Tour Information

On the last day of the 2023 Big Kansas Road Trip in Jewell, Republic and Smith counties, Marci Penner of the Kansas Sampler Foundation announced that the 2024 Big Kansas Road Trip (BKRT) will take place in Ellsworth and Lincoln counties plus the community of Lucas on May 2-5, 2024. The BKRT is a multi-day event that feels like a tri-county open house of communities and their attractions and locally-owned shops and restaurants, and it’s a time to travel back roads and take in short activities that help locals tell their story. Penner said, “All we ask is that communities be good at being themselves. The public seeks first-hand experiences in our rural communities to get to know them as they are and this event delivers exactly that.” "We decided to pare down to two counties after hearing from BKRT participants that there were just too many miles to navigate with three counties," Penner explained. "Adding Lucas (Russell County) made sense because it's the end point of the Post Rock Scenic Byway that goes through the other two counties, starting in Wilson." A few highlights on next year's BKRT are Mushroom Rock State Park, Fort Harker Guardhouse Museum (Kanopolis) and the World's Largest Czech Egg in Ellsworth County; Crispin Drug Store Museum (Lincoln), Historic Denmark Church, and Flyboy Brewery & Eats (Sylvan Grove) in Lincoln County, the Postrock Capital of Kansas; and the Garden of Eden, the Grassroots Art Center, and Brant's Meat Market in Lucas, the grassroots art capital of Kansas. Penner said, "It's hard to describe the explorer-y attributes of our 2024 locations by listing a few places. The thrill is in the Smoky Hill region scenery, hiking at Kanopolis state park and backroad touring that takes you over historic bridges, by limestone structures, cemeteries and into small towns. It's the fun of the unexpected things you'll find in the museums and noticing the attributes of architectural structures. It's where you'll learn about cowtown, early military and pioneer history. The many locally-owned eateries and stores will introduce you to local culture. First-hand rural experiences abound." The mission of the Kansas Sampler Foundation is to preserve and sustain rural culture. For more information on the BKRT, go to bigkansasroadtrip.com.