables, followed closely by Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane.

There are gaming differences between Kansas and Oklahoma as well as tribal versus commercial operations. Oklahoma casiGAMING nos cannot offer roulette or WinStar World Casino and Resort in Oklahoma offers more dice-based craps.

“The most popular game and than 7,400 electronic games, 98 table games and 46 poker tables. best game for the gambler is a VGT game, and only tribal casiThe largest casino in Kansas is nos have those,” 7 Clans’ BeeHollywood Casino at Kansas zley said. VGT is a brand of slot Speedway in Kansas City, with machine, Video Gaming Tech100,000 square feet of gaming nologies. including 2,000 slot machines, “They have free spins that are 40 table games and 12 poker miles north of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Here’s what you’ll find at casinos in the region.

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

MIKE RANSDELL Kansas City Star

The largest casino in Kansas is Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, with 100,000 square feet of gaming including 2,000 slot machines, 40 table games and 12 poker tables.

MIKE HUTMACHER The Wichita Eagle

Customers play slot machines at the Kansas Star Casino, which opened in December 2012.

built into their game pattern,” he said. “Everyone loves free spins.”

FOOD A buffet is usually a sure bet at a casino. WinStar has 17 restaurants, including fast food, casual dining and fine dining.

Among the options are Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill and El Fenix, a popular Tex-Mex chain from Texas. 7 Clans Casino Hotel First Council recently added a Sunday brunch at its FlatWater Bar & Grill.

Kansas Star’s Woodfire Grille is considered by many Wichitans to be worth the drive for dinner alone. From lobster bis-

que to a wide selection of steaks, including a 28-ounce bone-in ribeye, the menu changes seasonally. The restaurant hosts occasional reservation-only pairing dinners, like a May 17 dinner with five courses and five Spanish wine pairings for $55 per person.

Firesides at Boot Hill offers Kansas steak dinners for $14.99 every night starting at 5 p.m.

Steak Your Claim lets diners choose one of five steaks served with a baked potato, soup and salad bar and soda or tea. The restaurant also has buffets, including all-you-can-eat lobster for $15.99 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sundays.

LODGING Kansas’ Boot Hill, Kansas Star and Prairie Band all have hotels either adjoining or next door.

Hollywood Casino is near several hotels in the Village West development. Casino White Cloud, a 21,000-square-foot casino on the Iowa Tribe Reservation in the far northeast corner of Kansas, has four cabins.

Oklahoma’s 7 Clans Casino Hotel First Council has 86 rooms and suites, and the WinStar World Casino Hotel has 1,400 rooms. WinStar has two outdoor pools available to hotel guests only: a family-friendly pool and a resort pool where guests can rent cabanas and attend 21-and-over Weekends After Dark parties every weekend from May 6-Sept. 4.

Check websites for stay-andplay packages. Several properties also have RV parks.

CONCERTS AND SHOWS Shows and concerts at area casinos range from free lounge bands to ticketed headliners.

Some venues allow all ages, others are 21 and over. Check websites regularly for events. As of press time here are some highlights on the summer schedules.

Kansas Star in Mulvane regularly has bands playing in its

atrium and also has ticketed events in its 6,500-seat Kansas Star Arena and its Kansas Star Events Center. Legends in Concert, one of the longest-running shows in Las Vegas, is scheduled in the events center June 9-11.

Boot Hill in Dodge City has a free summer concert series Fridays at 8 p.m. from May 27-July 22 with acoustic performances by local and regional bands in the casino courtyard.

They also have a comedy show featuring the Easily Unamused Roadshow on June 10. The casino also sponsors events next door at the 5,500-seat United Wireless Arena, including the Beach Boys (May 18) and Styx (Aug. 25). The casino participates in the 10-day annual Dodge City Days festival by sponsoring the Boot Hill Casino Longhorn Cattle Drive, scheduled for Aug. 6, featuring 100 longhorn steers being paraded down the Wyatt Earp Boulevard.

Prairie Band Casino and Resort, 15 minutes north of Topeka, has a full schedule of concerts in its 1,100-seat Great Lakes Ballroom including Buddy Guy (May 20), America (June 25), The Monkees 50th Anniversary Tour (July 1) and John Michael Montgomery (July 14).

Sac and Fox Casino, 48 miles north of Topeka on Highway 75, offers free concerts monthly in its Silver Fox Showroom. This summer is a series of tribute bands: Frankie Valli (May 21), Bee Gees (June 25), Elvis (July 23) and Beatles (Aug. 27).

The SouthWind Casino in Braman, Okla., just south of the Kansas state line on I-35, has two free outdoor summer concerts planned: Kansas on May 20 and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on June 18.

7 Clans has several event centers, including 350 seats at 7 Clans Paradise Casino in Red Rock, which is hosting Johnny Lee (May 21), and an 1,100-seat arena at 7 Clans Casino Hotel First Council. Billy Currington (June 18) is performing outdoors at First Council while Ratt & Warrant (July 30) and Chicago (Aug. 5) will be inside the arena.

In addition to live music each weekend in the casino’s lounges, WinStar has a busy summer at

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THE LARGEST CASINO IN KANSAS IS HOLLYWOOD CASINO AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY IN KANSAS CITY, WITH 100,000 SQUARE FEET OF GAMING INCLUDING 2,000 SLOT MACHINES, 40 TABLE GAMES AND 12 POKER TABLES its 3,500-seat Global Event Center, from the music of Daughtry (June 4), Leon Bridges (July 1) and Tears for Fears (July 9) to comedians Sarah Silverman (July 2), Jeff Dunham (July 8), Rodney Carrington (July 15-16) and Gabriel Iglesias (July 23). WinStar also hosts the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series Sept. 3-4 at its outdoor stadium.

OTHER ENTERTAINMENT Just south of the Boot Hill Casino & Resort in Dodge City is the free Wild West Heritage Foundation Buffalo & Longhorn Exhibit with four live buffalo and two longhorn.

Hollywood Casino is within walking distance to shopping at Kansas City’s Legends Outlets at Village West, as well as dining and entertainment.

Across the street from the Prairie Band Casino and Resort are the casino’s Firekeeper Golf Course and Firekeeper Golf Academy. The 18-hole course opened in 2011 and plays from 4,500 to 7,500 yards, with the first seven holes in the prairie and the final 11 holes tucked along creeks, trees and rolling hills. The course made Golfweek’s list of 100 best resort courses the past three years.

Oklahoma’s WinStar has a golf academy and is expanding its course to 36 holes.

“We’re closer to home for most of our guests,” said Stephanie Callaway, WinStar’s entertainment manager, “and easier to get to than a flight to Vegas.”

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SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

als. Their seasons run early April through Labor Day weekend.

TRIPLE-A

FERNANDO SALAZAR File photo

The Wingnuts are beginning their ninth season at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita.

Regional minor league baseball offers major fun

BY MELINDA SCHNYDER

Eagle correspondent

he Kansas City Royals are one of the hottest tickets this summer, with fans wanting to watch the world champions make a run at a third straight World Series appearance. But not everyone can afford the $192 that it costs on average — according to a 2015 study by Team Marketing Report — to take a family of four to Kauffman Stadium.

A fun and affordable alternative is to see a minor league or independent league baseball

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game. Ticket and concession prices are lower, smaller stadiums get fans closer to the action, and there’s always a chance the rosters will include an up-and-coming star. Fans will find kids’ play areas at minor league ballparks and a focus on giveaways, special appearances, entertainment, theme nights and promotions.

“With the Kansas City Royals doing so well, everyone has baseball on the brain,” said Morgan Kolenda, director of promotions for the Kansas City T-Bones. “As an independent baseball team, the T-Bones focus on fun well done. Our fans are not just coming to watch the game but also to

enjoy the activities before, during and after the game.”

Kansas has a growing number of independent baseball teams, which are teams that do not have an affiliation with an MLB club. The Wichita Wingnuts and Kansas City T-Bones compete in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. They play from mid-May through Labor Day. The Garden City Wind played its inaugural season in 2015 in the Pecos League, considered a rookie league for independent teams, and will be joined this season by the Great Bend Boom, Salina Stockade and Topeka Train Robbers. The Pecos League

plays from mid-May through July. The Garden City Wind’s season began May 11.

“Our ballpark is in Finnup Park, so you can go to one of the best zoos in the region (Lee Richardson Zoo), which is free to walk through, you can go swimming in the Big Pool and then come to a Wind game in the evening at historic Clint Lightner Field, built in the 1920s,” said Marcus Sabata, general manager of the Wind.

The team averaged about 200 fans in its first season of playing professional baseball, drawing as many as 800 on Thursday dollar-beer nights.

While there are no minor league baseball teams in Kansas, there are four within a reasonable driving distance: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Springfield, Mo., and Springdale, Ark. Both Oklahoma teams are affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose minor league system was rated the best in baseball for 2016 by three publications, including Baseball America. Springfield is the farm team for the St. Louis Cardinals. Springdale is home to the former Wichita Wranglers, the Double-A team of the Roy-

OKLAHOMA CITY DODGERS Parent: Los Angeles Dodgers League: Pacific Coast League Ballpark: Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark is in the Bricktown area of Oklahoma City, surrounded by restaurants, bars, hotels and attractions. The team averaged nearly 7,000 fans a game last year and had 23 sellout crowds.

Tickets: $8-$24 Promotion highlights: $2 Thursdays (soft drinks, bottled water and select 16-ounce beers); Friday night fireworks; family Sundays, offering player autographs, inflatable games, face painters, a craft station and running the bases Don’t-miss giveaway: On Aug. 12, the first 2,000 fans will get a bobblehead of Corey Seager, a former OKC Dodger who is now the starting shortstop for the LA Dodgers and entered the season as a National League Rookie of the Year contender.

Concession highlights: Gourmet burgers at Burgertopia and gourmet hot dogs at Franx; both rotate new creations onto the menu throughout the season.

For example, from June 21 to July 10, fans can order The Underdog Burger, a four-ounce Angus beef patty topped with a third-pound jalapeno cheddar sausage, grilled peppers and onions, sweet and spicy J.R.’s Main Event mustard and cheese on an artisan brioche bun.

DOUBLE-A TULSA DRILLERS Parent: Los Angeles Dodgers League: Texas League Ballpark: The $39 million Oneok Field, featuring the downtown Tulsa skyline behind right field, opened in 2010 and is No. 16 on Baseball America’s most recent list of the best minor league ballparks. Tulsa celebrated the start of its 40th season of professional baseball on April 14 in front of 8,762, the largest crowd for a Drillers game at Oneok. The team averaged nearly 6,000 fans last season, its first as a Dodgers affiliate.

Tickets: $5-$16 Promotion highlights: $2 Tuesdays feature $2 lawn seats

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

Photo courtesy of OKC Dodgers

Fans sit on the lawn to watch an OKC Dodgers game at the stadium in Bricktown.

and a handful of concession items for $2, Thirsty Thursdays offer $1 beers and soft drinks as well as eight games with premium jersey giveaways, kids 12 and under eat free on Sundays Don’t-miss giveaway: On June 23, the team will hold a pregame ceremony to induct Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez into its hall of fame. Rodriguez, a former Drillers catcher, was the 1999 American League MVP while playing for the Texas Rangers.

The first 1,000 fans will get a throwback Pudge jersey.

Concession highlights: New on the 2016 menu: The Wrecker, a three-quarter pound smoked andouille sausage on a nine-inch sourdough bun topped with sauteed peppers and onions, sauerkraut and melted Gouda cheese. There’s also a locally sourced chicken curry hot dog.

PETA named Oneok Field as the most veggie-friendly in the minors even before this season’s debut of a Farmer’s Market stand with healthy options.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS NATURALS Parent: Kansas City Royals League: Texas League Ballpark: Arvest Ballpark was built in Springdale, Ark., when the team moved from Wichita in 2008. Last year, the Naturals averaged 4,500 fans a game, hitting the capacity of 6,500 for 10 games. A kid zone includes inflatables, a whiffle ball field, mini-golf, a pitching booth and a

MeLinda Schnyder

than many other minor league parks, including all-you-can-eat seats in the Champions Club luxury suite ($49) or down the first-base and third-base lines ($29). The team averages 5,100 fans a game and is hosting the 2016 Texas League All-Star Game June 28.

Tickets: $7-$49 Promotion highlights: $1 hot dogs on Tuesdays, $1 brats on Thursdays, Friday fireworks, free ice cream for kids before Sunday games along with running the bases after the game Don’t-miss giveaway: Springfield has 23 promotional giveaway games, including a Busch Stadium series of seven items also being given out at the major league park. On Aug. 27, the first 2,000 fans will get an Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina dual bobblehead commemorating the last out of the 2006 World Series.

Concession highlights: A specialty hot dog and hamburger stand with creations like the Hog Tied Dog, a hot dog wrapped in bacon and topped with nacho cheese sauce. The Cardinals Creamery dishes ice cream into fresh-baked waffle cones.

The all-you-can-eat seats in The Nest and The Roost include standard ballpark fare along with a salad bar and cookies; the Champions Club includes those food items as well as a nacho bar, pasta dishes and four adult drink tickets per person.

INDEPENDENT

The OKC Dodgers play at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

train that kids can ride.

Tickets: $7-$13 Promotion highlights: Mondays $1 hot dogs, Tuesdays $1 brats and 2-for-1 Kids Zone wristbands, Thursdays $1 small fountain drinks and $2 16-ounce select beers, Friday fireworks, Saturday happy hour with halfprice drinks in The Bullpen, Sunday kids 12 and under eat free.

Don’t-miss giveaway: The first 2,000 fans on Aug. 20 will get a Mike Moustakas Bobble-Antler celebrating the former Natural who plays with the Royals.

Concession highlights: The Naturals were the first to offer the Funnel Dog, a deep-fried hot dog on a stick coated in funnel

cake batter and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Fans can also order a Texas League Squealer, a patty combining ground beef and bacon with up to five custom toppings. The Bullpen features high-top seating, TVs, bean bag games, food and a drink menu of more than 60 beverages and craft beers.

SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS Parent: St. Louis Cardinals League: Texas League Ballpark: John Q. Hammons built this downtown Springfield ballpark in 2004, before the city had secured a minor league team. The Springfield Cardinals began playing there in 2005.

They offer more seating options

WICHITA WINGNUTS League: American Association Ballpark: The locally owned Wingnuts have won a division title in each of the past five seasons. They averaged nearly 3,000 fans a game last season and in the off-season hired Pete Rose Jr. as manager. Seat backs for the upper bowl seats have been added this season. The Wingnuts’ home, LawrenceDumont Stadium, is also home to the National Baseball Congress tournament, which is being played this summer for the 82nd year.

Tickets: $6-$15 Promotion highlights: $1 general admission vouchers available at Kwik Shops for Monday games, $1 soft drinks and domestic beer on Thirsty Thurs-

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days, Friday night fireworks, Sunday Family Fun Days with on-field catch and running the bases Don’t-miss giveaway: On June 18, the team is giving Wichita State University basketball coach Gregg Marshall bobbleheads to the first 1,500 fans, and on July 16 fans can get a bobblehead of David Peralta, a former Wingnut currently playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Concession highlights: The Wingnuts are serving pizzas made in-house this season.

KANSAS CITY T-BONES League: American Association Ballpark: CommunityAmerica Ballpark is at Village West, next to the Legends Outlets shopping and entertainment area in Kansas City, Kan. The team draws about 5,000 fans a game and claims that no seat is more than 50 feet from the field. There’s a large playground within view of the field and basketball courts around the stadium.

Tickets: $6.50-$16 Promotion highlights: Kids eat free on Mondays, $1.25 beers on Thursdays, Falcon Skydiving Team lands on Fridays, fireworks on Saturdays, run bases and autographs on Sundays Don’t-miss giveaway: On July 26, the first 1,500 adults will get a free T-Bones jersey.

Concession highlights: Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque is served inside the park. Hot dogs are $2.50 every night except Fridays, when they are $1 with the purchase of a drink. A kids concession stand near the play area has lower counters and lower prices on kid-sized items.

PECOS LEAGUE These teams play from MayJuly. Tickets are $6.

GARDEN CITY WIND Ballpark: Clint Lightner Field GREAT BEND BOOM Ballpark: Al Burns Memorial Field SALINA STOCKADE Ballpark: Dean Evans Stadium (playing only 11 home games) TOPEKA TRAIN ROBBERS Ballpark: Lake Shawnee Sports Complex

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THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

Keep your cool, but have fun

BY MELINDA SCHNYDER

Eagle correspondent

When the temperatures heat up this summer, the exploring doesn’t have to stop. Here are three options for keeping cool while getting out and having fun.

VISIT SODA FOUNTAINS The numbers are dwindling, but there are still more than 30 soda fountains operating throughout Kansas. They are in restaurants, pharmacies, museums, gift shops or, in a few cases, operate as stand-alone shops. Visiting a soda fountain can be a destination trip or a stop along the way. Either way, visitors can cool off with a soda or ice cream made the old-fashioned way, from brown cows, green rivers and egg creams to banana splits, malts and floats.

“Summer is our biggest season. People who have been coming here since they were kids will come back to visit Wichita, and the first thing they want to do is come in to get their favorite drink or ice cream from the fountain,” said Oliver Figueroa, a soda jerk at Wichita’s Old Mill Tasty Shop. “We get some people who will stop in and get something to go, but mostly they like to sit at the counter and see us doing everything.

You see us squeezing the limes, mixing in the syrup and adding carbonation from the spigots for a limeade or peppering a sundae with pecans and adding cherries on each pile of whipped cream.

When you sit at the counter, you’re part of the experience.”

Another benefit of dining in: The soft drinks come with one free refill at Old Mill Tasty Shop, which has one of the most complete vintage fountains still in use. It has the back bar, mirror, brass rail and a marble counter that seats nine. There’s also a wooden ice box that’s been around since the business opened in 1932 and is still used for fountain items. Old Mill Tasty Shop uses the fountain for soda and ice cream creations,

KANSAS CITY STAR File photo

Riders slide down Verruckt, the world’s tallest water slide, at the Schlitterbahn Kansas City Waterpark in Kansas City, Kan.

while the fountains at the three Jimmie’s Diner locations in Wichita are used for ice cream only.

One of the oldest operating fountains in the state is at the Potwin Drug Store, a re-created building that opened in 1996 at Topeka’s Old Prairie Town at Ward-Meade Historic Site.

Many of the fixtures and fountain pieces date back to 1902, when they were installed at a neighborhood drugstore in downtown Topeka. Old Prairie Town has an admission fee, but visitors can stop in to see the six-stool, marble-counter fountain at no charge and order from the menu, which includes Brown Bread flavor ice cream made in Topeka.

