Kansas is home to a lot of fun museums, and it has been a while since we featured one on the podcast. So, today, we are going to learn about the Motorcycle Museum in St Francis.

For those of you with an Uncovering Kansas Travel Journal, you’ll find it on page 188. And you can follow along across Highway 36, documenting the things you see, people you meet, and places you love to eat and stay though page 194.
If you haven’t been to northwest Kansas, I encourage you to plan some time to go explore. As Scott says, each of the towns along highway 36 has something interesting to see.

I’ve got a favorite memory from our overnight stay in Oberlin Kansas. We got into town around dinnertime, and as is our MO, we asked the locals for recommendations of places to eat. Someone recommended the American Legion because they had a great happy hour special. Neither of us are veterans, so we assumed we couldn’t eat there. Turns out, you don’t have to be a veteran to partake. I’m not sure if this is true of all American Legions, or something the locals decide. Anyway, we walk in, and as you would expect in a small town, the moment we stepped inside, everyone knew we were strangers – or should I say visitors – to town. And, in case you are wondering – they did have great happy hour specials!


St. Francis Motorcycle Museum website

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

• What is the St Francis Motorcycle Museum?
• What is Biketember Fest?
• How did the St Francis Motorcycle Museum get started?

  
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What would it be like to integrate the arts into a thriving and sustainable rural community? This is the question that drove my guest today to create the School for Rural Culture and Creativity in Mattfield Green.

I’m talking with Matthew Regier, an artist, homesteader, and co-founder of the School. Our conversation is wide ranging – talking art, religion, rural culture, homesteading, and how all of these things come together in rural communities. 

One of my favorite things to do is talk to someone who has a very different life experience than mine. I learn so much from these conversations. It is always valuable to see the world through someone else’s eyes and by doing that you also learn something about the filter through which how you see the world.

In a lot of ways, Matthew and I couldn’t be any more different from each other, and I really appreciated our conversation because it took me far outside of the filter through which I live day-to-day and gave me a lot to think about.

Show Notes:
The School for Rural Culture and Creativity
Matthew Regier – Matthew’s website
Land Institute

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Kansas is full of very interesting people and my guest today is probably at the top of the list. I’m talking with Vincent Rodiguez, a coffee roaster, chocolate maker, and bicycle manufacture based in Lenexa. I’m taking you to coffee and chocolate school with Vincent.

One of the things I took away from my conversation with Vincent is that when we are curious and want to learn about something, it can take us to interesting places. We shouldn’t worry about being the best at something – we should only worry about whether or not we are learning something.

Vincent’s life philosophy is an inspiration to me, and I hope you feel the same.

Show Notes:
Maps Coffee and Chocolate website
Maps Instagram
Maps Facebook
Kansas Breweries and Distilleries episode
Kansas wineries episode
Unbound Gravel episode

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

• How to roast coffee
• How to make chocolate
• What is craft chocolate?
• What is production chocolate?
• How roasting coffee and chocolate are different
• The difference between chocolatiers and chocolate maker
• What is lecithin and how is it used in chocolate

​How to Support the Podcast:
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Today, I’m talking with Joseph Shephard from Lead for America, a national organization founded by a Kansan and headquartered in Wichita. Lead for America’s tag line is Start Where You Live – and of course I have to learn more about any organization that is trying to keep Kansans in Kansas. 

I thought this episode was going to be about Lead for America, but it is just as much about highlighting a young Kansan who is out there every day doing work that makes a difference for Kansas and our nation.

Kansas is lucky to call my guest a Kansan. Although he wasn’t born here, he has fully embraced us and is making a difference in our state. If you leave this episode without being inspired, I’ll be very surprised. Joseph’s story is one of overcoming challenges and odds, being supported by a community, and taking all of this and turning into the best possible version of himself.

Sit back and be ready to learn a ton from my guest today. 

Show Notes:
Lead for America website
Director of National Service – Scott McFarland
Director of Recruitment – Meghan Carver
 Dodge City episode

How to Support the Podcast:
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You may have noticed that this month’s episode is a little shorter than normal. That’s because it didn’t start out as an episode. The Kansas Turnpike Authority contacted us about doing a public service announcement about a change they are making in July. They want to get the word out and thought our podcast would be a good avenue for that.
 
So, the plan was to record the PSA and then include it in the introduction of a couple of episodes. But, at the end of the conversation I had with Steve Hewitt, the CEO of the KTA, I thought it was such an interesting conversation that it should be its own episode. And, so here we are.
This month, you are going to learn about the upcoming change to our turnpike system – we are going cashless in Kansas – but you’ll also get a bit of the behind the scenes of how the turnpike system works. 

Show Notes:
Kansas Turnpike website
Cashless Tolling website
 BoredRoom Blues (song by Geoff)

 
What You’ll Learn in this Episode

• Kansas Turnpike is moving to cashless payments in July 2024
• History of the Kansas Turnpike
• Behind the scenes of the Kansas Turnpike
• 
  

 
 
How to Support the Podcast:
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In today’s episode, I’m talking with Conner Hampton, Executive Director of Flagship Kansas Tech, an organization who’s mission is to propel the tech sector within the state through continuous efforts in awareness, education, and the workforce.  

