Uncovering Kansas Uncovering Kansas

Today’s episode came from a trip we made to Sabetha Kansas to have lunch at the Brick Street Furniture Company and Wine Lounge. Friend of the podcast, Kate Miller from Hiawatha recommended that we eat there. And, now I’m recommending it to you too. While we were at Brick Street, Dustin recommended to us that we take a trip 5 miles north of Sabetha to Sycamore Springs. He mentioned that they were revitalizing the skating rink and we should stop in and see it. We thought - sure - let’s check this place out. You don’t hear about skating rinks much anymore. 
So, we thought we were heading to a small little town with a skating rink. What we found was something we could have never imagined. You’ll learn more about it in this episode, where I interview Kent Grimm. 
As I say at the end of the interview - I set out to tell our listeners about this really cool place that Geoff and I found on a somewhat spare of the moment trip. But, what this episode is really about is someone who has taken on the challenge of saving a piece of history and modernizing it so that it can continue to be relevant into our future. 
 
Show Notes
Sycamore Springs White Tails Ranch website



What You’ll Learn in this Episode
What you’ll experience if you go to Sycamore Springs in Sabetha, Kansas How the Grimm family is revitalizing Sycamore Springs About Old Albany Days and threshing bee in Albany, Kansas The oldest working pipe organ in Kansas is in Albany, Kansas 


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We have been doing our format of Get To Know a Kansan for a while now, and thought it would be fun to focus an episode on the stories behind the people that have been named when we ask ‘who is your favorite Kansan from history?”
So, in this episode, I’m going to talk about the accomplishments of Amelia Earhart, John Stuart Curry, Dwight D Eisenhower, and William Stafford.
 
What You’ll Learn in this Episode
What Amelia Earhart accomplished About the impact John Stuart Curry had on the Regionalism Art Movement How many major events in American history were impacted by Dwight D Eisenhower About the impact William Stafford had on poetry in America


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:
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Monarch Watch is an internationally reaching education, conservation, and research organization dedicated to the monarch butterfly, its habitat, and its spectacular fall migration based right here in Kansas. Join Rachel in this episode where co-founder Chip Taylor takes Rachel to butterfly school.
 
Monarch Watch website
Monarch Watch Facebook page
Kansas Eco Regions
 
What You’ll Learn in this Episode
What is Monarch Watch? What is Butterfly Tagging? How Monarch Butterflies migrate Why Mexico is important to the Monarch Tagging process What makes the monarch butterfly migration unique Why milkweed is important to monarch butterflies Why it is important to plan native milkweed What is the monarch watch program? What is the Bring Back the Monarchs program? Why nectar and pollen are important to monarch butterflies Why it is important to have everyday people involved in citizen science


How to Support the Podcast:
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Did you know that Emporia Kansas is considered to be the disc golf capital of the world? I didn’t realize it until I talked with my guests Doug Bjerkaas and Jackie Morris from Dynamic Discs, an Emporia Kansas business that sells discs and other disc golf equipment and operates events for the popular sport disc golf.
I like to focus a few episodes each season on Kansas businesses that have a national impact. Kansas has a deep history of businesses that grow beyond the state and, in a lot of cases, become a household name. Ever heard of Garmin? What about White Castle? These are just 2 businesses founded in Kansas that fall into the household name category. 
Dynamic Discs also falls into this category. If you know about disc golf, then you know about Dynamic Discs - it is a household name within the sport. I didn’t realize that until earlier this year when something quite unexpected happened to me at my day job - you’ll hear more about it in the episode. 
This episode made me feel so good about the things we have going on in Kansas. The story about how Dynamic Discs grew from a dorm room start-up to an internationally known business is such an interesting story and then you throw in the community support that Dynamic Discs gives to Emporia and the community support that Emporia gives to Dynamic Discs. It’s just a great all-round story and I’m sure you will enjoy this episode. 
And, if you do, please tell your friends about it. It is the best way you can support the podcast. 
As you know, we don’t have any ads in the podcast. We are working hard to keep it that way, and hope to be able to cover the cost of the podcast through sales of our Uncovering Kansas Travel Journal. It is available on Amazon if you’d like to buy a copy. I really like being able to look back at what we did this year and remember the things I saw, the people I met, and the experiences we had - as well as some of our favorite places to eat!
 
Also, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. And if you are a LinkedIn user, I’d love to connect with you there. You can find me at Rachel Berbiglia and just mention that you are a listener so I don’t igore your connection request as spam.
 
Show Notes
Dynamic Discs website
Halfway to Everywhere music festival
 
What You’ll Learn in this Episode
Why Emporia Kansas is the disc golf capital of the world About Kansas business Dynamic Discs Why About the Halfway to Everywhere music festival  
How to Support the Podcast:
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My guest today, Wichita native Jennifer Strong McConachie, has traveled around the world competing in global endurance sports. Today, we are going to talk about how she uses the Kansas outdoor landscape and weather to prepare for these competitions around the world. Whether you are sporty or not, you’ll get a lot of ideas from Jennifer for adventures you can take in Kansas. Unless you are already into adventure sports, you are going to walk away from this episode with a whole new viewpoint on our state. 
Links to things we talked about:
Go Far: How Endurance Sports Win at Life book website
Jennifer’s Instagram
Jennifer’s Facebook
Lexington State Park Trail Map
El Dorado Lake
Cheney Lake
TallGrass Prairie Nature Preserve
TallGrass Prairie Trail Map
(Geoff and I took the Scenic Overlook Trail to the Prairie Fire Loop to the Davis Trail)
Get To Know A Kansan:
Wichita Kansas
Toronto Lake
Kayaking the Kansas River
Laura Ingalls Wilder
What You’ll Learn in this Episode
How to adapt the Kansas landscape to create your own adventure How to connect with others over Kansas stereotypes How our pioneer roots can help us with adversity training How to create a adventure event of your own How to Support the Podcast:
Tell a friend about us
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook
Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 
Send us a recommendation for an episode