The Linger Longer in Bennington, just north of Salina, still uses the original back bar installed in 1912. Once a pharmacy, it is now a seasonal shop serving from April 1 through Oct. 31. In addition to the fivestool, marble-counter fountain, the owners created a game room and display more than 2,000 Dr Pepper collectibles, which they believe is the third-largest public collection of such memorabilia.

Eagle file photo

More than 30 old-fashioned soda fountains still operate in Kansas, including at Wichita’s Old Mill Tasty Shop.

There are 37 listings in the soda fountain category on the interactive map of “Things to Explore in Kansas” at Marci Penner’s Kansas Sampler Foundation website, www.kansassampler.org.

GET WET The largest public water park in the Wichita metro area starts

its season on May 30. Rock River Rapids in Derby has a lap pool, zero-depth pool, children’s water play area, 600-foot-long lazy river as well as diving boards, aqua climbing walls and five slides: tube, raft, speed, drop and flume.

New this summer, the water park is hosting dive-in movie nights: “Grease” on June 16 and

“Jaws” on July 7. For $5, guests can float in the lap pool or sit in lounge chairs and watch the movie on a large screen. The PG-13 movies start at 8:30 p.m., and guests 13 or younger must be accompanied by someone 16 or older.

Other special events include: World’s Largest Swimming Lesson, free and open to the public, 9:30-10:30 a.m. June 24; Rock River Rapids 500, a water race for Styrofoam cars made by participants, July 21; and Pooch Pool Party for guests to bring their dogs on Aug. 20.

The water park – owned by the city of Derby and operated by the Derby Recreation Commission – is open from 12:30 to 7 p.m. daily Memorial Day through mid-August. Guests can pay daily fees (free for ages 2 and younger, $8 for ages 3-17 and $9 for ages 18 and older) or purchase a season pass for $70 per person. The park offers $5 admission after 5 p.m.

For water fun a little farther from home, Dodge City is opening a $12.5 million westernthemed water park. Paul Lewis, director of Dodge City Parks and Recreation, said Long Branch Lagoon will be open no later than June 4. The regional destination park is a city-county sales tax-funded project. It will have a wave pool, lazy river, themed splash play area, climbing wall, water basketball and two large slides: The Gunslinger tube slide and Doc’s Plunge.

Lewis said Doc’s Plunge will be the first Boomerango slide in Kansas, featuring a steep drop that takes riders up a near vertical wall before a reversed freefall takes them into the splashdown pool. Daily rates will be $5 for ages 3-17 and $7 for ages 18 and older. Ages 2 and under will be admitted free.

Kansas City has a handful of water parks, including Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Oceans of Fun, as well as the mostly indoor complexes at CoCo Key Water Resort near the Truman Sports Complex and the Great Wolf SEE KEEPING COOL, 11H

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KEEPING COOL Lodge in the Village West area.

Schlitterbahn is home to Verruckt, the world’s tallest water slide, and has the Boogie Bahn inland surfing ride, Storm Blaster uphill water coaster, tubing slides and chutes, tubing rivers including a 1,600-foot-long tidal wave river, 13 mini-slides for kids and beaches. In 2013, Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun combined ticket admission, so one ticket gets guests into all 235 acres of attractions. Oceans of Fun has 60 acres of slides, pools, lazy rivers, beaches, a raft ride, a water funhouse and the 4,200-square-foot interactive Splash Island added in 2015.

GO UNDERGROUND No matter what the temperature is outside, it’s always 68 degrees with about 45 percent humidity 650 feet below ground

at Strataca, the Kansas Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson.

As part of one of the world’s largest deposits of rock salt, the Hutchinson Salt Company mine covers an area that’s about 2.5 miles running north-south and 1.5 miles east-west. This is the only salt mine in the U.S. that has an attached museum allowing the public to go into an active salt mine. It opened in 2007 and gets about 55,000 visitors each year.

Wearing hardhats and carrying small personal breathing devices in case of an emergency, visitors take a 90-second elevator ride down to the museum.

There’s lighting in the main area of the museum so visitors can see artifacts and displays describing the mining industry.

Short videos show technology

Hutchinson News

Visitors ride trams at Hutchinson’s Strataca at the Kansas Underground Salt Museum.

advancements, and there’s a display by Underground Vaults and Storage, a company that uses the mine’s secure and naturally climate-controlled environment to store stuff – from millions of documents to Hollywood films and props. The ex-

hibit includes movie memorabilia, with several recognizable costumes.

There’s one price to explore the museum galleries, and visitors can choose to add on as many as three rides: a 15-minute train ride through an area mined

in the 1940s, a 30-minute dark ride on which a guide shares technical mining information and goes deeper into the tunnels, and the Safari Shuttle, a one-hour ride offered twice daily that takes guests 10 and older into the raw mine area.

Concert Schedule 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Celebrate America

Spectacular Fireworks Display Following the Concert

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AMY GEISZLER-JONES Courtesy photo

Renting an RV for a vacation for a large family, especially one with kids, can provide more convience and more sanity.

Choose an RV vacation

BY AMY GEISZLER-JONES

Eagle correspondent

Making plans to take a family of seven — three adults and four kids — on a long summer driving trip can get complicated.

You have to have a vehicle that can comfortably fit everyone, their luggage and extra stuff like toys, games and books to pass the time. You generally have to rent two hotel rooms a night.

And then there are the bills for eating out.

So why not rent an RV? That was our family’s thinking when we decided to take a trip to dig for gems at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas and enjoy the white-sand beaches of Gulf Shores, Ala., while making stops to see extended family and other sites along the way during a 10-day trip last summer.

RV lovers will tell you that an RV vacation is a good choice for

IT WAS A LOT EASIER TO KEEP THE KIDS ENTERTAINED IN THE RV WHILE TRAVELING. THE KIDS SEATED AT THE KITCHEN TABLE WERE ABLE TO COLOR, HAVE SNACKS AND SEE THE 32-INCH TV MOUNTED IN THE CORNER OF THE LIVING ROOM. families for several reasons.

Here are just a few: A Cheaper. RVs are by no means gas-efficient, but you do save on certain vacation expenses. It’s a lot cheaper to stay in an RV park or campground than a

AMY GEISZLER-JONES Courtesy photo

Amy Geiszler-Jones rented this RV for a 10-day trip for three adults and four kids.

hotel. Our most expensive nightly rate was $40, in a very nice RV park with lots of amenities (pool, laundry facilities, Wi-Fi, free movie rentals) located about a 15-minute walk from the beach in Gulf Shores. You’ll also save money on eating out since you can easily fix several meals in the RV. You can even have a cookout — as long as you remember the grill (which my husband didn’t, but thankfully some campsites have one).

A More space. Even in a minivan or a large SUV, quarters can get tight when every available seat is occupied. In the

32-foot-long Class C RV rental — which meant it had a trucktype cab — three of the kids strapped up in the U-shaped booth seats around the kitchen table, another joined the third adult on a seatbelt-equipped couch and there was ample room in the cab for the other two adults. No shouts of “he’s touching me” or “move over” from the kids. Most RVs also have extra storage space to store clothes and equipment if you have lots of activities planned.

In our case, we needed to have grubby clothes and shoes for digging in the dirt, fishing poles

for a possible fishing trip with granddad and water toys for the beach. We also threw in a large oscillating outdoor fan with water spritzers to stay cool while sitting around the picnic tables usually found at parking spaces in an RV park, along with extra cases of beverages. I even stored a trash bag of our empty plastic bottles and cans to recycle when we got home.

A More convenient. If you’re planning to stay in several different cities, it can get tedious to drag luggage in and out of a vehicle as you check in and out of hotels. We were able to hang clothes and utilize cabinets to hold toiletries as we stayed in different locales. Snacks were easily tucked away in cabinets and in the refrigerator, so no crushed chips or lukewarm beverages. It was also a cost-saver since we weren’t buying pricey snacks and drinks at convenience stores.

A More sanity. It was a lot easier to keep the kids entertained in the RV while traveling.

The kids seated at the kitchen table were able to color, have snacks and see the 32-inch TV mounted in the corner of the living room. It was easier to accommodate bathroom breaks, as well. No shouts of “you have to hold it for another 30 miles” as you pass by a sign telling you the location of the next rest area.

HITTING THE ROAD If you think an RV trip might be a good choice for your next family vacation, here are some tips we learned from our foray into renting an RV. A Be prepared to book with a deposit in advance. Unlike car rental agencies, RV rental companies are not as plentiful, so secure your rental early. We booked ours four months in advance and still had to be flexible in our scheduling. The booking deposit was about $1,000, which seemed average with the two to three rental companies we checked with, including one in Wichita. The deposit also provides money that the leasing company may use to cover cleaning or usage fees upon return. For example, our leasing agent said a previous SEE RV VACATION, 13H

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RV VACATION customer was caught on camera running a red light, so he deducted the fine from the deposit when the enforcement agency mailed the ticket to him as the registered owner.

A Check rental inclusion and cancellation policies. Every RV leasing agent includes different items in rates. Some include a certain number of miles and/or generator usage hours. Items such as the refrigerator and the DVD player will run on a generator as you drive or if you use a campsite with no electrical hookup. On rental day, our leasing agent required payment of estimated miles over the number included in the rate (you may need to calculate your itinerary mileage beforehand) and estimated generator usage. We were pretty much on target with our mileage, but overestimated the

generator use, which is metered.

A Ask about repair responsibilities. Check with the leasing agent about policies regarding repairs or breakdowns while you’re on the road. A small pipe fell off our RV’s undercarriage in a parking lot in Memphis. Our leasing agent had a policy to reimburse for repairs, which would have meant keeping receipts. But rather than having to dig in our pocket and lose vacation time on service repairs, my husband did the repair himself that evening, with the help and tools of a friendly RV park neighbor. You may not be so lucky, especially if it’s a large repair.

A Do a thorough inspection.

When picking up the RV, make sure everything is in clean, working order and that you have a full tank of gas. The latter got over-

looked during our rental, but before hitting the Kansas Turnpike we fortunately noticed the fuel gauge was practically on E. A Get an emergency contact number for the leasing agent.

Ours gave us his personal cellphone number, which was handy when we encountered the near-empty fuel tank and minor repair. Notify the company right away of emergencies.

A Plan to pack more. With an RV, you need to pack almost everything but the kitchen sink.

You’ll need pots, pans, mixing and serving bowls, kitchen utensils and towels, containers and plastic bags for leftovers, paper towels, trash bags and dish soap for the kitchen. Remember towels, toilet paper and linens, too.

A Get the hookup. When looking for an RV park, inquire about available hookups. You’ll want one with a full hookup, which means there will be water, electricity and waste disposal hookups at your assigned space. A partial hookup may mean only electricity and water are provid-

ed and you’ll need to pull to a dumping station elsewhere at the park to dispose of sewage waste. A primitive site generally means no hookups.

A Check out RV park reviews and websites. To help prepare our budget and our schedule, I checked websites and crowdreview sites ahead of time for RV parks near our destinations.

It helped eliminate ones that might be dodgy or outdated. I also called ahead to ask questions, such as whether the park has paved areas (to avoid mud during rains), if the RV can be pulled through the assigned space, hookup details, amenities, and office and quiet hours.

Ask about discounts. You may not need to have a reservation, but it can be useful if visiting a popular destination. Most RV parks don’t have 24/7 receptionists like a hotel so there were a few nights that we pulled into a park late at night, found an open spot, and then registered and paid for our spot the next morning. RV park staff is trusting like

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that.

A How to get around. It doesn’t take a special license to drive an RV, but its length means you’ll need extra space to negotiate a corner or find a parking spot outside the park. If you want to see several attractions during the day, make plans to rent a car from an agency that will deliver a rental vehicle to your RV park and leave your vacation home on wheels parked. We didn’t think of this while in Memphis and it was time-consuming to unhook everything and reconnect when we returned to the RV park from the zoo.

A Strike up conversations.

Staff at an RV park and longterm park residents — they’re the ones who have clearly settled in with hanging lights and vegetables growing in pots — tend to be friendly. They can tell you about nearby stores, attractions and provide advice about RV life — and even lend tools and warn you about alligators in Gulf Shores.

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THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

See Kansas prohibition via an underground speakeasy

Ellinwood’s underground speakeasy What: Prohibition-themed speakeasy Where: Wolf Hotel, 1 N. Main, Ellinwood. Enter through the alley back door on the north side of the building.

BY BECCY TANNER

btanner@wichitaeagle.com

When: Open 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays

ELLINWOOD

A Prohibition-era speakeasy has been brought back to life – in the dark, perhaps haunted underground of Ellinwood’s tunnels.

Chris McCord, owner of the above-ground Wolf Hotel, is hoping Kansans will make it a destination travel spot.

Ellinwood is one of those small towns in Kansas that doesn’t have a motel. But it does have the Wolf Hotel, a 121-yearold building McCord bought three years ago and turned into a bed-and-breakfast. The Wolf Hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

In April, McCord reopened the underground saloon, or speakeasy, and began serving Prohibition-era alcoholic drinks, much like what may have been served nine decades ago.

“Welcome to the Ellinwood Underground, a system of storefronts underground,” he tells a visitor.

Visitors must enter the underground site through the historic hotel’s back door in the alley and venture down a steep set of stairs. For those who may have troublesome knees and hips, the stairs may be a challenge.

But once in the tunnel, visitors are introduced to the dark underworld of Prohibition, where people can still find their alcohol and mix a bit of Kansas history.

Ellinwood, less than a twohour drive northwest of Wichita, was settled in 1878 largely by German Protestant immigrants with last names like Bockemohle, Steckel, Manglesdorf, Clemm and Wolf. And in recent decades, the town has become known for its underground tunnels.

The tunnels were dug as a way of opening up business space, historians have said, and

. ..................................................................

How much: No cover charge Reservations: 620-617-6915 or 620-639-6915 ...................................................................

BECCY TANNER The Wichita Eagle

Chris McCord, owner of the Wolf Hotel in Ellinwood, greets a visitor at the back alley “secret door” before taking them to the new speakeasy in the town’s underground tunnels.

KANSAS HAD PROHIBITION FROM 1881 TO 1948 – LONGER THAN ANY OTHER STATE – AND CONTINUED TO PROHIBIT LIQUOR BY THE DRINK IN BARS AND RESTAURANTS UNTIL 1986. the Germans who founded the town liked the perceived efficiency of basements and underground walkways. Stores that frequented the tunnels were often the 19th-century equivalent of man caves: barbers, saloons, blacksmith shops and

BECCY TANNER The Wichita Eagle

A peephole in the back door of the Wolf Hotel in Ellinwood is how visitors must pass muster with a doorman.

bath houses.

In Kansas, more than half a dozen communities boast a

system of underground tunnels and shops, including Caldwell, Lincoln, Leavenworth, Douglass

and Fort Scott.

Ellinwood, though, has created a quirky tourist stop from its underground tunnels.

The tunnels originally ran on both sides of Ellinwood’s Main Street for two blocks, connecting Jung’s Barber Shop with the public bathhouse, Wolitz Shoe Shop, John Wever’s Sample Room, Petz Meat Storage and Drummer’s Sample Room, a merchandise room where salesmen from the train could display their wares.

McCord, 29, wanted to recreate the heyday of the tunnels by opening the speakeasy and showcasing Kansas history.

Kansas was the first state to pass a constitutional amendment forbidding the sale and production of intoxicating liquors. Kansas had prohibition from 1881 to 1948 – longer than any other state – and continued to prohibit liquor by the drink in bars and restaurants until 1986.

But that didn’t mean Kansans couldn’t find alcohol. Some found it by bootlegging and manufacturing their own; others found it by frequenting speakeasies. Still more obtained medicinal help for various ailments.

Local drugstores in the late 19th and early 20th centuries did a booming business. No prescriptions were needed.

Visitors in the tunnel weave past displays featuring the hotel’s first sign, a laundry, the first Barton County air conditioner and a re-created room SEE PROHIBITION, 15H

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BECCY TANNER The Wichita Eagle

A poster from the days of national prohibition, which ran from 1919 to 1933.

FROM PAGE 14H

PROHIBITION showcasing the town’s first library, complete with library cards. The underground path is a hand-made rough-cut boardwalk that McCord’s father made for the saloon because the original rotted out years ago. Volunteers in Ellinwood helped create the tunnel’s atmosphere and ambiance.

Enter the saloon, and there is no mistaking its intent and purpose.

The alcoholic drinks have names such as “Giggle Juice,” “Hadacal,” “Bees Knees” and more.

“We are calling it the ‘Best little juice joint in Kansas,’ ” McCord said.

The underground speakeasy is open on 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Live bands and comedy acts play on some Friday and Saturday nights. The bed-and-breakfast is open yearround. McCord also opens the hotel and underground space for ghost and history tours, murder mystery dinners, weddings, high teas and dance balls.

Beccy Tanner: 316-268-6336, @beccytanner

BECCY TANNER The Wichita Eagle

The first air-conditioning system that ran in Barton County is on display in Ellinwood’s underground tunnels.

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SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

Camping without roughing it

BY MELINDA SCHNYDER

Eagle correspondent

s visitors turn onto the driveway leading to Hoot Owl Hill outside Paola, Kan., they see a sign that reads: “Rule #1 Breathe!”

“That describes us in a nutshell,” said Brenda Wrischnik, who lives on the farm about 50 miles southwest of Kansas City with her husband, Steve, and operates a camping bed and breakfast. “This is a place where you come and take a breath. You love being outside, but camping costs a lot of money because you have to invest in all the equipment, you have to have a vehicle to load everything in, you have to unload it all and pack it into the campsite.

“Glamping is when you want to enjoy nature but you want to get out of your car, bring a bag like you’re going into a hotel and have everything ready for you.”

Glamping — a mashup of the words glamorous and camping — has become a popular and unpredictable term. Perceptions of luxury vary, as do camping modes — trailer, tent, cabin or yurt. This year, the Symphony in the Flint Hills on June 11 has added Prairie Encampment, a group of tents that can be rented overnight and offer electricity and air conditioning.

Three options within a reasonable driving distance of Wichita prove that glamping accommodations can differ greatly: Hoot Owl Hill in eastern Kansas, Slattery Vintage Estates in southeastern Nebraska and The Barns@Timber Creek, about 45 miles south of Wichita near Winfield.

While the style is different at each, the proprietors say their goal is the same: to make experiencing nature more fun and less work.

