🌾 Kansas: The Heartland of America 🗺️

The Great Plains of the American Midwest are perfect for farming – mile after mile, state after state, it’s all farmland. To avoid just casually claiming I “visited” Kansas, I had to find a few actual spots to check out (and of course, get those NPS stamps!). Driving solo all day while listening to podcasts is basically introvert travel heaven 😌🎧. 📍 The Geographic Center of the United States Located near Lebanon, Kansas. There’s not much to do here except take a photo and say you’ve been – but hey, that counts! 📸 📍 Nicodemus National Historic Site A historic Black town established after the Civil War, now mostly abandoned. The town hall and other buildings are preserved by the National Park Service. This place symbolizes the courage of Black Americans seeking freedom and opportunity after emancipation. You can watch a video and see exhibits inside the old town hall. 🏛️✊ 📍 Fort Larned National Historic Site Before highways, the Santa Fe Trail connected Missouri to New Mexico. Fort Larned was a military post that offered protection and rest to travelers – mainly from Native American raids. After railroads took over, the fort was abandoned in the 1870s. Today, you can walk through the well-preserved buildings. One row is now a museum tracing the fort’s history from Indigenous times to today. 🏜️⚔️ And while we’re nearby – let’s talk Nebraska! 🌽 📍 Homestead National Historical Park “Homestead” refers to the Homestead Act of 1862, which encouraged Western expansion. For just $10, any adult could claim up to 160 acres (650,000 m²). If they farmed it for 5 years, the land was theirs. Over 100 years, 270 million acres (almost 3 Californias!) changed from government to private hands. The park sits on the Nebraska-Kansas border. The visitor center has excellent exhibits tracing the Act’s legacy. One of the cabins here is even featured on the Nebraska state quarter! 🪙🏡 📍 Lincoln, NE I stayed a night in Nebraska’s capital. The downtown and Haymarket areas are vibrant with nightlife – a huge contrast to the quiet farmlands along the drive. 🌃🍻 #Kansas #Nebraska #RoadTrip #USHistory #NationalParks #HeartlandUSA #SoloTravel #NPS