Show Notes:
Flagship Kansas website
Ad Astra Summit website
Episode: Goodland Tech
Dare to do Dirt - podcast with Rolf Potts and Marci Penner
​
What You’ll Learn in this Episode

• About the mission of Flagship Kansas
  
• About the state of technology in the Kansas education system
  
• About the Ad Astra conference
  

In my day job, I’ve been working in the software industry for going on 10 years, and so when I hear business incubator, my mind immediately pictures a room full of developers in hoodies with headphones on typing away in the dark at a computer. 
But today, you and I are going to learn about a different type of business incubator in Kansas - a business incubator for wineries.
We also talk with a couple who have recently started their own vineyard and are working with the incubator to launch their first wines. 
You are going to learn a lot about the Kansas Wine industry in this episode!

Show Notes:
456 Winery
Valley Trails Winery Facebook Page
Highland Community College Viticulture and Enology program

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

• About the emerging wine industry in Kansas
• About a business incubator that focuses on incubating wineries
• The types of grapes that grow well in Kansas
• The difference between viticulture and enology

How to Support the Podcast:

• Tell a friend about us
• Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite app
• Follow us onInstagram or Facebook
• Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 
• Send us a recommendation for an episode

You can listen to Geoffrey's song "Bored Room (aka Boardroom) Blues" that launches each episode of the Uncovering Kansas podcast on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, or YouTube.

In this episode, I’m going to take you behind the scenes to see what it is like to be responsible for the travel and tourism bureau for a city in Kansas.  My guest is Julie Roller Weeks, the Director of Abilene Convention and Visitor's Bureau.


Show Notes:
Vist Abeline website
Big Kansas Road Trip episode
Marci Penner episode
Courtland Kansas episode
Green Guitar Folk House Episode

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

• A behind the scenes look at the role of a Director of Tourism and Vistors Bureau
• That the Eisenhower Library is one of 14 Presidential Libraries  National Archives and Records Administration
• Eisenhower is the 34th president from the 34th state
• How Abilene became the home of the world’s largest belt buckle
• 
  
  
  

How to Support the Podcast:
Tell a friend about us
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Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 
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​

We are going to time travel in today’s episode. My guest, Ann Anderson is the author of Posts of a Mid-Century Kid, a memoir about 1950s and 60s Kansas.
Today’s episode is as much about our ability to be present and appreciate what we have - in all aspects of life - as it is an episode about Kansas. There are so many quotes from Ann in this episode that I would love to pull out and put on a t-shirt. I am certain that one of them will make an impression on you - leave you with goosebumps.  
Show Notes
Ann’s Website
Ann’s Facebook Page
Posts of a Mid-Centry Kid - link to Bookshop.org where you can buy the book and support a Kansas bookshop at the same time
Topeka Kansas
Lake Shawnee

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

• About Author Ann Anderson and her book Posts of a Mid-Century Kid
  
• About Topeka Kansas circa 1950s and 1960s
  
• What to do outdoors in Topeka
  
• Popular 1950s recipes
  

How to Support the Podcast:
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Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 
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​

My guest today, Joe Summers describes Guerilla Art like this - you make a thing and put it out into the world for people to find. 

Joe works with his students and children to create robot sculptures that they then take to different locations around the state and leave behind for someone to find. This episode is about Joe and his robot art program, but it turns out to be a travel episode as well because Joe covers so many Kansas towns and sites as part of his program.

Rules for leaving robot art in the world:

• At least an hour from the house
• Nobody could see you
• Drop off is a place that is arts focused
• Attach a note to them 
• Go get breakfast at a local restaurant

Get to Know a Kansan

• Linn County
• Chanute Kansas
• Lawrence Kansas
• Mass Street Soda Shop
• Lucus Kansas
• Goodland Kansas - Giant Van Gogh painting
• Original Jayhawkers

​How to Support the Podcast:
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Cottonwood Falls is a small town - population about 800 - a nationally and internationally known town for its music. The well known Symphony in the Flint Hills is based in Cottonwood Falls and so is the Opera Workshop in the Flint Hills. When you think of Kansas, opera probably isn’t in the top 10 - or even 100 - things that come to mind. 

But, thanks to my guest, Martha Sharp, people come from across the country, and even from other countries, each July to attend the Opera Workshop in the Flint Hills. In our conversation, you’ll learn about the workshop, how it is tailored to the attendees, and maybe a little bit about opera along the way.
​
We also talk about Martha’s career in Europe and her move to Kansas, which is a really interesting story as well.

Opera Workshop in the Flint Hills website
Episode 0110: Chase County Christmas
Episode 0503: Dynamic Discs
Episode 0212: Publishing in Kansas: Emanuel Haldeman-Julius
Chief Theatre in Coldwater Kansas
Granada Theatre in Emporia
Folly Theater in Kansas City
Lyric Opera in Kansas City
Disc Golf World Championship website
Girard History Museum

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

• How the Opera Workshop in the Flint Hills started
• How a small town comes together to support the Opera
• How an opera workshop helps build skills 
• How you can support Opera Workshop in the Flint Hills

How to Support the Podcast:
Tell a friend about us
Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite app
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Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 
Send us a recommendation for an episode
​