“This is camping without the roughing it,” said Barb Slattery, who offers glamping next to her vineyard at Slattery Vintage

A

Courtesy of Hoot Owl Hill

Brenda and Steve Wrischnik operate a camping bed and breakfast on their farm in the Marais des Cygnes River Valley in eastern Kansas.

Estates. “All you need is your toothbrush and a change of clothes. You don’t have to think about it too much.”

SLATTERY VINTAGE ESTATES No restaurants or hotels are near Slattery Vintage Estates, a vineyard and tasting room in rural southeastern Nebraska, about 40 miles south of Omaha and 40 miles east of Lincoln.

Owners Barb and Mike Slattery have created their own food and lodging options for guests. Their daughter is a trained chef, and they’ve built an outdoor kitchen with a wood-fired pizza oven. In fall 2010, they put up two tents as an experiment and added two more the next spring.

“You can come out here, drink some wine and not have to drive,” Barb Slattery said. “We get a lot of guests who want to get out of the city to the countryside; we have topography

Courtesy of Slattery Vintage Estates

The glamping tents at Slattery Vintage Estates have front porches and sit in a row overlooking the vineyard.

here that is very different than the cornfields of Nebraska. We have a very hilly area; there’s a pond with fish and a waterfall.

You’ll see deer, turkey and birds.”

In addition to wildlife and bird-watching, guests can hike the 84 adjoining acres, go mushroom hunting, stroll through the vines or stargaze.

Slattery Vintage Estates offers

four 12-by-14 tents that sit about 4 feet off the ground on wooden decks and feature two windows and a screen door. There are two fans in each tent or heaters and electric blankets when it’s cold. The tents have front porches and sit in a row overlooking the vineyard.

The themed tents – Bluebird, Duck Inn, Whip-poor-will and Swallow’s Nest – have one full or queen mattress, and each bed frame is different. Guests can bring air mattresses at no extra charge. Rugs, electric lamps and a coffee pot bring a homey feel to the tents, along with antique dressers with mirrors and tables and chairs.

There’s a water pitcher and washbasin in each tent to “wash up the pioneer way,” Barb Slattery said. An outdoor bathhouse features an electric composting toilet and a solar shower. Guests can use the toilet and sink inside

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to sit, visit, unplug, look at the stars, enjoy the campfire, bring their own games, just breathe.”

COURTESY PHOTO Hoot House Hill

The Hoot House has a wood stove and an air conditioner for those who want to camp out without roughing it.

‘‘

TIMBER CREEK Courtesy photo

The Timber Creek Treehouse, shown here, proved so popular that The Barns@Timber Creek near Winfield has added tent camping to help guests connect with nature.

WE GET A LOT OF COUPLES AND GIRLFRIEND GROUPS WHO WANT TO SIT, VISIT, UNPLUG, LOOK AT THE STARS, ENJOY THE CAMPFIRE, BRING THEIR OWN GAMES, JUST BREATHE. Brenda Wrischnik, owner of Hoot Owl Hill

the tasting room’s bathroom when the hosts are awake.

The tents rent for $60 per night weekdays, $85 on weekends. Holiday weekends run $90 per night. Rates do not include meals. Guests can bring their own food or purchase it from the Slatterys. They offer a three-course, gourmet breakfast served at a farmhouse table in the tasting room, foil dinners to cook over the campfire, s’more packages, wine-and-cheese platters and beer buckets.

When the tasting room is open – Thursdays through Sundays during the summer – guests can choose to enjoy the food and beverages served there.

Slattery sells 45 Nebraska wines and about 20 others from around the world. They also serve about 14 beers, including many brewed in Nebraska.

“We rent the tents any day of

the week,” Barb Slattery said.

“During the week it’s more romantic, quiet and peaceful.

On the weekends it’s a different scene. We have live music, and the tasting room is open so there are more people.”

HOOT OWL HILL Brenda and Steve Wrischnik own a 14-acre farm on one of the highest spots in the Marais des Cygnes River Valley a couple miles west of Paola. They have two vineyards, fruit trees, berry patches, raised bed vegetable gardens, butterfly gardens, a native wildflower meadow with a walking path and freerange turkey, ducks, chickens and guinea fowl.

There are two tent styles available for glampers at Hoot Owl Hill: bell tents that hold as many as three queen air mattresses each and a 16-foot by

24-foot canvas wall tent cabin with room for up to eight queen air mattresses.

The seven bell tents sit on the ground and can be divided up among two glampsites separated by a tree line. They share picnic tables and two community fire pits stocked with wood. There is no air-conditioning in these tents, but guests can bring their own battery-operated fans.

Rates are $99 per person.

The tent cabin, called the Hoot House, is new this season and sits alone on a wooden platform with its own fire pit. It has a wood stove and an air conditioner. The cost is $125 per person with a minimum of six.

Each tent is decorated in a shabby chic style with rugs, furniture and battery-operated lighting. The amount of furni-

ture in each tent depends on how many beds guests need.

Wrischnik said she uses doublehigh air beds with mattress pads and fun bedding and pillows.

Lanterns are provided at each tent for trips to the portable restrooms, which have water and towels. Guests can use an outdoor shower with hot water.

Rates include a full breakfast served on the wraparound porch of the Wrischniks’ house. Brenda makes homemade cinnamon rolls and serves many items fresh from their farm, including berries and eggs. Guests can bring their own food and beverages or request a garden-totable dinner for $37 per person.

Hoot Owl Hill stays busy from May through October, and this year the season started earlier with the addition of the tent cabin. Guests enjoy exploring the farm and other agritourism businesses in the area, including wineries that can be toured aboard the Miami County Trolley. Hoot Owl Hill hosts seminars most Sundays throughout the summer and fall, with topics ranging from canning vegetables to candle making to growing and using herbs. In late August, the Roots Festival draws more than 6,000 to Paola for a two-day music and barbecue celebration.

“The main reason people want to come stay here is that you can surround yourself with beauty and it brings peace to your soul,” Brenda Wrischnik said. “We get a lot of couples and girlfriend groups who want

THE BARNS@TIMBER CREEK This summer Martin and Cheryl Rude are offering a Settlers Tent in addition to the five bed-and-breakfast rooms they offer inside an 1890s post-andbeam barn on their 35-acre farm near Winfield.

Martin Rude said they were inspired by the success of the Barn Owl Treehouse that they added in 2014. Built with native cedar and perched in a hedge tree, the treehouse is air-conditioned and has a queen bed in a loft and a main floor with a fully equipped bathroom and kitchenette. It has become the most popular room at The Barns@Timber Creek, and Martin Rude said he thinks its appeal is the mix of being surrounded by nature while still connected to amenities.

He didn’t have to go far for research on what guests would want in a tent option. Martin grew up tent camping with a large family; Cheryl’s idea of roughing it is a two-star hotel.

The Settlers Tent is their solution to finding the balance between enjoying the outdoors while being comfortable.

The tent is 14 feet by 16 feet with 5-foot walls, held up with a frame built from logs on the farm. The tent sits on a deck made from repurposed pallets, and there’s a covered porch area on the front with chairs and a fire pit nearby. The tent has full heating and air-conditioning. An insulated bathroom is attached to the back of the tent. “It’s a private, full modern bathroom that people can function comfortably in even if it’s raining,” Martin Rude said.

Inside the tent is the same type of queen mattress used in the B&B rooms along with period furniture from the 1800s.

The tent sits about 40 yards from the main bed and breakfast, separated by a line of trees.

Guests staying in the tent have access to the common rooms in the B&B and can have breakfast there or have a basket delivered.

Rates for the Settlers Tent range from $80-$100 a night; the Barn Owl Treehouse is $150 a night.

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THE WICHITA EAGLE

OUTDOOR CONCERTS

ART FOR YOUR EARS The Ulrich Museum of Art will have three concerts outdoors on the McKnight Art Center Plaza, 1845 N. Fairmount.

The concerts begin at 7 p.m. and are free.

July 21 - To be announced Aug. 25 - Moreland & Arbuckle Sept. 15 - To be announced

While Riverfest gives us nightly outdoor concerts in early June, several venues in the Wichita area have concerts scheduled under the open sky all summer. Here’s where to catch them — and the stars.

OPERA ON THE LAKE Wichita Grand Opera will perform “Pirates of Penzance” against the backdrop of Bradley Fair Lake two times — at 8 p.m.

May 20 and May 21. Reserved seating will be available on Bradley Fair Plaza at 2000 N. Rock Road for $37, $58 and $85, $20 for students. For $150, you can also have dinner from Newport Grill. If you want to sit around the lake, you can do so for free. For tickets, call 316262-8054 or go online at www .selectaseat.com. More information: www.wichitagrandopera .org.

BRADLEY FAIR SUMMER CONCERT SERIES Free jazz concerts will be held every Thursday evening in June at Bradley Fair Plaza at 21st and Rock Road. The concerts are from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Fireworks over the lake will follow the last concert of the series, on June 30. Here’s the lineup along with Bradley Fair’s descriptions of the musicians: June 2 - Joseph Vincelli, smooth-jazz saxophonist June 9 - Jackiem Joyner, adventurous and up-tempo saxophonist June 16 - Special EFX, jazz and fusion mix with Latin and African rhythms

Courtesy photo

Althea Rene

June 23 - Elan Trotman & Althea Rene, saxophone tones with flute accompaniment June 30 - Lin Rountree, hip vibes with soulful trumpet sounds, followed by fireworks KEYN SUMMER CONCERT SERIES For six Fridays in a row from July into August, free concerts will be offered at the WaterWalk Commons near Lewis and Main streets. Food trucks will also be there, starting at 6:30 p.m., and the band takes the stage at 8 p.m. More info: www.wichitawaterwalk.com.

July 8 - King Midas July 15 - Big Fat Fun July 22 - Lucky People July 29 - Annie Up Aug. 5 - Groove 42 Aug. 12 - The Astronauts

TUESDAYS ON THE TERRACE Botanica is moving its Tuesdays on the Terrace to later in the evenings this summer — 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Live music, drink specials and dinner will be served on the Terrace on Tuesday evenings from June 7 to Sept. 27. You can bring your own picnic or buy dinner for $7.

Admission is $10; members get in for $5. Season passes also are available for members. Botanica is at 701 N. Amidon.

June 7 - Across the Pond June 14 - The Emily Strom Trio June 21 - Blue-Eyed Soul June 28 - Jenny Wood & the Watchers July 5 - Contrails of Oz July 12 - Cherokee Maidens

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

July 19 - Annie Up July 26 - Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band Aug. 2 - En Power & Light Aug. 9 - Tim Jonas & the Whiskey Militia Aug. 16 - Sunshine the Bunny Aug. 23 - King Midas & the Muflers Aug. 30 - The Rough & Tumble Sept. 6 - Infinite Layers Sept. 13 - RKO Blues Band Sept. 20 - Carrie Nation & the Speakeasy Sept. 27 - The Mudbugs TREEHOUSE CONCERTS Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine has a Treehouse Concert series with access to its arboreal 15 acres. Doors open at 3 p.m.; music begins at 4. Tickets are $10 at the gate. Picnic baskets are welcome, and dinner also is available for purchase.

May 30 (Memorial Day) Cherokee Maidens & Sycamore Swing June 12 - Suzy Bogguss June 19 (Father’s Day) - Jimmy LaFave Band July 10 - Nashville singer-

JAIME GREEN File photo

The Cherokee Maidens, from left, Jennifer Pettersen, Monica Taylor and Robin Macy, perform at the Ulrich Museum of Art in 2014.

songwriter Darrell Scott TWILIGHT THURSDAYS New Market Square Plaza, near 21st and Maize Road, is the site of four free outdoor concerts in May and June. They begin at 7:30 p.m. More info: www.newmarketsquare.com May 19 - Cherokee Maidens, western swing May 26 - Pop & the Boys, bluegrass pop June 16 - Nouveau Quintet, gypsy jazz June 30 - Senseney Music Community Band CONCERT IN THE PARK, ANDOVER Rick Springfield, Night Ranger and the Romantics will perform at the fourth annual concert in Andover’s Central Park on June 18. The event will include food vendors and a fireworks show in the park at 1607 E. Central. Gates will open at 5 p.m., and the show will start at 7 p.m. Admission will be charged this year: $10, except for children 12 and under, who get in free. More info and online tickets: www.andoverks.com.

TUNES + TALLGRASS The Tallgrass Film Festival and the Wichita Art Museum will have their fourth annual outdoor live music and film night on June 17 at the museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd. “Napoleon Dynamite” will be shown at 9 p.m., preceded at 7 p.m. by a concert by Truckstop Honeymoon. There will also be food trucks and a cash bar. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; admission is free.

FINE ARTS CALENDAR MAY Ongoing: “The Mountain Gals or Those Are Some Twin Peaks,” comedic melodrama and musical revue, 7:50 p.m.

Thu.-Sat. through May 21, Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. $20-$30. 316-263-0222, www.mosleystreet.com Ongoing: “Party of One,” 8 p.m.

Fri.-Sat. through May 21, Roxy’s Downtown, 412 1/2 E. Douglas. $20-$30 Party of One. 316-2654400 17: Opera Kansas 7 p.m., Prairie Pines, 4055 N. Tyler Road. $22.

Two lighthearted one-act Offenbach operettas. 316-722-1145 15: Rogers Ballet Student Concerts, 2 p.m., Friends University, Riney Fine Arts Center, 2100 W. University. Free. Rogers students present “The Seasons,” using ballet, tap and jazz. Performers’ ages range from 5 to adult. Free. 316-295-5677 19: Presence Program: The Gift of Art, 10:30 a.m., Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd. Free. Guests with early to midstage memory loss and their care partners are invited to a

program aimed at encouraging personal expression, active looking and reflections, and emotional well-being. Repeats June 16. 316-268-4921 www .wichitaartmuseum.org 20-21: Wichita Grand Opera’s “The Pirates of Penzance,” 8 p.m., Bradley Fair, 21st and Rock Road. Free-$85. 316-6309990 21: Say What?! Improv, 8-10 p.m., Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 W. Museum Blvd. $10. Repeats June 18 and Aug. 20. 316-219-1871 www.wichitatix.com

26: “Bite it, Wichita 2: The prequel,” Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. Tickets: $20-$30. www.mosleystreet .com.

JUNE 2: Curator’s Talk on Printmaker Arthur Hall: Barbara Thompson, 6 p.m., Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd. Free.

316-268-4921 www .wichitaartmuseum.org 2: “Curtain Up,” 6 p.m., Wichita Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 332 E. First St. $100. Music

Theatre Wichita’s signature season preview fundraiser. 316263-4218 mtwichita.org 3: “Over the River and Through the Woods,” 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays through June 26, Kechi Playhouse, 100 E. Kechi Road, Kechi. $11-12. 316-744-2152, www .kechiplayhouse.com 3: “Fly By Night,” ThursdaySunday through June 25, Roxy’s Downtown, 412 1/2 E. Douglas. $20-30. 316-265-4400, www SEE ARTS, 19H

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ARTS .roxysdowndown.com 8-19: “Breaking the Code,” play

by Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain. Tickets: $12$14. www.wichitact.org.

11: Symphony in the Flint Hills, concert by the Kansas City Symphony, gates open at noon, concert at 6:45 p.m. June 11, South Clements Pasture in Clements in Chase County. Tickets: $94 for adults, $50 for children under 12.

816-471-0400, www .symphonyintheflinthills.org 15-19: “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” by Music Theatre of Wichita, Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center, 225 W. Douglas. $26-$64. 316-264-9121 18: Chairmen’s Opera Ball, 6 p.m., Hyatt Regency, 400 W. Waterman. $200 per guest or $1,500 for a table of 10. Grand Opera of Wichita. Dinner, dancing, entertainment, and live and silent auctions. 316-293-1234 23: Chamber Music at the Barn, Aleks Sternfeld-Dunn’s Piano Quartet World Premiere, 8 p.m., Prairie Pines, 4055 N. Tyler Road.

Tickets: $22-$47. cmatb.org 29: “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” by Music Theatre of Wichita, Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center, 225 W. Douglas. Continues through July 3. Tickets: $26-$64. 316-2649121 JULY 1: “Charley’s Aunt,” 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m.

Sundays through July 31, Kechi Playhouse, 100 E. Kechi Road, Kechi. $11-12. 316-744-2152, www .kechiplayhouse.com 7: Chamber Music at the Barn presents Trio Globo, 8 p.m., Prairie Pines, 4055 N. Tyler Road.

Tickets: $12-$47. Performing original music by Eugene Friesen based on Carl Sandburg’s 1918 poem “Prairie.” 316-722-1145, cmatb.org 13-17: Oklahoma by Music Theatre of Wichita, Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center, 225 W. Douglas. Tickets: $26-$64. 316-264-9121 13: Outside Mullingar, Play by Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain. Tickets: $14; $12 for students, military and seniors.

IT’S GONNA BE Wichita Grand Opera

The Wichita Grand Opera will put on "The Pirates of Penzance" on May 20 and 21 at Bradley Fair.

wichitact.org 14: Chamber Music at the Barn, New Zealand String Quartet, 8 p.m., Prairie Pines, 4055 N. Tyler Road. Tickets: $12-$47. 316-7221145 cmatb.org 21: “Frank N. Stein,” Mosely Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. Through Sept. 5. Tickets: $20-$30. www.mosleystreet.com.

21: Chamber Music at the Barn: Joanne Rile presents the Ahn Trio, 8-10 p.m., Prairie Pines, 4055 N. Tyler Road. Tickets: $12-$47. 316-722-1145 cmatb.org 27: “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Music Theatre of Wichita. Century II, 225 W. Douglas. Tickets: $26-$64.

28: “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” Wichita Children’s Theatre’s Heather Muller Black Box Theatre Series.

Through July 31 at 201 Lulu.

Tickets: $8.50-$12.50. 316-2622282.

29: “Beehive,” Thursday-Sunday through Sept. 3, Roxy’s Downtown, 412 1/2 E. Douglas. $2030. 316-265-4400, www .roxysdowntown.com AUGUST 5: “Tons of Money,” FridaysSundays through Aug. 28, Kechi Playhouse, 100 E. Kechi Road, Kechi. $11-12. 316-744-2152, www .kechiplayhouse.com 10: “Mamma Mia,” Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center, 225 W. Douglas. Tickets: $26-$64. Continues through Aug. 21. 316-264-9121

BIG! Call 660-WILD Click scz.org Adventure awaits! 5555 Zoo Blvd.

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EVENTS CALENDAR MAY 15: Railroad weekend, Great Plains Transportation Museum, 700 E. Douglas, 1-4 p.m., $7 ages 13 and up; ages 4-12, $4. www.gptm.us 19: Twilight Tour, 7 p.m., Frank Lloyd Wright’s Allen House, 255 N. Roosevelt. Admission: $12.

