Two Kansas Small Towns for an Idyllic Midwest Road Trip

25.09.2024 - 14:41 / matadornetwork.com

For those of us who travel to hear stories, it’s hard to beat small Midwestern towns. Everyone, everywhere, has a story to tell, but Midwest folks take the time to tell you theirs.

On a recent road trip through two small towns in the southeast corner of Kansas, Pittsburg and Humboldt, I heard from a man whose great-great-grandparents came to the state on a covered wagon. I spoke with Pittsburg State University alumni who were thankful to be raising their kids in their college town. I heard the story of how Humboldt was transformed by one man and his trailer hitch. I learned how socialism, labor unions, the Civil War, the Underground Railroad, and a vegetarian movement all touched small Kansas towns.

Of course, small towns hold more than just stories. There are adventures to be had, delicious food to eat, and gorgeous sights to behold. Pittsburg and Humboldt are proof of that.

Photo: Jennifer Vandenberg

Pittsburg lies 150 miles east of Wichita, the largest city in Kansas and where I started my road trip, nearly to the Missouri border. It’s a town that’s been able to do what many American small towns wish they could do: constantly renew itself. Four generations ago, Pittsburg was a coal-mining town, full of hard workers and labor union activists. The coal is long gone, but the population never dwindled. Now, hard workers are renovating storefronts in the historic downtown district, artists are covering the town with vibrant murals, and university students infuse new life into the town every single school year.

“We’re used to welcoming a new crop of students every year,” says Sarah Runyon, a community development specialist for the city and graduate of Pittsburg State University, “and that translates to visitors, as well.”

I spent a day exploring Pittsburg, starting with a walk through leafy Lincoln Park. A river winds through the park’s rolling hills, and its amenities are plentiful. There are pickleball courts, Bocce courts, and a disc-golf course. On weekends, a kiddie amusement park with carousels and spinning tea cups opens for tots. An aquatic center sits at the southern end of the park, and the Four Oaks Golf Course sprawls out to the north. A tree-lined RV park and tent camping for cross country cyclists sits just beyond the golf course.

Photo: Jennifer Vandenberg

I grabbed an Italian panini to-go from The Blue Spoon, a food truck that recently expanded into a storefront downtown, and brought it to the park for an early alfresco lunch. Then I headed downtown to peruse the shops and admire the murals.

My favorite shop was The Literary Cat Co. where a variety of cats wind between stacks of books and patrons’ legs. Dozens of cat perches meld well with book displays. I also popped into The White Elephant