Late this summer my kids and I went on an action-packed road trip to KANSAS! We wanted an affordable road trip to a midwest destination that we’ve never been to but has many hidden gems – and we discovered many in Kansas!

Kansas is just a few states away from Minnesota, but you can get there from the Twin Cities in one day’s drive. What’s great is that it’s pretty direct taking I-35 straight to Kansas City, then I-70 west from there to Topeka.

We chose to take two days to get down there – we made the 4-hour drive from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to Des Moines for one night, and then drove to Topeka the next day, where we arrived by about 1pm. 

There’s actually a TON of stuff to do throughout the state of Kansas, which would surprise many people because Kansas is often thought of just a flat state or “flyover country.” Even to me, growing up in the midwest myself, Kansas didn’t seem like as much of a destination, but more of a place to stop on the way “to” somewhere. But after actually spending 5 very busy days there, just in one part of the state, and going to a media event showcasing all of what Kansas has to offer, I can tell you for certain: PUT KANSAS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST! I’m so glad we did, because my kids and I had a BLAST. 

In fact, because there’s so much to see in Kansas, we had to narrow our trip just to the northeast area, on and around I-70, which is closest to our home state of Minnesota. We visited four cities: Topeka, Wamego, Manhattan, and Abilene, which are all not far from each other. And to be honest – we had an action-packed trip, and had one full day in each city, but even then, barely saw as much as we wanted to! Still, I’m excited to share with you our epic trip to northeast (and part of northcentral) Kansas, and I hope can you plan a similar trip with your family!

Note: My kids at the time of this trip were 14 and 11, and everything we did on this trip was perfect for their ages. There are places like children’s museums and great playgrounds in these cities as well, if you have younger kids.  [Read more…]

I just got back from an amazing trip to Bismarck, North Dakota. If you haven’t traveled there, I highly recommend it! There’s so much for all ages – kids, families, couples, singles, groups – and I’m so excited to share my discoveries with you!

Bismarck is the state capital, and is actually part of the Bismarck-Mandan metropolitan area, which has a total population of about 130,000 people. It’s big enough to offer lots of things to do and see, but small enough that you can easily find your way around. It actually reminds me of my hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, which combined with its neighbor, Superior, Wisconsin, is about that size.

The Missouri River runs through Bismarck, so there’s actually quite a bit of water recreation in the area, in addition to the wide open spaces North Dakota is known for. And it’s beautiful! (But I’ll get to that…)

Bismarck is about 6 hours from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, which makes it ideal for a family road trip…that is, one that’s not super far away, but is far enough away that you feel like you’re in a different world. 

And there is so much for families, but I’m listing my top 12 here! I wrote this list after visiting the area with a group of amazing travel bloggers, and with input from the visitors bureau and friends who live in the area, to make sure it’s a well-rounded list!

Disclosure: The Bismarck-Mandan Convention & Visitors Bureau hosted me for my visit, but all opinions are 100% mine.

12 Must-See Attractions for Families Visiting Bismarck, North Dakota

1. North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum

The North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum is a must-see because it’s North Dakota’s largest museum and it’s FREE! Here you can see fossils, history and even a REAL MUMMIFIED DINOSAUR! 

This totally FREE museum has enough stuff to see to fill up a full day. It’s located on the state capitol grounds right in central Bismarck, and is open year-round (except major U.S. holidays). 

The most popular feature of this museum is probably the dinosaur fossils, dug up right here in North Dakota. You can find these right away when you enter and in the Adaptation Gallery: Geologic Time. You can see life-sized casts of a T-rex, Triceratops, elephant-like mammals, underwater creatures and other animals going back millions of years, and kids can play with interactive games and features. 

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I am still blown away.

My kids and I recently got back from a weekend stay at the New Day Dairy GuestBarn in Clarksville, Iowa. It’s about 3-1/2 hours south of the Twin Cities, so it’s a perfect distance for a little getaway. And we had the BEST time!

The New Day Dairy GuestBarn is owned by Dan & Lynn Bolin, and they live with their 3 kids on a house near the barn. They originally did live in the GuestBarn, and then renovated it a couple years ago when they moved out to their house. Since the beginning it was designed with the goal of being turned into a guest space, and for the past 2 years it has been becoming one of the most unique destinations for families and groups year-round. 

Included with stays are tours of the barn, and other possible add-ons like the “Be a Dairy Farmer Challenge.” It’s designed to be a truly immersive dairy farm experience, and there are many ways to fill your time there.

We were invited to visit and write about our stay, and we were super excited to go so we headed down on a Friday in March for 2 nights!

Disclosure: We were provided with a complimentary stay in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.

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