Reservations required. House is open for tours at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays and at 10 a.m. the first Saturday of each month. Twilight tours at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month. www.fllwallenhouse.org 19: 30th anniversary screening of “Pretty in Pink,” 7 p.m., Orpheum Theatre, 200 N. Broadway. Tickets: $5; $4 for students, seniors and military. www.wichitaorpheum.com 21: Play on a plane day, 9-5 p.m., Kansas Aviation Museum.

Tickets: ages 13 and up, $9.50; ages 4-12, $7.50 21: Summer Opening Party, 7 p.m., Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd. $10 Celebrate WAM’s newest exhibition, Chihuly Drawings. Cash bar; music by the Arnold Palmers. wichitaartmuseum.org 21: Full Moon Walk, 9 p.m.

Great Plains Nature Center, 6323 E. 29th St. North. Enjoy a guided evening hike under the moon. RSVP to rachel@gpnc .org. Repeats June 20, July 21 and Aug. 18.

21: Outdoor Yard Sale/Flea Market, Derby Antique Market, 317 N. Rock Road, Derby. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. First and third Saturdays of every month through October. More than 60 vendors.

316-789-8888.

22: Flea market, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Kansas Pavilions, 1229 E. 85th St. North, Park City. Admission: $1 per person.

24: Alex Grecian reading and signing of “Lost and Gone Forever on Tuesday,” 6 p.m., Watermark Books & Cafe, 4701 E. Douglas. Free. 316-682-1181 27: Moonlight Meadow Night Hike, 6:30-10:30 p.m. Botanica, 701 N. Amidon. Admission: $15; ages 3-12, $12. $2 discount for members. www.botanica.org 27: Final Friday, art gallery crawl at various locations.

Check Friday’s Go! section in The Wichita Eagle for times and participating galleries.

28: Endangered Species Day, 10

a.m., Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd. Included in admission. www.scz.org 28: Steampunk, 10 a.m., Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 W. Museum Blvd. Included in admission. Victorian-inspired science fiction takes over the town for the day. www.oldcowtown .org 28: Family ArtVenture: Bike Blitz, 11 a.m., Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd. Free.

Ride or bring your bicycles to WAM for some fancy bike decorating, giveaways. Outdoor activities are weather permitting. www .wichitaartmuseum.org File photo

JUNE 1: Senior Wednesday: Art Movie Herb & Dorothy, 10:30 a.m., Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd. $2. An ordinary couple amasses a world-class art collection. For active adults 55 and older. Doors open at 10 a.m. for coffee, program begins at 10:30 a.m., 316-268-4921 www.wichitaartmuseum.org 3: “Keeper Loves ICT,” 7-9 p.m., Mid-America All-Indian Center, 650 N. Seneca. Second of threepart painting series led by Indian artist Michelle Sutton. Paint your own Keeper statue, available for $55-$65. Bring your favorite wine, beer and/or snacks. Registration required. 21 and older only. 316-350-3340 4: “Little Tipi on the Prairie,” 1-3 p.m., Mid-America All-Indian Center, 650 N. Seneca. Free.

Celebrate the opening of our outdoor learning center. A special birthday celebration with cake for artist Blackbear Bosin, who created the Keeper of the Plains. 316-350-3340 4: South Central Kansas Mustang Club’s 23rd annual All Ford Car Show, 8 a.m., Sedgwick County Park, 6501 W. 21st St. Admission: $5. Registration charged for those showing cars.

All Ford models welcome. Live DJ, food trucks, vendors, door prizes, raffles, trophies. www .sckmc.com 4: Storm the Dam, 6 a.m., Marathon race through the El Dorado State Park., 618 NE Bluestem Road, El Dorado. stormthedam .com.

5: Take Flight Festival, 6:3010:30 p.m. Botanica, 701 N. Amidon, opens its butterfly

Steampunk returns to the Old Cowtown Museum May 28.

house and celebrates all things with wings with the bee man, scavenger hunts, ballon artists.

1-5 p.m. Adults, $8. $2 discount with Riverfest button.

11: Walk with Wildlife, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Chisholm Creek Park, 6232 E. 29th St. North. Cost: $2 per person. See more than 50 species of native wildlife. www .gpnc.org 11: Lantern Fest, El Dorado State Lake. Music, stage show, face painters, s’mores. Lantern launch after sunset. Gates open at 3 p.m. Admission: $35; ages 4-12, $5. www.thelanternfest .com.

11: Yoga on the lawn, Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

Blvd., 9-11 a.m. Free. www .wichitaartmuseum.org.

11: Party for Parkinson’s 5K Run and Party Walk, 6 p.m., Catholic Care Center, 6650 E. 45th St. North. Fee: $25. All participants can enjoy a complimentary beer garden, cookout and entertainment following the race. www .partyforparkinsons5k.com 11-12: Smallville ComicCon, Kansas State Fairgrounds, 2000 N. Poplar, Hutchinson. www .smallvillecomiccon.com 12: Summer Soiree 2016, 6 p.m., Dyck Arboretum of the Plains, 177 W. Hickory St., Hesston.

Fee: $80. An evening of good food, a silent auction, education about the prairie, and musical entertainment. www .dyckarboretum.org 16: 55th anniversary screening of the film “The Hustler,” 7 p.m., Orpheum Theatre, 200 N. Broadway. Tickets: $5; $4 for students, seniors and military. www.wichitaorpheum.com 16-18: Common Threads Regional Quilt Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, Century II Expo Hall, 225 W. Douglas. Admission $10, $15 for a three-day pass; chhildren under 10 get in free. wichitaquiltshow.com 17: Ape Awareness, 8:30 a.m., Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd. Included in admission. Learn more about the three types of apes living at Sedgwick County Zoo: gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans.

Activities for all age groups. www.scz.org 18: 12th annual Sisterhood of the

Divine Makeover, a fashion show and brunch benefitting Dress for Success Wichita. 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Holiday Inn East, 549 S. Rock Road. Tickets: $11.49 and up, available at eventbrite.com.

18-19: 33rd annual Kansas Numismatic Coin & Stamp Show, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., June 18; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. June 19. Cessna Activity Center, 2744 George Washington Blvd. Free. Featuring Tyler Tyson, who will be carving nickels at this year’s show. http:// kansasnumismaticassociation.org 18: Annual Fly-in at the Stearman Bar and Grill, all day. Music. Car show, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 14789 SW 30th St., Benton. www.stearmandbarandgrill.com 18: Andover Concert in the Park, featuring fireworks, food vendors and three bands –Rick Springfield, Night Ranger and The Romantics. Gates open at 5 p.m.; show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets: $10.

19: Father’s Day Car Show, 8:30 a.m., Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd. Included in regular zoo admission. www.scz .org 21-26: Global convention of the Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society. Wichita Marriott East, 9100 Corporate Hills Drive. www.atsfrr.com 24: Final Friday, art gallery crawl at various locations.

Check Friday’s Go! section in The Wichita Eagle for times and participating galleries.

24: Elements: Fire, 7-9 p.m., Mid-America All-Indian Center, 650 N. Seneca. Admission: $4 public; free for members and ages 12 and younger. The second of a four-part series featuring all four elements of the medicine wheel, or circle of life.

Event includes making s’mores around the fire, campfire storytelling time, an appearance by the Wichita Fire Department, bracelet craft. Concludes with the lighting of the firepots in the Keeper Plaza. 316-350-3340 24-25: 31st annual Kechi Fair, 220 W. Kechi Road, Fishing contest, parade, arts and crafts fair, street dance. Buttons: $3 in advance; $5 at the gate for the street dance.

25: Celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Downing Children’s Garden at Botanica, 701

The Wichita Eagle

Walk with Wildlife returns to the Great Plains Nature Center June 11.

SEE EVENTS, 22H

SATURDAY, JUNE 4 Violent Femmes & Meat Puppets Presented by Don Hattan Chevrolet

SUNDAY, JUNE 5 Coleman Country Concert with A Thousand Horses & Brothers Osborne

NEW DATE! WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8 Wet N’ Wild Dance Party with Naughty By Nature

SAFELITE AUTOGLASS S U N D O W N PA R A D E ®

COX KIDS CORNER

THURSDAY, JUNE 9 Indie Showcase Reel Big Fish & The Suffers

NEW DATE! FRIDAY, JUNE 10 Koch Industries Presents Elle King

HILAND DAIRY

SATURDAY, JUNE 11 Spirit AeroSystems Rockin’ on the River featuring The Roots

JUNE 9-11 Presented By

ICE CREAM SOCIAL

CAPITOL FEDERAL FIREWORKS FINALE

Get your Buttons at local QuikTrip and Dillons stores.

$10

Also available at INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, Wichita Festivals 444 E. William - and other retail locations, plus online at SelectASeat.com

Visit WichitaRiverfest.com for more details!

$3

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Things to Do

THE WICHITA EAGLE

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EVENTS N. Amidon, with free admission from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. www.botanica.org.

25: Reverie’s Third Anniversary Party, Reverie Coffee Roasters, 2611 E. Douglas. Food trucks, live music, coffee. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. www.reverieroasters .com JULY 5: Twilight Tuesdays. Free admission to the Sedgwick County Zoo, 6-8:30 p.m. every Tuesday in July.

Admission is free with a voucher, available at area Cox stores.

6-9: Sedgwick County Fair, Cheney Fair Grounds. www.ourcountyfair.com.

9: Automobilia’s Moonlight Car Show, 6 p.m.-

midnight, downtown Wichita. Free.

8-10: Anime Festival Wichita, Hyatt Regency, 400 W. Waterman. Tickets: $14-$45. www.afwcon .org 9: Honey Badger 100-mile ultra race. Check-in at the west shore area of Cheney State Park. Start time: 6 a.m., 36-hour time limit.

Fee: $225. www .honeybadger100.com 15-17: Kansas Veterans and Family Reunion, El Dorado State Park, Shady Creek Area, 313 N. Oil Hill Road. www.ksvetsreunion .org 16: WAM celebrates its 81st birthday with an old-fashioned ice cream social.

Stroll through the galleries, and stop by the Art Studio

to join in a cool community art project. Music by the Wichita State University Steel Drum Band. 2-4 p.m.

Free. Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd. www.wichitaartmuseum .org 17: Supercar Autocross Experience, 9 a.m., Hartman Arena, 8151 N. Hartman Arena Drive. Tickets: $99-$159. Take the wheel of a sleek sports car with this offer from the Motorsport Lab, which puts you in the driver’s seat of a Ferrari or Lamborghini. www.hartmanarena.com 21: “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly”, 7 p.m., Orpheum Theatre, 200 N. Broadway. Tickets: $5; $4 for students, seniors or military. 1966 spaghetti Western film. www .wichitaorpheum.com.

23: Tomato Day, 7 a.m. to noon, Extension Center at 21st and Ridge Road; free; sedgwick.ksu.edu.

“Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it ....” ˜Mark Twain

Live Life in the Bike Lane with a bicycle from

23: “Native Voices: Native Peoples’ Concepts of Health and Illness,” 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Mid-America All-Indian Center, 650 N. Seneca. Special museum price of $3.50; kids 12 and younger admitted free.

Opening of traveling exhibit. www.theindiancenter.org 23: Fifty Shades of Men, 9 p.m., The Cotillion, 11120 W. Kellogg. Tickets: $15$20. Spend an evening with Fifty Shades of Men. Male dancers show their talents with sexy, yet very tasteful routines. www .thecotillion.com 29: Final Friday, art gallery crawl at various locations. Check Friday’s Go! section in The Wichita Eagle for times and participating galleries.

29: 82nd NBC World Series, Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, 300 S. Sycamore, Wichita. Continues through Aug. 13. www .nbcbaseball.com

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

30: Sole Purpose 3, noon-5 p.m., Abode, 1330 E. Douglas. Tickets: $15; $12 advance. Buy, sell and trade the “best sneakers to ever hit the market.” 316267-1330 AUGUST Ongoing: Cowtown at night. Cowtown switches to evening hours, opening 6-9 p.m. during the month of August to highlight activities of 1875 nightlife. www.oldcowtown.org 6: Back to School Bash, 8:30-5 p.m. Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd. Admisson is $1 per person. www.scz.org 6: ICT Roller Girls, 6:30 p.m., The Cotillion, 11120 W. Kellogg. Tickets: $11.50-$13.50.

6: Sumner County Fair, Sumner County Fairgrounds, 108 S. Chisholm, Caldwell. Free admission.

12-13: Perseids Meteor Shower, one of the main

celestial events of the summer. Skies will be dark after the moon sets around midnight.

18: 40th anniversary screening of the film “Taxi Driver,” 7 p.m., Orpheum Theatre, 200 N. Broadway. Tickets: $5; $4 for students, seniors and military. www .wichitaorpheum.com 27: Tiara Tri, El Dorado Reservoir, 618 NE Bluestem Road, El Dorado.

All-women triathlon. www .ozendurance.net 26: Final Friday, art gallery crawl at various locations. Check Friday’s Go! section in The Wichita Eagle for times and participating galleries.

27: Yolder Heritage Day, 9816 S. Main, Yoder. 6 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Parade, quilt auction, buggy races, food, entertainment, fireworks. www.yoderkansas .com

Spring Performance: “Let The Games Begin” East High School June 3rd & 4th (7 pm) • June 4th & 5th ( 2 pm)

Tickets Available at www.kdadance.com Summer registration is now by calling 684-2848 Open House/Registration is Saturday, June 11th from 10am-1pm.

Celebrating

53 Years!

8-Week summer session runs from June 13-August 4.

Dance Camp 2016

Classes offered in: Ballet, t, Pointe, Pointe, Tap, ap,, Jazz, Ja Contemporar /Ly Ho

Ju N

Summer Specialty Classes: llet Variations, Ballet Boot ot L rov, A usic The

1960 S. Broadway • Wichita • 316.264.3693

tomsawyerbicycleshop.com

Da xper Daily Dance Cl S

6615 E. Central 684-2848 www.kdadance.com

Things to Do

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

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McLaughlin Park, Valley Center.

Free swim days are scheduled at the following Wichita swimming pools: Harvest, June 5; McAdams, June 10; Boston, June 13; Aley, June 25; College Hill, July 4; Minisa, July 10; Orchard, July 16; Linwood, July 18; and Evergreen, July 30.

You’ll need to wear proper swimming attire.

FERNANDO SALAZAR File photo

People attend the grand opening of the Wichita Art Museum’s $3.5 million art garden in 2015.

Summer on the cheap: Free things to do in Wichita blue chair, for family photos.

ulrichmuseum.

WALK AROUND THE ART Check out Wichita’s newest garden and sculpture place: the Wichita Art Museum art garden, 1400 W. Museum Blvd., which opened in September. The 8acre park showcases 11 sculptures, including two new commissions, and is open 24/7.

Wichita State University boasts a collection of more than 70 outdoor sculptures on its campus. Some particularly fun sculptures to take posed photos or selfies at include “Millipede” near the 17th Street entrance; and “Man With Cane,” “Woman With Umbrella,” “Love” and “Three Women Walking,” all in the heart of the campus off Hillside Avenue. An online map is available at www.wichita.edu/

TAKE A HIKE Take a walk and learn about people and places of the area and Kansas in walking paths in downtown Wichita and in Haysville. The Art Trail, Wichita Historic Trail, Exploration Trail, African American Trail, American Indian Trail, Tallgrass Film Festival Trail and People of Kansas Trail go through the heart of Wichita. Find the maps at www.downtownwichita.org/ get_around-bike_walking_paths .php. The Magic Trail and Sesquicentennial Trail are in Haysville.

BY AMY GEISZLER-JONES

Eagle correspondent

If you find yourself low on cash after paying for summer camps, classes and your family vacation, consider these free options for fun this summer in Wichita.

MAKE SOME MEMORIES From disc Frisbee to dog parks, there are lots of green spaces and parks in Wichita and surrounding communities that you can enjoy for free, but you can make some fun memories at a special place in Sedgwick County Park, 6501 W. 21st St. Along a path on the west side of the park, you’ll find the Memories Park, which offers various backdrops, like an oversized

MAKE A SPLASH Playing in water is a welcome cool-down in the hot days of summer, and there are several

places – and times – where you can do that for free. Most of the nearly dozen interactive fountains and splash parks in Wichita and the surrounding area were scheduled to open earlier this month, weather permitting.

Some, like the one at Osage Park, 2121 W. 31st St. South, feature spraying water creatures, while at Fairmount Park, 1647 N. Yale, there are two different areas to accommodate younger and older children. The newest splash park in Wichita is in Buffalo Park, 10201 S. Hardtner. Here are others to check out, too: NewMarket Square, 21st Street North and Maize; Old Town Plaza, 334 N. Mead; Lincoln Park, 1323 S. Topeka; Riverside Central Park, 720 Nims; Haysville, 525 Sarah Lane; and McLaughlin Park, 722

BOWL ’EM OVER Through a national program, kids up to age 15 can bowl two free games practically every day at the following five bowling centers: Derby Bowl, 444 S. Baltimore; Northrock Lanes, 3232 N. Rock Road; Seneca Bowl, 1909 S. Seneca; The Alley Indoor Entertainment, 11413 E. 13th St.; and West Acres Bowl, 749 N. Ridge Road. You must register online at www .kidsbowlfree.com. All centers, except West Acres, start the program this month; West Acres starts June 1. All programs continue the entire summer to varying end times in September.

You have to pay for shoe rental, which is generally about $3 or less. A discounted family pass, starting at $24.95, allows up to four adults to bowl two games every day with the kids.

HOT STUFF Watch glass blowers in action at the Karg Art Gallery, 111 N. Oliver, Kechi, from 8:30 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, and 8:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, but call ahead at 316-744-2422 to confirm, since schedules are subject to change.

NO NEED TO BE BORED There’s no need to be bored with today’s myriad board games. Some encourage learning and life skills, like doing math, combining players’ efforts to reach a common goal rather than one-player domination, and learning to take turns and be a good sport. That’s the purpose behind Bonding With Board Games, a two-hour gaming event offered at the Sedgwick County Extension Center Sunflower Room June 3 and Aug. 12, starting at 7 p.m. Helpers are on hand to teach games, some of which take as little as 15 minutes to play. It’s a comeand-go sort of event. For more information, call 316-660-0114.

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THE WICHITA EAGLE Saturday of the month. To register, go to http://workshops .homedepot.com/workshops/ kids-workshops.

Lowe’s Build and Grow workshops are held on select Saturday mornings. For specific information and to register, go to www.lowesbuildandgrow .com.

