Kansas Visitor's Guide 2007/2008 - (Page 13) PHOTOGRAPHERS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: JASON LINDSEY, JOHN ROBERT WILLIAMS (2) Start your ENGINES Wired! WHEN SETTLERS CAME TO KANSAS, they brought with them a need to define their territory. Some say it was guns that helped settle territorial disputes of the West, but others say it was the invention of barbed wire that helped tame the Plains. To explain the impact of the latter, the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum in La Crosse (25 miles south of Hays) is devoted to the history and legend of these twisted strands of metal. You can view more than 2,000 varieties of the menacing wire—from the first fence wire patented in the 1850s to vicious military wire used in the two World Wars, as well as strands from the Berlin Wall. Dioramas depict scenes of early barbed-wire use, and a small theater shows educational films. The most unusual exhibit is a 72-pound, 36-inch-tall raven’s nest discovered in western Kansas in the 1960s, made by an ingenious bird using short strands of the wire. GET BEHIND THE WHEEL, or go behind the scenes at Kansas Speedway. NASCAR and IndyCar Series races aren’t the only attractions at Kansas Speedway in the western reaches of Kansas City. There are still plenty of things to see and do if you’re in town when the races aren’t. Strap yourself in and get ready for highspeed adventure when you attend one of several stock-car and open-wheel driving schools the speedway hosts throughout the year (www.kansasspeedway.com). Programs include The Racing Experience, Richard Petty Driving Experience, Jeff Gordon Racing School and Dale Jarret Racing Adventure. Each school offers various packages, from riding along with a professional driver to learning how to drive the car and take it around the track yourself. To see the track at a slower speed, take a guided walking tour that includes the infield, garages, fuel stations, victory lane and more (Thursdays only, April–November). go to the web www.TravelKS.com For more information, turn to the Trip Planner beginning on page 84. w w w. T r a v e l K S . c o m 13 http://www.kansasspeedway.com http://www.TravelKS.com http://www.TravelKS.com
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