FERNANDO SALAZAR The Wichita Eagle

The fountains at WaterWalk put on a free show weekends throughout the summer.

Grandparents and kids are encouraged to have a day out and play at a free inter-generational board game event 10 a.m. to noon June 18 at Naftzger Park, 650 E. William. Games will be provided.

More games, like horseshoes, and family activities are on tap when Barry’s Mobile Recreation Station, a traveling van named after the Wichita Park and Recreation mascot, visits the following parks from 6 to 8 p.m. on these select Thursdays: Osage, June 16; Fairmount, June 30; Harrison, 1300 S. Webb, July 14; and Buffalo, July 28.

MORE STUFF OUTDOORS Kids can learn about Kansas habitats at the Great Plains Nature Center, 6232 E. 29th St. North. It’s free to visit the center – where you can see a 2,200-gallon aquarium with native fish and tall- and shortgrass prairies with preserved native animals in the Koch Natural Habitat – and wander the trails. The center offers several free, ongoing, yearround activities, like Naturally Crafty for all ages from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays; Story Time for kids ages 6 and younger at 11 a.m. Wednesdays; and Naturalist in the Know for all ages from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

Special free summer activities include Nature Adventures, where naturalists share knowledge and experiences with nature and wildlife, at 1 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays,

June 6-July 28; Bird Walks (binoculars provided, reservations required) from 8 to 9 a.m.

Saturdays May 21, June 4 and June 18; and Family Fishing Nights (tackle provided if you don’t have your own, reservations required) at 6 p.m. Thursdays, May 19, June 16, July 21 and Aug. 18.

For more information and details on the various programming, visit www.gpnc.org or call 316-683-5499.

MAKE SOME HISTORY Kids ages 10 to 18 can climb to the top of the clock tower at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main, during the museum’s Young Historians Day, 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, June 3, when they can learn more about the museum and local history. In June, the museum is offering free writing workshops focusing on songwriting, Wichita history and cursive writing. Call 316265-9314 for details.

ART INDOORS You can visit two pretty awesome art museums for free – WSU’s Ulrich Museum of Art, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 1 to 5 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays; and Wichita Art Museum on Saturdays. On July 16, WAM will party it up for its 81st birthday with free ice cream and live music.

The Ulrich Museum is known for its modern and contemporary art collection, while WAM is noted for exceptional American art.

LIGHT IT UP The iconic Keeper of the Plains statue is pretty impressive during the day, rising above the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers at 650 N. Seneca. But check it out from 9 to 9:15 nightly, when the five fire pots at its base are ignited (if the weather’s not too windy or the river too high) to pay tribute to the circle of life that includes water, earth, air and fire.

The dancing fountains at WaterWalk are now back on for the summer. The fountains’ 1,200 nozzles put on a 10- to 15-minute show set to music at noon, 8, 9 and 10 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. The fountains are at 605 S. Wichita, between the WaterWalk apartments and the Boathouse. It’s free, but check the wind before you head out. The show doesn’t go on if wind speeds exceed 15 mph.

DO IT YOURSELF DIY is all the rage, so get ’em started young. Kids can make things like planters and other wooden crafts at free kids do-ityourself workshops offered through Home Depot and Lowe’s. Participating children get a free apron through both stores.

Register early online to ensure a spot.

Home Depot holds its classes from 9 a.m. to noon the first

CHECK OUT THE LIBRARY The Wichita public libraries offer free programming all summer long with puppet shows, crafts, drive-in movies and science shows geared to youth from babies to high school students. For teens, there’s grounded Quidditch, super-sized games and classes on writing a resume. For a complete schedule, go to www .wichitalibrary.org.

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

PGA Golf Pass provides discounted, free playing

BY MATT RIEDL

mriedl@wichitaeagle.com

For a cheaper way to broaden your golfing horizons this summer, consider buying a PGA Golf Pass.

The booklet provides discounted (or free) rounds at 85 golf courses in Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas and in the Lake of the Ozarks area in Missouri.

Most coupons require golfers to pay for cart rental and are valid only on weekdays.

The pass – and a preview of all discounts – is available for $50 at www.southcentral.pga.com/ golfpass.

Considering 18 holes and a cart at any of Wichita’s public golf courses will cost about $50, the golf pass is a no-brainer for those planning on hitting the links this summer.

It can also includes golfing at two local country clubs, which is otherwise impossible without membership.

Most of the coupons, however, can be used only one time each.

This year’s pass is good through Dec. 31.

Discounts are available at the following Wichita-area golf courses: A Wichita public courses

(Auburn Hills, Clapp, Tex Consolver, Sim, MacDonald): Complimentary round with $12 cart fee. Can be used Monday through Thursday, excluding holidays.

A Reflection Ridge Country Club: $55 for 18 holes, cart rental and range balls. Can be used anytime Monday through Thursday – call for availability Friday through Sunday. The coupon also gives you 20 percent off regularly priced apparel.

Proper golf attire required.

A Terradyne Country Club (Andover): Complimentary round with $16 cart fee. Can be used anytime Tuesday through Friday and weekends after noon, excluding holidays. The coupon also gives you 10 percent off regularly priced apparel.

Proper golf attire required.

A Hidden Lakes (Derby): Two complimentary rounds with $12 cart fee each time. Can be used Tuesday through Friday, excluding holidays. Proper golf attire required.

A Sand Creek Station (Newton): Complimentary round with $20 cart fee. Can be used Monday through Thursday, excluding holidays. Proper golf attire required.

Matt Riedl: 316-268-6660, @RiedlMatt

BO RADER File photo

A golfer taps in a putt on the 13th green at Tex Consolver public golf course.

EVENTS FOR KIDS MAY 19: Family Fishing Nights, 6-9 p.m., Great Plains Nature Center’s Island Pond. Meet in the parking lot west of the center at 6 p.m. Free. Repeats June 16, June 21 and Aug. 18. All ages.

Register at http://familyfishing .eventbrite.com.

21: Children’s Farms Festival: Heritage Breeds Day, 1 p.m., Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd. Included in regular zoo admission. 316-942-2212 28 End of School Bash hosted by the Wichita Park & Recreation.

Free. Games and craft projects.

6-8 p.m. Naftzger Park, 650 E. William, 316-268-4259 28 Flashlight Safari at Tanganyika Wildlife Park, 1000 S. Hawkins Lane Goddard. 7-10 p.m.

Repeats June 10 and July 16.

Fee: $20 per child, $15 per adult.

316-794-8954 JUNE 3 Creature Campouts, 5:30 p.m., Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd. Campers bring their

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SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

own tents, sleeping bags and flashlights for a night-time adventure at the zoo. Event repeats June 25 and Sept. 2. Registration required. Cost: $30 per person for members; $35 for nonmembers. 316-942-2212 www.scz.org 3 Bonding Through Board Games. Free for all ages. 7-9 p.m. Sedgwick County Extension Education Center, 7001 W. 21st St., 316-660-0100 4 Kids Sports Day hosted by Wichita Park & Recreation.

Free. Sports-related activities like basketball pass, long jump, obstacle course, football toss.

4-6 p.m. Ages 6-12 years old.

Naftzger Park, 650 E. William, 316-268-4259 11 Touch a Truck and Kids Day hosted by Wichita Park & Recreation. Free. See the Dare truck, fire truck and EMS. 9-11 a.m.

Ages 6-12 years old. Naftzger Park, 650 E. William, 316-2684259 11: Walk with Wildlife, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Chisholm Creek Park, 6232 E. 29th St. North. Cost: $2.

See more than 50 species of

Bishop Kelly-Hellon, left, and Kolbe DeGraffenreid feed a lamb inside the American Farm exhibit at the Sedgwick County Zoo in 2015.

JAIME GREEN The Wichita Eagle

native wildlife. www.gpnc.org 11: Kids’ Fishing Clinic, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Chisholm Creek Park, 6232 E. 29th St. North. Free. 12 and younger. To register, e-mail psmith@wichitaeagle.com. List the child’s name and street address. Please specify whether you prefer a morning or afternoon session.

16-24: “Flat Stanley,” Wichita Children’s Theatre picnic series, 201 Lulu, 316-262-2282.

18 Grandparents/Kids Day, hosted by Wichita Park & Recreation. Free. Enjoy board games like chess, checkers and more.

10 a.m. to noon. Ages 6 and older. Naftzger Park, 650 E.

William, 316-268-4259 JULY 2 Chalk Art Event hosted by Wichita Park & Recreation. Free family event. Each participant will receive a pack of chalk and assigned sidewalk square to compete for prizes. 10 a.m. to noon. For ages 6-12. Naftzger Park, 650 E. Williams, 316-2684259 7-8 “Hansel & Gretel,” Wichita Children’s Theatre picnic series, 201 Lulu, 316-262-2282.

14-22 “Jack and the Beanstalk,” Wichita Children’s Theatre picnic series, 201 Lulu, 316-262-2282.

16 Penny Carnival, hosted by

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Wichita Park & Recreation. Free carnival for the family. Play bean-bag toss, ring toss and other games and win small prizes. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free.

Naftzger Park. Ages 6-12. 650 E. William, 316-268-4259 23 Family Fun Night, hosted by Wichita Park & Recreation.

Free. Craft projects, activities, games and music. 6-8 p.m.

Naftzger Park, 650 E. William, 316-268-4259 29 River Walk. Nature walk down the Arkansas River for third-graders and up. 8:30 a.m.

Sponsored by the Great Plains Nature Center, 6332 E. 29th St. North. Fee: $6 members; $9 nonmebers. Registration required. www.gpnc.org.

30: Children’s Farms Festival: County Fair, 1 p.m., Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd.

Included in regular zoo admission. 316-942-2212 AUGUST 13 Kids’ Puppet Show, hosted by Wichita Park & Recreation. Free 9-11 a.m. Naftzger Park, 650 E. Williams 316-268-4259

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THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

FERNANDO SALAZAR The Wichita Eagle

Hot-air balloon enthusiasts aboard Kacey Schwemmer’s “Moon Pigeon” get ready to land in a southwest Topeka neighborhood.

Enthusiasts hope lofty pastime balloons again in Wichita

BY MATT RIEDL

mriedl@wichitaeagle.com

s a 3-year-old, Kasey Schwemmer remembers being awestruck by the sight of 20-some hot-air balloons flying over his Wichita home as part of a Riverfest launch.

That kind of sight has not been seen in Wichita in many years.

In the 1970s and ’80s, there were as many as 17 hot-air balloon pilots in town.

Balloons could be seen fairly often in the rural areas around

A

town at dawn or at sunset, gracefully gliding over pastures.

Those days are largely gone, as the few remaining balloon pilots in Wichita are aging out of the pastime and bringing out the balloons only for special rallies and festivals.

It’s currently impossible to pay for a ride over Wichita, as there are no balloon pilots left in town who are offering rides.

Schwemmer, 28 and a licensed balloon pilot, thinks Wichita can make a return to its former ballooning heritage.

“Of course I want to try to give back to something that’s given me personally and given

my life so much fulfillment and enjoyment,” he said. “Whatever I can do, I kind of feel like I need to do it.”

WICHITA BALLOONING HISTORY Jim Forshee, 71, is among the last of the balloonists in Wichita.

Forshee bought his first hotair balloon in 1976 for $6,500.

In the 1970s and ’80s, it was easy to find friends in the Wichita ballooning community, he said.

“It was a several-state-area worth of friends that you knew, and your kids knew each other,” said Kay Rayburn, a former Wichita balloon pilot. “You

cared about each other, and you’d miss each other when it wasn’t ballooning season.”

For a while, there was a club in Wichita dedicated exclusively to ballooning – the High Winders Association.

“There is a rich history (in Wichita),” said Chris Tantillo, who runs Sail Away Adventures in Topeka.

The annual Riverfest balloon launch drew pilots from all around to Sim Park in Riverside.

Balloonists from Wichita combined with Topeka balloonists for an annual rally in Emporia for years, Tantillo said.

“As the number of Wichita

pilots kind of declined, over time that fizzled out as well,” Tantillo said. “Unfortunately, that trend in Wichita is going on in most places. We miss having a community of more balloonists down there.”

Forshee says there are multiple reasons for ballooning’s waning popularity in Wichita, but the biggest is cost.

Buying a balloon 12 years ago cost Forshee $40,000 – “a big jump,” he said.

Repairs to the balloons, which can be done only by a certified balloon technician, can be costly, as can insurance, Forshee said.

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

looning instructor, and the two hope to move back to Wichita and re-energize the ballooning community in town.

“It’s just a matter of finding the right people coming into it at the right time in their lives,” Schwemmer said. “There are a couple people floating around Wichita – no pun intended – that have begun their flight training and never finished it for various reasons. … With me moving back, hopefully I can help motivate them to get back into it or grab somebody new and give them the spark to want to learn how to fly.”

FERNANDO SALAZAR The Wichita Eagle

Hot-air balloon enthusiasts inflate their balloons as they get ready for a ride through southwest Topeka. . ..................................................................

Book a balloon flight

FERNANDO SALAZAR The Wichita Eagle

Jeromie Rose’s team breaks down its hot-air balloon, “One Love,” after a ride through southwest Topeka.

“We’ve got people that really got into ballooning … but it got to a point where some of these people didn’t have that kind of money to be throwing away,” Forshee said. “I think that was the main reason – the expense.”

A ‘GRAYING PROBLEM’ Across the country, the sport of ballooning has been on the decline for the past couple of decades.

In Topeka, however, ballooning is on the rise.

“We have a graying problem, nationally speaking, but there are a few places where it’s grow-

ing,” Tantillo said. “We’ve had quite a few new pilots (in Topeka) in the last 10 years. Some are in their 20s and 30s, which is very much bucking the trend.”

There are about a dozen active balloonists in the Topeka area, Tantillo said – more than double Wichita’s numbers in a city about a third the size.

“My dad … developed a community of balloon owners,” he said. “He trained these guys, and for the last 25-plus years, I’ve carried on that and trained quite a few pilots.”

Schwemmer, the pilot originally from Wichita, is among the

Sail Away Adventures, 785-272-3625, schedules balloon flights out of Topeka or Newton.

Flights last approximately 45 minutes. A flight in Topeka costs $225 per adult, and a flight in Newton costs $275 per adult.

Ages 12 and under can get tickets for half price. Chris Tantillo, the pilot, has been commercially licensed in Kansas since 1992, and his family has flown since 1972, he said.

Skyway Balloons, 918-850-2359, flies out of Parsons. Flights last about an hour and will be available starting in July. Rides start at $195 a person for a spot in a shared-basket balloon, which can hold up to eight people.

Rides in a private balloon cost more. Wil LaPoint is a Federal Aviation Association-certified commercial pilot and has been the balloonmeister for the Sunflower Balloon Festival in Anthony for 10 years. ...................................................................

ballooning community in Topeka now.

He recently married the daughter of his longtime bal-

GETTING A LEGITIMATE RIDE Balloon rides are often seen as a picturesque way to propose to your special someone or to celebrate an anniversary.

In Wichita, if you’re not already a certified balloon pilot (or you don’t know one), it will not be easy to buy a ride, though it may seem that way by searching the internet.

Different websites advertising hot-air balloon rides in Wichita – some with phone numbers with local area codes – lead to national ticketing agencies.

Beware of the ticketing agencies, Kansas balloonists say; if possible, always try to deal with the actual person giving the ride.

“They are bad news – people get routinely screwed by these people,” Tantillo said. He said he formerly flew for a national ballooning outfit. “Folks buy (tickets) at a very inflated price, then they have to travel a few hundred miles to the nearest pilot.”

A representative of “Wichita Hot Air Balloon Rides,” whose address is listed as being in the federal courthouse downtown, said the hot-air balloon ride it offers that’s closest to Wichita is in Parsons, about 130 miles to the east.

The pilot, Wil LaPointe, is legitimate, though he said it’s best to schedule through him directly. Balloon rides can often get postponed because of poor weather conditions, he said, so setting a date is a risky endeavor.

The problem with some agencies, he said, is that they sell tickets for balloon rides, and not

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every pilot will accept the tickets – leading to people being stuck with an expensive piece of paper and nowhere to use it.

Tantillo’s company, Sail Away Adventures, does rides mainly out of Topeka but last year began offering rides out of Newton.

“We were getting a lot of folks from Wichita driving up (to

‘‘

JUST GO DIRECTLY TO THE HORSE’S MOUTH AND BUY THE TICKET FROM THE GUY THAT’S GOING TO GIVE YOU A RIDE. Wil LaPointe, hot-air balloon pilot who gives rides from Parsons Topeka),” he said. “We can schedule out of Newton generally on the weekends – on Saturday evening or Sunday morning at sunrise. We’ve had a few people inquire about it, but so far, no one’s chosen to have us come down there.”

At this year’s Riverfest, there are two balloon launches scheduled – for 6 a.m. on June 4 and 6 p.m. on June 5 near the Hyatt Regency Wichita.

In Topeka, the 41st annual Huff ’n Puff balloon rally is set from Sept. 9 to 11.

LaPointe said watching balloons launch sometimes entices people to pick up the pastime.

“There’s a joke that your first balloon ride will cost a couple hundred, but your next is going to be 20 or 30 grand when you get hooked and buy a balloon,” LaPointe said. “Some people … are so enamored with it they jump in with both feet and end up becoming balloonists themselves.”

Matt Riedl: 316-268-6660, @RiedlMatt VIDEO

See two videos on hot-air ballooning at Kansas.com/video.

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THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

OKC’s new Riversport Rapids offers urban whitewater rafting

BY DENISE NEIL

dneil@wichitaeagle.com

olorado and its raging mountain rapids are an eight-hour-plus drive from Wichita, and for most people, rafting or kayaking them is a once (or twice) in a lifetime adventure.

Oklahoma City’s whitewater rapids are much closer. And although they’re not surrounded by the same pristine mountain scenery, they’re a two-and-ahalf-hour drive from Wichita and a two-and-a-half-minute drive from restaurants, bars and urban civilization.

On May 7, Oklahoma’s new $45.2 million, 11-acre whitewater rafting and kayaking adventure park opened to the public. Called Riversport Rapids, the complex sits in the shadow of downtown and just blocks from the city’s trendy Bricktown entertainment district.

Built in the city’s Boathouse District, the project is part of MAPS 3, a 1-cent sales tax initiative approved by voters that has allowed for a long list of qualityof-life improvement projects.

It’s one of only three manmade whitewater venues in the United States. The complex allows city dwellers to raft or kayak down one of two manmade rapid channels, one competitive and one recreational.

The channels are fed by six 23,000-pound pumps that send 492,000 gallons of water per minute down the channels. The rapids are created by giant blue blocks that sub in for boulders, and the park’s crew can move and rearrange the blocks to create new challenges. The rapids are so realistic that they’re being used to qualify athletes for the U.S. Olympic canoe/kayak slalom team.

Six-person rafts trips are about 90 minutes long, and during that time period riders will get

C

TRAVIS HEYING The Wichita Eagle

‘‘

A kayaker takes a test run at Riversport Rapids in Oklahoma City. The new artificial whitewater park was built as part of a sales tax initiative and is one of only three such parks in the United States.

THESE ARE CLASS TWO TO FOUR RAPIDS. WHEN YOU GET GEARED UP AND GET ON THE RAPIDS, YOU’RE IN THE RAFT FOR QUITE A WHILE. Mike Knopp, executive director of the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation three or four trips down the channel. They don’t have to haul their rafts back up to the top, either. The current will guide them to a conveyer belt that will transport them and their boats right back to the top of the course.

People also can kayak on the rapids, though they’ll need to

demonstrate ability beforehand.

River kayakers with approved gear can bring their own and use it.

“It’s the real deal,” said Mike Knopp, executive director of the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation. “These are class two SEE RAPIDS, 29H

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$1500

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. ..................................................................

Riversport Rapids What: An 11-acre adventure park featuring two whitewater rapids canals and many other activities Where: 800 Riversport Drive, Oklahoma City, 405-552-4040 Admission: $49 for a day pass, which includes a rafting session plus access to all other activities; $179 for an annual pass Ages: Children 8 and older are allowed on the rapids. Height limit for the other activities is 48 inches. A youth zone is available for children under 48 inches.

Hours: Open Friday nights and weekends until Memorial Day, then open daily More information: riversportokc.org ...................................................................

. ..................................................................

TRAVIS HEYING The Wichita Eagle

A kayaker tries Riversport Rapids in Oklahoma City. The 11-acre whitewater rafting and kayaking adventure park opened to the public May 7.

Riversport Rapids quick facts A The

rapids are powered by six pumps that weigh more than 12,000 pounds each.

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RAPIDS

TRAVIS HEYING The Wichita Eagle

A kayaker takes a test run at Riversport Rapids in Oklahoma City. The complex allows city dwellers to raft or kayak down one of two man-made rapid channels, one competitive and one recreational.

to four rapids. When you get geared up and get on the rapids, you’re in the raft for quite a while.

It’s very much like what you would experience in Colorado or in the mountains, but you’re in downtown Oklahoma City.”

The water in the rapids isn’t from the river. It’s city water that will be treated twice a day in giant filters. Before it opened, the water had a dirty-looking brown color from all the construction dust it had absorbed, but the water will clear up, officials said.

The giant center includes more than just the rapids, though. A $49 day pass also gets visitors access to a zip line; a ropes course; climbing walls; kayak, paddleboard and bicycle rentals; and several giant slides (not waterslides, though. People ride down on carpets).

It’s a huge complex that also has a full-service restaurant and bar, a gift shop and lots of places where people can sit on the

A Each

pump circulates 82,000 gallons per minute — a total of 492,000 gallons per minute. grass or on chairs for free and just watch the activity. The park also will let paying customers use tubes to float in the flat water channel that leads to the conveyer belt. The staff plans to show an occasional movie while people float.

One of the most difficult aspects of building the complex was explaining to Oklahomans what it was, Knopp said. People now can see the rapids from the highway, and many have been peeking over the fence as construction has continued.

“There’s a big buzz,” he said.

“When we first came up with this, people didn’t know what to expect. A lot of people thought of whitewater as what they would experience at an amusement park. We’ve had to sort of change the perception. This is a real raging river.”

Denise Neil: 316-268-6327, @deniseneil

A The

pumps would take 80 seconds to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool.

A The

competition channel will be the highest volume pumped whitewater channel in the world.

A The recreation channel is about 1,600 feet long, while the competition channel is 1,300 feet long.

A Roughly

2,000 people will be able to raft in a single day.

A The

conveyor that moves rafts to the top of the run can move nine fully loaded rafts or 13,500 pounds at one time. ...................................................................

VIDEO

Watch a video of Riversport Rapids at Kansas.com/video.

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Food

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

DENISE NEIL The Wichita Eagle Courtesy photo

Churn & Burn serves ice cream frozen instantly with liquid nitrogen.

College Hill Creamery serves caramelized Belgian waffles topped with ice cream and a shot of espresso.

Ice cream adventures await those who know where to go

BY DENISE NEIL

dneil@wichitaeagle.com

ummer is ice cream season, and Wichita has plenty of it.

Everyone knows about the major ice cream and coldtreat retailers – Braum’s, Dairy Queen, Baskin Robbin’s, Marble Slab, Cold Stone Creamery, Rita’s Italian Ice, Freddy’s – but Wichita also has several homegrown ice cream shops, many of which churn their own.

Here’s a guide to some of the local ice cream purveyors offering out-of-the-ordinary cold treats that you need to check out this summer.

S

CHURN & BURN What: This creative, locallyowned shop specializes in ice cream made on the spot using

liquid nitrogen to freeze it.

Owned by Christian and Jamee Shomberg, the almost 2-year-old business seems to churn out a crazy new invention every day.

Among the many offerings on its menu are beer-flavored ice cream, acai frozen with liquid nitrogen, iced coffee drinks, ice cream coffee drinks, Affogato and ice cream-topped cinnamon rolls.

Don’t-miss treat: Save up your calorie allotment for a few days, skip your morning coffee and treat yourself to one of Churn & Burn’s ice cream coffee drinks, which come in flavors like tiramisu, white chocolate, Swiss mocha, salted caramel and turtle.

Where: 548 S. Oliver, 316425-7766. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fridays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sat-

TRY SOME OF THE MORE UNUSUAL OFFERINGS, INCLUDING PALETAS FLAVORED LIKE TEQUILA, RICE AND HOT CHILI MELON. urdays and 1 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

COLLEGE HILL CREAMERY What: Earlier this year, Ryan and Stephanie Nall bought College Hill Creamery, a little ice cream store in College Hill’s Clifton Square. They remodeled it and revamped the menu, adding lots of unique coffee drinks and ice cream-based desserts.

Don’t-miss treat: The Nalls partnered with The Waffle Wagon, a local food truck that serves divine caramelized Belgian waffles, and now is making and serving the crispy treats a la mode with espresso drizzled on

top. Those are almost as popular as the new Nitro Joe’s floats they’re serving. The shop also is serving Nitro Joe’s nitrogeninfused coffee and mixing it with ice cream to make Nitro floats and Nitro shakes. “The Nitro float is the best thing I’ve had here yet,” Ryan Nall said.

Where: 3700 E. Douglas, 316-260-5511. Hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays though Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sundays.

PALETERIA LA REYNA AND PALETERIAS TROPICANA What: Paletas are Mexican ice cream bars that are made

from fresh produce and have an extra-creamy texture. Paleteria La Reyna makes its own in dozens of flavors, from cookies and cream to banana to watermelon.

Another big paleta vendor is Paleterias Tropicanas, which relocated to the New Leaf Plaza at 21st and Amidon in March.

They also make their own ice cream bars. Both stores also serve Mexican ice cream, a denser, creamier product than typical American ice cream.

Don’t-miss treat: Your coworkers will be ultra-appreciative if you show up with a bag of these beauties one hot afternoon. Be sure to grab the fruity flavor you like, which often will be studded with chunks of fresh fruit. But also try some of the more unusual offerings, including paletas flavored like tequila, rice and hot chili melon.

Where: Paleteria La Reyna is

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

Food

31H

DENISE NEIL The Wichita Eagle

Carla Cryston serves Italian ice and soft serve, separate or together, from the Big Chill ice cream truck.

Courtesy photo

Jubilee and Ian Miller own Little Lion Ice Cream.

Courtesy photo

Mochi, which are available at Beard Papa’s, are Japanese ice cream balls that are a sweet and creamy treat with texture.

at 2925 N. Arkansas, 316-8319196. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Thursdays through Tuesdays.

It’s closed Wednesdays.

Paleterias Tropicana is at 2021 N. Amidon, 316-869-1847.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Paletas also are available from bike vendors in local parks, like Central Riverside Park, and often can be found in freezer cases at tortillerias and Mexican

bakeries.

SPRING RO, KRISPY’S AND BEARD PAPA’S What: Several locally-served Asian ice cream treats also offer an unusual – but awesome – taste and texture experience.

Don’t-miss treats: Make it a point this summer to stop by SpringRo, the Vietnamese restaurant in northeast Wichita, and try its Taiwanese shaved

ice. The treat is served in two flavors: green tea and mango.

And a serving of the stuff is topped with all kinds of exotic fruits. But it’s the texture of the ice that’s special. The flavored ice is shaved in thin ribbons, which gives it an airy, melt-inyour-mouth quality. Krispy’s Fried Chicken & Seafood near 31st Street and South Hillside also serves Taiwanese shaved ice during warm-weather months.

And in Towne East Square, cream puff shop Beard Papa’s also serves some interesting ice cream treats. The shop has several flavors of mochi ice cream, a Japanese confection made with an outside coating of pounded sticky rice and an ice cream filling. They’re chewy and creamy at once and come in flavors like lychee, green tea, mango, chocolate and espresso.

One of Beard Papa’s most popular offerings is called the mango shower. It’s served in a bowl with shaved ice, mango sauce and chunks of mango. Managers say the treat is popular and that they sell at least 20 a day.

Where: Spring Ro is at 6524 E. 37th St. North, Suite 180, 316-226-9123. Hours are 11 a.m.

to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Krispy’s Fried Chicken & Seafood is at 3009 S. Hillside, 316-765-7574. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. (There’s also a Derby location.)

Beard Papa’s is at Towne East Square, second level, outside Dillard’s, 7700 E. Kellogg, 316613-2233. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.

LITTLE LION ICE CREAM What: One of Wichita’s newest ice cream businesses is actually a cute little black-andwhite mobile cart operated by local couple Jubilee and Ian Miller, whose friends always raved about their homemade ice cream. So the two decided to open a business. They hope to someday have a shop but launched their business with their cart at the District Marketplace event in early April. The Millers make their ice cream fresh from scratch and try to use local products. They offer interesting flavors, like dark chocolate, creme fraiche and strawberry balsamic.

Don’t-miss treat: One of the coolest features of Little Lion is that at most events, they make their waffle cones from batter they’ve made themselves on the spot while customers watch.

Where: The Millers plan to take the cart to Food Trucks at

the Fountain at the WaterWalk, 515 S. Main, on May 22. They’ll post more dates as they book them on their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/littlelion icecream.

BIG CHILL What: Wichita’s food truck fleet has only a few vendors of sweet treats, but last summer, it added Big Chill. The truck is owned by Carla and Leonard Cryston, who decided to open the business when they noticed that the food truck rallies had no ice cream options. Leonard, a native of Philadelphia, suggested starting an Italian ice business. The couple imports the ice from Philadelphia, considered the home of Italian ice. The business opened in a bright blue truck in April 2015.

Don’t-miss treat: The truck sells 15 different flavors of Italian shaved ice at a time (the most popular being creamsicle and mango), but the treat they’re know for is the Chillato, which layers the ice in a clear plastic cup with soft-serve vanilla ice cream. The result is a colorful, sweet treat with different but complementary textures.

Where: Big Chill sets up at all the big food truck rallies and is a regular at the ICT Pop Up Urban Park at 121 E. Douglas. Keep up with the truck’s location on its Facebook page, www.facebook.com/bigchill icecream

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Food

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

JAIME GREEN The Wichita Eagle

Tom Jackson, staff chef at All Things BBQ, smokes sausage on a Yoder Smoker YS640.

Pellet grilling: similar results, less work

BY JOE STUMPE

Eagle corespondent

Maybe you like everything about cooking over wood or charcoal – from starting the fire to nursing it along to adding fuel as necessary to keep the heat at the desired level.

Or maybe you want the same results without all that work. If it’s the latter, a pellet grill may be just what you need for your backyard cooking.

Certainly Don Cary, owner of All Things BBQ in Wichita’s Delano neighborhood, thinks so.

“Pellet grills fit 80 percent of the people who walk in the door, and they may not know it.”

You’d expect Cary to be partial towards them. In addition to All Things BBQ , located at 818 W. Douglas, he owns Yoder Smokers, based in Yoder, Kan., which makes a line of pellet grills sold by retailers across the country.

But other local retailers, such as Ultra Modern Pool and Patio, feel the same way.

“Men like cooking on them, women like cooking on them, it’s just an easy thing to do,” said Nick Dillon, manager at Ultra’s east Wichita location at 5620 E. Kellogg.

Pellet grills are kind of a combination of charcoal smokers and kitchen ovens. Their fuel, pellets, are made of compressed sawdust and about the size of a

pencil eraser. In a pellet smoker, the pellets are loaded into a hopper and fed into a fire pit by an electric auger, where they’re ignited by an electric rod. The heat can be kept at a constant level and the pellets produce smoke that flavors food.

“Your advantage is it operates similar to an oven,” Dillon said.

“You basically tell it what temperature you want it to be and it gets there. You’re not messing with vents and things like that.”

Ultra carries three brands of pellet grills – Traeger, Louisiana and Memphis – ranging in price from $400 to $4,000.

“There are tons of different options” such as rotisseries that can be added, Dillon said.

‘‘

YOU BASICALLY TELL IT WHAT TEMPERATURE YOU WANT IT TO BE AND IT GETS THERE. YOU’RE NOT MESSING WITH VENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. Nick Dillon, manager at Ultra Modern Pool and Patio east Wichita location Pellet grills account for a small percentage of overall grill and smoker sales, probably because they’ve only been around since the 1980s. Thanks to a patent, they were made exclusively by Traeger until 2006 when several more manufacturers entered the field.

There are only a couple knocks on pellet grills, according

to Dillon. One is that they’re primarily designed to work as smokers providing indirect heat as opposed to grills capable of searing steaks and other foods at extremely high heat.

“One thing people have questioned is how hot do they get,” he said. “Those higher-end Memphis Grills, one goes 600 (degrees), one goes 650, one 700. If you’re trying to hit 900 degrees, it’s not going to do it. It depends a little on how you like to cook things.”

The other is that “some barbecue enthusiasts kind of prefer the real cooking over charcoal,” Dillon said. The pellets, he noted, come in several “flavors” similar to that produced by hickory, apple and other woods.

All Things BBQ started out selling another brand of pellet smoker but didn’t have much success until Yoder started making one.

“I knew the numbers (of people buying pellet grills) were growing, but we had no idea that it was going to be as significant as it is,” Cary said. “The pellet technology is about 20 years old, but it’s really become mainstream in the last three or four years.”

Cary said it’s a misconception to think a pellet grill is strictly a smoker. For one thing, the reliable heat level means it can perform nearly any function of a regular oven, including baking, he said, “so you’re really taking your kitchen outdoors.”

Yoder came up with a design that Cary said addresses the issue of direct grilling over high heat.

Its firebox provides a direct flame under one end of the cooking surface. To convert the grill back to a smoker, a piece of metal called a heat diffusion plate is installed – the operation takes about 30 seconds – and the pit box temperature is turned down with a push of a button.

“We created some versatility and ease of use that would rival a gas grill,” Cary said.

Dillon predicts pellets will only increase in popularity as more people become aware of them and how they operate.

“People are busy,” he said.

“They like to be able to get home, set the grill and do whatever they need to do. This is almost a set it and forget it kind of deal.”

Food

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

BY DENISE NEIL

dneil@wichitaeagle.com

Don Cary is out of shelf space for rubs and sauces at his All Things BBQ store at 818 W. Douglas.

It seems like everyone who’s ever smoked a pork loin wants to invent one, he said. And many Wichitans have.

“There are thousands of them,” he said. “Every time I turn around, literally weekly, someone has the latest-andgreatest sauce, rub, etc.”

Of the sauces and rubs he stocks in his store, many have inventors based in Wichita. Some come from local barbecue restaurants. Others come from competition barbecuers. Others were invented by backyard smokers with a dream and a recipe.

Here’s a look at some of the most popular and best barbecue sauces and rubs that were invented in and around Wichita and are available for purchase here.

Bash Brother’s BBQ, www.bashbrothersbbq.com: Derby barbecue connoisseur Chris Halloran couldn’t find sauces or rubs he liked, so he formulated his own. His family and friends loved them so much, they encouraged him to sell them. He now offers a full line of barbecue sauces, including original, sweet and Hawaiian flavors, as well as several rubs. They’re all for sale on his website, at All Things BBQ , at the Ace Hardware at 5204 N. Maize Road and at Sig’s Gourmet Meats in Derby.

Big Rick’s, www.bigricks.com: Rick Doty is the granddaddy of Wichita barbecue sauce makers, though he sold his company years ago. Doty got his start in 1993, when he was a housepainter who craved a more flavorful barbecue sauce. Today, the company makes not only barbecue sauces but also salsa, ketchup, mustard, chili and pasta sauce. It’s available all over the country and also is sold widely in Australia. Locals can find Big Rick’s original, hot, honey and chipotle sauces, all decorated with sketches of himself, his dog and other family members, at All Things BBQ

DENISE NEIL The Wichita Eagle

COURTESY PHOTO

Morgan and Loren Tracy III own Kansas Cabin BBQ & Rubs.

Big Rick’s is one of the original Wichita-produced barbecue sauces.

Wichita barbecue experts bottling their own sauces, rubs and other local retailers. The products are also available on the Big Rick’s website.

Brewer’s Best, www.brewersbestbbq.com: Former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer also competes on the barbecue circuit, and in 2012, he started bottling and selling his signature barbecue sauces. He makes them in several varieties, including sweet, mild, hot, xxx hot, mustard hot and mustard mild. Brewer’s Best is available at several local retailers, including The Spice Merchant, the Save-A-Lot stores at 13th and Grove and at Pawnee and George Washington, at Walnut Valley Meats in El Dorado and at All Things BBQ. Chile Slinger, www.chileslinger.com: Smoking aficionado Mark Chambers came up with his recipe in the early 1990s, tinkering with it in a hunting cabin in the Chautauqua Hills. His original and chipotle sauces plus two varieties of rubs now are for sale all over the state and available locally at places like All Things BBQ , Douglas Avenue

Chop Shop, Natural Grocers, Whole Foods, Woodard Mercantile and Yoder Meats.

JP Custom Smoke, www.jpcustomsmoke.net: John Patty retired a few years ago from the gas company and now focuses on building custom smokers for his business, JP Custom Smoke, and competing

on the barbecue circuit, where he’s won many awards. He also has a line of rubs, including one for pork, one for beef and one for chicken. His products are available online, at both Walton’s stores in Wichita and at All Things BBQ. He also sells his products all over the country and overseas.

DENISE NEIL The Wichita Eagle

All Things BBQ at 818 W. Douglas carries several locally produced sauces and rubs, including Smokin’ Elvises, Y’et Yet and Chile Slinger.

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Kansas Cabin BBQ & Rubs, www.kansascabin.com: Wichita native Loren Tracy III was unhappy with his career in psychology, so six years ago he decided to try selling his homemade barbecue sauce at a neighborhood farmers market. It took off, and today he has a large industrial kitchen and often produces 2,000 gallons of sauce a day. He sells his six sauces (most popular is wasabi flavored) and six rubs at both Walton’s stores in Wichita, at local Williams Ace Hardware stores, at All Things BBQ , at Douglas Avenue Chop Shop and online.

Smokin’ Elvises, www.smokinelvises.com: Ray Arnoult and pitmaster Doug Smith make up another competition barbecue team that also has started selling its sauces and its rub. Their inventions have been on the market for about three years and now are sold all over the world. People can buy Smokin’ Elvises products locally at All Things BBQ and on the company’s website.

T.D.’s BBQ, t-d-s-bbq.myshopify .com: This food truck out of Wellington has just started offering its tornado-themed rubs.

“EF-6” is a rib rub and “Twisted” is a meat rub. The rubs are available at the truck’s online store and at Hobbs Mechanical in Wellington. The owners also sell the rubs from the food truck.

Y’et Yet, www.yetyet.com: Jack Jacobs, who grew up working at his family’s Garden City restaurant, operates his 14-year-old business out of his home in Butler County. He makes salsas, chili blends and sweet-and-spicy barbecue sauce. Find his products at All Things BBQ , Williams Ace Hardware at 6230 E. Central and Treescapes at 1202 N. Andover Road in Andover.

Jacobs also said interested buyers can call him at 316-7335933.

When Pigs Fly, www.whenpigsflywichita.com: Brian Choy, owner of When Pigs Fly barbecue restaurant at 7011 W. Central, just started selling his rub in bottles. It’s available at All Things BBQ and at local Walton’s stores. He has it at his store, as well, and may soon have it on shelves at Dillons.

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Food

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

TRAVIS HEYING The Wichita Eagle

Rhubarb is the star of this summer cocktail, which is as refreshing as it is pretty.

Rhubarb is a tart summer treat worth trying

BY DENISE NEIL

dneil@wichitaeagle.com

ar too often, I meet people who say they don’t like rhubarb.

Impossible, I say. If you don’t like it, that must just mean you haven’t tried it.

F

I understand why rhubarb is difficult to love. Raw, it looks like a stalk of overgrown princess celery, all pink and green and woody. And if you would happen to sample rhubarb before it’s properly sugared and cooked, it would be bitter and unpleasantly fibrous.

But when it’s doused in sugar

and surrounded by pie crust or muffin batter or smeared on toast, rhubarb turns into a sweet-and-tart treat that’s perfect for summer. That’s when my grandma Dorothy would grow it in her back garden in Missouri every year, then chop the stalks and turn them into the best pie and cobbler I’ve ever

...........................................................................................................................................

Rhubarb spritzer 10 ounces rhubarb (about 3 medium stalks), cut into 1⁄2-inch slices ⁄4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 3 cups seltzer or 1 bottle (750 ml) dry sparkling wine, chilled Lemon and pink grapefruit slices, halved (optional) 3

In a medium saucepan, stir rhubarb, sugar and lemon juice over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb breaks down completely, about 6 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Divide syrup among 8 glasses. Top with seltzer or sparkling wine. Garnish with lemon and grapefruit slices, if desired. Serve immediately Self magazine ...........................................................................................................................................

had. Now, my dad is a rhubarb grower, and he always bags the excess so I can freeze it and enjoy it all year.

Rhubarb can be found in sea-

son in Wichita’s bigger grocery stores and frequently at highend markets like Whole Foods.

You can sometimes get it at Wichita farmers markets in the

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

Food

35H

...........................................................................................................................................

Dorothy Neil’s Rhubarb Dessert My mom still has this recipe in my grandma Dorothy’s handwriting. The dessert is buttery and sweet and as easy to prepare as it comes. You can substitute several fruits for rhubarb, too, including peaches or blueberries.

If you want to curb the rhubarb tartness, you can use half sliced strawberries with the rhubarb.

3 cups of rhubarb, chopped 1 stick butter 2 cups of sugar 1 cup of flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 ⁄4 teaspoon salt 1 cup of milk 1 teaspoon vanilla Preheat oven to 350. Put chopped rhubarb in a bowl with one cup of the sugar. Stir and let sit.

Put stick of butter in a 13x9 baking dish and put it in the oven. Let the butter melt.

Sift remaining 1 cup of sugar with flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in milk and vanilla. Once the butter is melted, take the dish out and pour the batter evenly over the top. Sprinkle the sugared rhubarb over the batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. ...........................................................................................................................................

TRAVIS HEYING The Wichita Eagle

This easy-to-prepare rhubarb dessert showcases the main ingredient’s tartness, and the finished product has an almost custard texture.

summer, and on occasion I’ve found it sliced and bagged in the freezer section of the grocery store.

What better time to give rhubarb a chance than on the eve of the retirement of Garrison Keillor, the longtime radio talk show host who loves rhubarb so much, he made it the fictional sponsor of his “Prairie Home Companion” radio show.

Its jingle, regularly played on the show: “One little thing can revive a

guy, and that is a piece of rhubarb pie Serve it up, nice and hot Maybe things aren’t as bad as you thought.

Momma’s little baby loves rhubarb, rhubarb, Be-Bop-A-ReBop Rhubarb Pie. Rhubarb also can be used in savory dishes, but I like it sweet.

Here are a few preparations that will ease you into the cult of rhubarb, one of summer’s best treats.

DENISE NEIL The Wichita Eagle

Rhubarb muffins are a not-too-sweet breakfast treat.

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Sour Cream Rhubarb Muffins ⁄2 cup brown sugar, packed ⁄4 cup butter 1 cup sour cream 2 eggs, beaten 1 1⁄2 cups flour 3 ⁄4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 1⁄2 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped 1 ⁄2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 1

1

Cream brown sugar and butter. Add sour cream and eggs, mix well.

Sift together flour, baking soda and 1⁄2 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into the sour cream mixture until moistened.

Mix chopped rhubarb with 1⁄2 cup of sugar, then fold it into the batter.

Pour into greased muffin tins.

Mix together sugar and remaining cinnamon and sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Adapted from food.com

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Outdoor Living

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

SASHA KUCHINSKI Courtesy photo

Nathan Polson, a designer at Hong’s, shows how a water basin works.

Water features lead to hours of enjoyment

BY SASHA KUCHINSKI

Eagle correspondent

water feature can enhance your outdoor space with movement, sound and texture – plus it provides instant relaxation. Don’t let the price or size of it kill your Zen, though.

Whether your yard and budget are large or small, there’s an option for you.

If space and cost are factors, consider a freestanding fountain. They’re easiest to install, move and clean. Most of these

A

fountains include a pump and can be set up instantly with no professional help. Treescapes in Andover offers a large selection, with styles ranging from traditional to modern. Ron Cash, manager at Treescapes, said the variety and affordability of freestanding fountains help people realize that water features can be a realistic option in their yard.

“There’s truly a fountain for everyone,” he said.

Container water gardens also are an affordable option. Do a quick search on Pinterest and you can find plenty of ideas that

MIKE KANDT Courtesy photo

Mike Kandt, president of the Kansas Pond Society, installed a waterfall in his backyard.

use anything from a whiskey barrel to a terracotta pot.

If you need a water feature that can sit on your porch or patio, a freestanding fountain or container water garden is the way to go.

For something a bit showier, consider an overflowing pot or bubble rock fountain. These types of fountains use a natural

looking structure like a boulder, urn or granite column on top of a bed of river rocks covering a basin that the water drains to below.

Nathan Polson, designer at Hong’s Landscape & Nursery, recommends having these types of water features professionally installed. Polson said he fixes a lot of projects, which end up

being more expensive than having them installed in the first place.

“You want the right size and shape of basin,” Polson said.

“The main mistake I see is cheap basins that cave under the weight of the structure.”

While these fountains require less maintenance than ponds, they still need to be cleaned

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

Outdoor Living

MIKE KANDT Courtesy photo

MIKE KANDT Courtesy photo

Bright water lilies and colorful fish darting around can make the ultimate statement in a garden.

yearly and treated for algae.

They also offer the possibility of installing a future pond by using the area dug out for the basin.

A beautiful pond with a waterfall, bright water lilies and colorful fish darting around can make the ultimate statement in a garden. But projects like this require a lot of space as well as large financial and time commitments.

For a quality pond, LaLana Moore, owner of Scenic Landscapes, says to avoid preformed ponds, which are unnatural looking, often crack, and aren’t deep enough for fish and plants.

Pumps, skimmers and filtration are essential to keeping your pond healthy and clean, as are beneficial bacteria that can eliminate algae that turn water green. Moore said moving water is critical for circulating oxygen for fish and

plants, and keeping mosquitoes away. Moore also recommends an annual cleaning of your pond.

Mike Kandt, president of the Kansas Pond Society, has four ponds that include a waterfall, a 9,000-gallon koi pond, and a 30-foot stream. While this setup may be a bit ambitious for the rest of us, Kandt advises that any pond project is going to be a significant investment of time and money.

“Don’t rush into it and carefully plan it out,” Kandt said.

“I’ve got a 3,800-pound rock in one pond that isn’t going to move. I needed to know exactly where I wanted it.”

No matter the size or price you choose, the addition of a water feature to your outdoor space is sure to bring hours of enjoyment.

“Everyone needs a water feature in their garden. They just don’t know it yet,” Polson said.

Water lilies float in an outdoor pond.

Fish, plants liven up backyard ponds

BY SASHA KUCHINSKI

Eagle correspondent

Here are some tips for adding fish and plants to your backyard pond.

WHAT ABOUT FISH? Fish can add a fun and playful element to your water feature.

Whether you’re adding small goldfish or giant koi, follow this advice: A Don’t overfeed your fish.

Fish are grazers and only need what they can eat in three to five minutes.

A If you have city water, use a dechlorinator, and don’t “top off” your pond with water from the hose. Even a little water with

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chlorine can burn the gills of fish.

A Handle fish correctly. Koi should never leave the water; with their body weight, the change in pressure can kill them. Instead, corral them into a corner when cleaning your pond.

PLANTS Plants can help keep your water clean and clear. Not all water plants are the same, though. LaLana Moore, owner of Scenic Landscapes, suggests a combination of these types of plants for a balanced ecosystem in your water garden.

A Floaters – These plants float on the surface, with roots that hang into the water. They pro-

vide great filtration and coverage to your pond.

Try water hyacinth, water lettuce, frogbit.

A Marginals – Moore describes these as plants that “just like their feet wet.” Since they need just a few inches of water over their pot, you may want to add levels to your pond with rocks or ledges.

Try cattails, water irises, ribbon grass.

A Deep water – Deep water plants’ roots grow in pots and planters deep underwater. Their leaves and flowers spread on the surface, providing goldfish and koi with great hiding spots.

Try water lilies and lotus.

A Sinking – These fully submerged pond plants act as important oxygenators to your water feature. They help with water clarity by absorbing nitrates and phosphates – the nutrients that lead to algae growth.

Try anacharis, cabomba.

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Outdoor Living

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

The Romanti

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eld Rick Springfi

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K R A P E H T N I T R CONCE

pleased to gusta are u A f o s ip Dealersh s LIVE in concert! c rks Family M and Pa r and The Romanti -F B O B reau, 97.1uests Night Range u B rs o it g Vis ard ntion and gfield with special or debit c n ver Conve ith credit w e The Ando present Rick Spri lin n o ased

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JAIME GREEN The Wichita Eagle

A Gensun outdoor kitchen for sale at Ultra Modern Pool and Patio.

Pictured is a grill, a Big Green Egg cooker and cabinets made of painted aluminum.

er Cen at Andov

ne 1a8nd can be purch u J , y a d r om sion Satu for admis wichita.c

Tickets are

required

Cooking outdoors takes on comforts of a full kitchen

BY JOE STUMPE

Eagle correspondent

In the beginning, humans cooked outdoors. Then, for a long time, meal preparation moved inside.

Now it seems that many cooks want both – an outdoor setting with the comforts of an indoor kitchen. At least that’s one way to explain the popularity of outdoor kitchens.

“It’s something that continues to grow,” said Nick Dillon, manager of Ultra Modern Pool and Patio’s east Wichita location, at 5620 E. Kellogg. “It’s not like everyone’s got one in their backyard like they do a grill, but there continues to be more and more interest every year.”

Dillon said one factor in their popularity is that manufacturers “have made them a little bit more portable than they had in the past. It used to be you built an island and that was that. You have some smaller versions out there that are a little more portable. That’s dropped the price point a little bit.”

Ultra Modern, for instance, carries a line call Gensun Casual Living Outdoor Kitchens, which allow customers to create a freestanding kitchen of their own design by choosing from components such as cabinets with grills, refrigerators, side burners and bars, countertops and eating areas and more. Some models come with lights to make evening cooking easier.

“It’s a little different but cool in that you can put it together any way you want,” he said.

“In most instances, we’re doing delivery and set-up of that,” Dillon said, “but somebody would be perfectly capable of doing it themselves.”

They’re made of non-rustable cast aluminum and the pieces bolt together. The pieces also coordinate with Gensun’s line of outdoor lounge and dining furniture.

Dillon said there are a lot of other choices in the market, too, from stainless steel components to granite countertops. Several manufacturers make portable SEE OUTDOORS, 39H

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THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

FROM PAGE 38H

OUTDOORS tables that the popular Big Green Egg smoker/grills fit into.

All this is not to say that more elaborate built-in outdoor kitchens have disappeared.

Don Cary, owner of All Things BBQ , 818 W. Douglas, designed a $75,000 outdoor kitchen for one client that feature a huge grill, refrigerator and dry storage, kegorator, warming drawers, sink and everything else a high-end indoor would have, all surrounded by gorgeous masonry.

Obviously, most outdoor kitchens fall somewhere between that and portable models. Wood-fired pizza ovens, griddles and burners that woks fit into are other features popular with serious patio cooks, while an icemaker can make sure beverages never get warm. Cary says a sink plus adequate prep and serving surfaces make entertaining go smoothly.

“That is really nice, because then a person can go from prep to cooking to serving. A lot of these kitchens we’re doing, they’re designed to have more than one person cooking. Cooking is part of the entertainment. People come together, they’ll roll their dough out, make pizza together.

That becomes as much a part of the entertainment as the eating itself.”

Cary said the major thing people should keep in mind when

designing an outdoor kitchen is simply the way they cook and entertain.

There’s no shortage of design ideas for outdoor kitchens available on the internet, or advice more advice for putting them together. Cost estimates for the majority of outdoor kitchens range from $5,000 to $50,000, with $15,000 to $25,000 considered the norm. HGTV suggests that homeowners try to incorporate some architectural elements of their home into the addition; choose low-maintenance materials and cooking equipment that can withstand the elements; get the most out of the new space by providing for partial cover and heating; and recognize the need for things like utility lines, lighting and entertainment from the start so they don’t have to be squeezed in later.

While TV cooking shows are often credited with driving kitchen remodeling and design projects, Ultra Modern’s Dillon thinks it’s home remodeling shows that are influencing outdoor kitchens.

“You just see it on TV all the time, on all the DIY shows, they’re always breaking into people’s backyards and building kitchens,” Dillon said. “It’s kind of caught on, I guess.”

G.J. MCCARTHY Dallas Morning News

The outdoor cooking area at chef Kent Rathbun’s home in Dallas.

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THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

BY ANNIE CALOVICH

acalovich@wichitaeagle.com

hen Sharon Pedroja and her husband, Bob, moved to a patio home last year, the master gardener left behind a house in Crown Heights where she’d gardened for 43 years for a simpler setup.

She didn’t realize when they picked out their new house that the front faced north — “the first time I’ve ever faced north in my life” — so that meant more shade. And the soil in the east-side yard turned out to be yellow clay. Pedroja had wanted to switch to lower-maintenance plants anyway, so she’s forged ahead into containers for portable, easy-care gardening.

And she’s not just going with annuals, the usual ingredients in pots. She’s putting a lot of perennials in them and simply leaving them outside over the winter. Most of them have popped back fresh this spring.

Pedroja had plenty of perennials in the ground at her old house that needed dividing anyway, so she brought divisions with her to plant in pots.

Fall-blooming sedums were dug up out of the ground and put in hanging hay racks, for example.

“It’s an opportunity to start over,” Pedroja says. “I’m doing less annuals and more perennials and thinking about what makes it simpler in the long run without losing the appearance you want to have. It’s been fun.

It’s kind of invigorating after being in the same place for 43 years.”

W

EASY-CARE BASKETS FOR SUN AND SHADE Pedroja uses hanging baskets to frame a door or add a pop of color even in midair — hanging from a hook attached to the deck. The hanging baskets often hold annuals.

Even there, Pedroja tries to get easy-care ones that have a lot of pop, such as Vista Bubblegum supertunia petunias. She puts them in both hanging baskets and in the ground.

“They’re ever-blooming.”

For hanging baskets that

MIKE HUTMACHER The Wichita Eagle

Blue pots and a fountain are a centerpiece on the back patio.

Gardner can hardly contain her enthusiasm don’t need much water, try rose moss.

She’s having to do her front hanging baskets differently because they’ll be in the shade.

“I’m thinking I’ll use some pretty coleus varieties and a

begonia or two. They’ll be able to take the shade and still be bright.”

PERENNIALS IN POTS In a tall, narrow, red pot alongside the garage, she has

placed mandevilla and sticks of redtwig dogwood, which is such a forgiving plant that it is sprouting leaves on its cut branches stuck in the pot.

Three of her clematis pots “are spectacular. And one is

loaded with buds. I really like having them in pots. Some have been in there three or four years, and they’re just terrific.”

She always puts pots on the stairs leading up to the front door, and this year, she had

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

Outdoor Living

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Perennials in pots over the winter “Hen and chickens made it through the winter. A huge hosta made it through the winter, bless its heart. I tend to do things that don’t take a lot of maintenance,” said master gardener Sharon Pedroja.

Over winter, “I don’t do a thing to them. I just leave them out. I try to put a little leaf mulch on them, but I didn’t. Even in the really bad winters, maybe it’s like five years for some of these clematis.”

MIKE HUTMACHER The Wichita Eagle

Succulents survived the winter in a strawberry pot.

MIKE HUTMACHER The Wichita Eagle

The colors of pot, flowers and foliage make a pleasing whole.

MIKE HUTMACHER The Wichita Eagle

Hostas do well in pots as well as in the ground.

For best certainty of getting a plant through the winter in a pot, choose those that are hardy two zones colder than Wichita, which is in Zone 6, so that would mean a plant that is hardy to at least Zone 4.

Pedroja intends to press her luck with others that like it warmer; if they die, she’ll replace them with something else.

Benefits of container gardening You can move them around. When one plant wasn’t getting enough sun, Pedroja simply moved the pot.

You can corral plants that otherwise are invasive if planted in the ground.

You can put a pop of color wherever you want — even if that’s midair — by putting hanging baskets on hooks attached to decks or stuck into flower beds or hanging from trees.

When hail threatens, you can move the pots indoors. You can also try covering plants in the ground with buckets, empty pots or outdoor furniture — whatever’s at hand.

Tip for a wide garage While Sharon Pedroja’s last house was a cottage and provided a natural backdrop to a cottage garden, her new, modern house is rather dominated by the garage. Her first year in the house, she flanked the garage with large urns, until she got a tip from Shawnee County extension agent Jamie Kidd about wide garages: Put the color where you want the eye to go; don’t balance the two sides of the garage. It’s like looking at a television set.

“Make your garage door plain; paint your front door red,” Kidd gives as an example. Use dull greens around the garage so you don’t draw attention to it, she says.

MIKE HUTMACHER The Wichita Eagle

Turns out clematis do well in pots, even overwintering outside.

decided to do hostas. But then she decided she needed some height, too, so “I put Solomon’s seal in a pot. ... I saw them at Hong’s — they have a lot of Solomon’s seal in pots. ... Architecturally, it was just really attractive. Hostas tend to be pretty low, and I thought that would give me something upright on the steps.”

While she’s had success with hostas and clematis in pots, she’s branching out this year with these individual plants and combinations:

A Coreopsis

plus helenium for flowers that bloom into autumn A Azalea A Invasive red-stemmed penstemon, a bright pink dianthus and a scabiosa with variegated foliage and dark pink blooms A Asters to attract more butterflies, in addition to a potted butterfly bush A Gaura Annie Calovich: 316-268-6596, @anniecalovich

Pedroja is putting the bulk of her color to the side of the garage that’s toward the front door, so people look there rather than at the garage. ...........................................................................................................................................

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Summer garden tours Master gardeners garden tour, featuring eight home gardens, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 3 and June 4, noon to 4 p.m. June 5; $10; sedgwick.ksu.edu.

College Hill historical, architectural and garden tour, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 11, the four blocks of North Belmont between Douglas and Central; $6, children under 12 free; tickets will be for sale at each intersection during the tour.

North Riverside Garden Stroll, tour of five gardens, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 18; $5 tickets will be for sale at Johnson’s Garden Centers, Seasonal Decorating at 2828 W. 13th St., and at the tour gardens on the day of the tour: 1402 N. Garland, 1530 W. 20th St., 1919 N. Payne, 1435 N. Woodland and 1415 N. Salina.

Kansas Pond Society pond tour, June 18 and 19; $10 per car; ticket-maps will be for sale at garden centers starting around Memorial Day; kansaspondsociety.org.

— ANNIE CALOVICH ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

Backyard gaming: Adapt indoor games for outdoor play IF YOU PLAN TO CREATE TWISTER, BE SURE YOU USE GROUND-MARKING SPRAY SO YOU WON’T HURT THE GRASS.

BY AMY GEISZLER-JONES

Eagle correspondent

What’s a party without games? If you’re using your outdoor spaces for entertaining, consider replicating some indoor games for outdoor play or creating ones specifically for outdoor fun.

That’s what Wichitan Patricia Konyha did when she was hosting family and friends for her wedding last May. “I had quite a few people coming in from out of state, and I wanted to have things for them to do outside,” she said. She and her family used the games several more times as they entertained over the summer.

Konyha decided to create two do-it-yourself backyard games, both of which replicated games that her family loves playing indoors: the building-block game Jenga and the dice game Yahtzee. The basic supplies for both are lumber to create oversized game pieces.

“It didn’t take much more money than a regular game costs,” she said. “You just have to put your time into making it.”

The Jenga game was the easiest to create, said Konyha, guessing that she spent a few hours making the building blocks.

All it basically takes is 2x4inch boards, cut into pieces measuring 10 1/2 inches. It takes nine 8-foot-long boards to get the 54 Jenga pieces. At most major home improvement stores, the cost of one board is less than $2.50. Konyha took the extra time and used a rotary saw to round the edges of her cut pieces. Remember to sand the cut edges. Some DIY sites suggest also painting the edges for a prettier look.

“You just need to make sure you sight the 2x4s,” Konyha advised, when purchasing the boards. That means making sure

PATRICIA KONYHA Courtesy photo

Patricia Konyha built backyard games, including Jenga, for guests to play last summer.

each board is as straight as it can be, because you don’t want crooked pieces messing up the building-block tower.

She and her family also discovered the game wasn’t suitable for very young children for a couple of reasons: One, the tower was too high for shorter kids to reach; two, the blocks

could be rather heavy when they toppled.

“Make sure they’re not in the vicinity when it starts falling because they might get hurt,” Konyha said. Adults have an easier time bolting from the area, especially when there’s outdoor space to run.

The Yahtzee project was more

time-consuming than Konyha thought so she drafted some of her visitors into helping woodburn the dots into the dice pieces. A less time-consuming way to create the dots would be to use a Sharpie or paint with a stencil to create the dots on the dice, she said, in hindsight.

To create the Yahtzee dice,

she used one 4x4-inch board that was 8 feet long. She made a jig (a custom-made tool or device that can help with spacing or measuring) to make each 3 1/2-inch-square die. Yahtzee requires a set of six dice, but she ended up with enough to make 24 dice, so she gave three sets away to visitors.

She created large score sheets and handed out clipboards for scoring. A mop bucket served as the container to shake and roll the dice onto the grass.

Konyha isn’t finished replicating indoor games for her outdoor space.

“The one game I’d really like to try is Twister where you just paint the dots onto the grass,” she said.

If you plan to create Twister, be sure you use ground-marking spray so you won’t hurt the grass. Online tutorials say to use a string line to keep the lines straight, and cut a hole in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket to create symmetrical circles. You can also expand the number of lines of red, green, blue and yellow circles from the traditional board game, depending on the number of guests.

There are plenty of online tutorials to create other backyard games, like the popular cornhole bean-bag toss game, a version of Skee-ball, ring toss and more. One simple game for kids is a marble race game: Cut a pool noodle in half, elevate one end and let the marbles slide to the finish line.

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

Courtesy photo

Sunflowers make superior cut flowers for pennies a plant.

Sunflowers bring bursts of color, birds to your yard

BY MAUREEN GILMER

Tribune News Service

For less than $10, a renter can plant a summer festival of blooms that transforms your yard into a colorful pollinator heaven.

Anyone with a small patch of ground will find growing this plant from seed a most rewarding first garden. What is this great annual plant that is at once a North American native wildflower, a food source and a cutting flower? It is the sunflower.

This flower is well known to a wide range of native bee species as well as honeybees. After pollination, flowers fade and seeds form, allowing songbirds to perch upon the drying stalks, pecking seeds out of the disk-like centers.

Sunflowers come in all sizes,

from mammoth ones that tower above fences to smaller and more ornamental varieties for the garden. Colors range from the standard sunflower to browns and reds and oranges. They are cheap and easy to start from seed. Most will bloom in 90- to 110-day plants.

May is a good time to plant sunflowers. For best results, choose locations where you can improve the soil with compost and manure, because sunflowers are all heavy feeders. Compost also helps improve drainage and water-holding capacity depending on your soil type.

For a few dollars, turn your yard into pollinator heaven, but later, the birds will come to extract those seeds for great entertainment long after the color is gone.

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THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

FERNANDO SALAZAR The Wichita Eagle

Aaron Underwood raises chickens in the backyard of his south Wichita home. He lets them roam the yard at least once a week, counting on them to eat bugs.

Backyard chickens F seem to be on the rise

BY JOE STUMPE

Eagle correspondent

orget Fido. Pussycat’s passe. The hippest pet going these days is a two-legged creature that doubles as food producer: the chicken.

And not just for folks who live in the country, or on the edge of it. Although there are no statistics available, anecdotal evidence suggests that more Wichitans are raising chickens in an urban setting than ever.

“I did not realize so many people keep them,” said Lacey Hansen, a College Hill resident

whose three chickens, clad in scarves, appeared in her family’s Christmas card photo. “We know several people in this neighborhood who have them, and then we have friends in Riverside who keep them, too.”

If the friends treat them like the Hansens, there are some happy chickens out there.

“These are three of the most spoiled chickens you’ll ever meet,” Hansen said of her family’s birds. “They have just become total pets.”

But they are pets that lay eggs, often called nature’s perfect food source.

“We pretty much have (eggs) three days a week for dinner,”

Hansen said.

In Wichita, city regulations allow residents to have up to three chickens without a permit.

A permit costs $25 a year and allows a household to keep up to a dozen hens. Roosters are not allowed in the city limits, although there are probably few residents of certain neighborhoods who haven’t heard one crowing.

“We get chicken questions all the time,” said Brandon Hall, licensing supervisor for the city of Wichita. The number of permits has been creeping up in recent years and now stands at 95.

Jeremy Johnson of Johnson’s

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THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

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THEY’RE FUN, THEY’RE GENTLE, THEY HAVE PERSONALITIES. THEY FOLLOW US AROUND THE YARD. THEY BEG WHEN THEY KNOW WE’RE BRINGING THEM TREATS. Lacey Hansen, a College Hill resident who has three chickens

FERNANDO SALAZAR The Wichita Eagle

“I would say try it,” Wichitan Aaron Underwood said of raising chickens. “If you do some research and pay attention, it’s awesome.”

Garden Center said he’s also noticed an uptick in sales of chicks at his family’s stores.

“We seem to have more interest this spring and sold them through quicker than we have in the past,” he said.

Books and websites such as backyardchickens.com are devoted to the topic. The local food movement is probably the biggest factor inspiring people to raise chickens, although the economy may play a role, too.

“I’m all about self-sufficiency,” said Wichita musician Aaron Underwood, who installed chickens in his south Wichita backyard 1 1/2 years ago.

“These chickens lay plenty of eggs. And I really like animals.”

Chickens are relatively cheap to buy and feed. Baby chicks were going for 49 cents apiece on Sunday at one local farm store. Full-grown hens ready to lay eggs cost about $12 to $15. A

‘‘

I’M ALL ABOUT SELF-SUFFICIENCY. THESE CHICKENS LAY PLENTY OF EGGS. AND I REALLY LIKE ANIMALS. Aaron Underwood, who installed chickens in his south Wichita backyard 1 1/2 years ago good layer will produce 200 to 300 eggs a year at her peak, somewhere around $60 worth of eggs at current retail price, for perhaps two years.

But there is an initial capital investment required. Chickens require places to nest, roost, scratch and roll around in the dirt. They also must be protected from urban predators such as possum and foxes. Store-bought coops start at around $200, with the additional feeders, waterers and other necessary accessories

costing perhaps $100 more.

Underwood made his own, converting the back of his garage into a coop and building runs out of PVC pipe, 2-by-4s and scrap wire. For his security, Underwood set up a live trap.

He’s already caught and released eight possum.

Chickens produce something else valuable: fertilizer. Last summer, Underwood grew a big garden. He’d feed his chickens extra cucumbers from it.

“They in turn made compost

for my garden,” he said.

Underwood lets his chicken roam the yard at least once a week, counting on them to eat bugs. “They’re good at foraging,” he said. “The more you ‘free range’ them, the darker the (egg) yolks. Those are the ones that taste the best.”

Comparing the yolks’ color to that of store-bought eggs, Underwood said: “Mine are orange.

They’ll match your orange juice.

And the taste, it’s amazing the difference.”

Underwood and other chicken keepers note that chickens will quickly denude an area of vegetation. Some people move coops around to try to prevent that from happening.

There are other differences between backyard chickens and the ones that find their way into supermarkets, some of which these days weigh 6 to 7 pounds.

Underwood’s biggest chicken –

named “Big Red” – weighs about 4 pounds. His smallest, a Polish Blue called “Dawn” because of her blond streak, weighs about half that. “They’re not these big, bloated birds shot full of steroids,” he said.

Economic and health concerns aside, Underwood says he also just enjoys the birds.

“They really remind me of dinosaurs – the scaly feet, the head-bobbing thing,” he said.

“They have a definite pecking order. After you watch them enough, you can get who’s the boss.”

In his own flock, it’s little Dawn who’s the most aggressive.

Underwood said his neighbors like his chickens, too, especially their children, who throw vegetables to the birds over the fence.

“I would say try it,” Underwood said of anybody thinking of raising chickens. “If you do some research and pay attention, it’s awesome.”

Hansen feels the same way.

She said getting chickens was actually the idea of her husband, Kenton, and son, Judah.

“They’re fun, they’re gentle, they have personalities,” she said of the chickens. “They follow us around the yard. They beg when they know we’re bringing them treats.”

“As a family, we find ourselves out in the backyard together, unplugged and playing with our chickens.”

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THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

This moose made of discarded metals was created by Derold and Cindy Becker of Tadpole Creek Creations.

Kansas couple turn cast-off parts into artful metal

BY MATT RIEDL

mriedl@wichitaeagle.com

When Derold and Cindy Becker see gears, nuts and bolts, they don’t think of machinery.

They think of moose, dogs, elephants, alligators and other animals.

The Beckers own Tadpole

Creek Creations, a studio near rural Belmont in Kingman County that creates yard art by welding together old metal parts.

Their shop, which sits a mere 100 feet from their front door, is littered with rebar, metal bolts, old shovel heads and a cornucopia of other objects.

Derold Becker previously

Derold and Cindy Becker own Tadpole Creek Creations, a studio near rural Belmont in Kingman County where they create yard art by welding together old metal parts.

worked in construction — mainly doing framing work for other builders. But when the economy tanked in 2008, it took a little creative thinking on his part to

survive.

“Initially we sat around for a few months thinking building’s going to come back — people need houses — but after six

months went by and we started running through savings, we just felt we needed to do something until the building did come back,” he said.

The Beckers began sculpting wood trellises, arbors and similar projects before graduating to metalworking.

Their business has picked up since 2008, and now creating metal yard art is their full-time job.

“We do put in a lot of hours — maybe not much more than somebody would on a normal job during the week, but during the weekends we always have shows,” Derold Becker said.

The Beckers have traveled to exhibit their artwork as far away as Brookings, S.D., and Albuquerque, N.M. One of their most popular pieces — a metal cutout of the Keeper of the Plains — is in stock at various Wichita retailers, including Bella Luz and the Mid-America All-Indian Center.

To create the Keeper piece, the Beckers had to get licensed by the estate of Blackbear Bosin, who created the original Keeper, Derold Becker said.

“Wichita loves those,” he said, referring to the Keeper cutouts.

The art the Beckers create can cost anywhere from $20 to hundreds of dollars for the larger pieces.

They are sensitive to pictures of their artwork being put online, for fear that others will plagiarize their ideas.

“Maybe you should be excited that they want to do it too, but … it is something we do for a living,” Cindy Becker said.

Because it is made of metal, it will eventually rust in the yard after years of exposure to the elements.

Derold Becker’s advice for those who don’t like the “rust patina”?

Keep the art sprayed down regularly with enamel clearcoat.

To see where the Beckers will be exhibiting, visit Tadpole Creek Creations’ website at www.tadpolecreekcreations .com.

Matt Riedl: 316-268-6660, @RiedlMatt

THE WICHITA EAGLE

SUNDAY MAY 15 2016 KANSAS.COM

Outdoor Living

Salmon-colored geraniums like this Patriot Slamon Chic offer the opportunity to design elegant containers. In addition to the geranium, this container features Stained Glassworks Copper coleus and Outback Fan Blue scaevola.

COURTESY PHOTO Tribune

Geraniums help create impressive, colorful containers

BY NORMAN WINTER

Tribune News Service

You have to admit, there is a lot to love about the geranium.

Their flower stalks give a most impressive show, great for landscape and designer-like containers with a beauty that almost defies logic.

As gardeners, I challenge you to bring out your artistic nature when creating this year’s floral containers, turning them into real masterpieces.

One color that always amazes me in the garden is salmon.

Salmon or even apricot is such an incredible color to work with.

It’s like having an orange that is not flaming but soft and elegant.

It is a rare color that has the ability to warm when it is cool or cool where it is sultry.

Patriot Salmon Chic looks like it was created for the royal garden, particularly in combination with a deep, dark copper-colored coleus. The deep copper color was a great partner with the salmon. But it was the addition of the blue Outback Fan scaevola that provided the finishing touch as a most wonderful complement in the container.

With Memorial Day just around the corner, we also have the opportunity to kick off the summer with red, white and blue, using geraniums. Try a mixed

planting of red geraniums, like Patriot Deep Red and Techno White lobelia, add blue petunias and you can have a container that will be patriotic from Memorial Day through the Fourth of July.

Part of the appeal of these mixed containers is that they allow those of us with cementlike soil to grow beautiful geraniums with ease. Just follow these tips: A Provide good drainage – The container must drain freely. This means you may have to drill a hole in the bottom of the pot.

A Use quality potting mix – Look at the premium brands sold by the cubic foot or yard. Even though they are larger, they are lighter and airy, and most have controlled-release fertilizer to help get the plants off to a good start.

A Feed frequently – Geraniums are heavy feeders. Use a diluted, water-soluble fertilizer like a 20-20-20 every two weeks or with a granular, controlled-released fertilizer every four to six weeks.

A Deadhead correctly – When it is time to deadhead old flowers, don’t just clip the cluster. Pinch or break off the flower stalk at the base.

Geranium season is here, and I hope you will create some dazzling containers.

Summertime is FUN TIME at

Mark your calendar for our

32nd Annual Walk With Wildlife!

Saturday, June 11

GPNC : 6232 E. 29th Street North | Wichita KS 67220 | 316.683.5499 Open 9 – 5 Monday – Saturday (Owl’s Nest Gift Shop Open 10 – 4)

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