Touch down at Dead Cow International Airport and sample the state's bumper crop of bizarre history. The most commonplace sights contain unlikely stories, from the bulldozer's Morrowsville origins to the sunflower's journey from outlawed weed to state symbol. Some of this heritage lies submerged or buried, like the world's only saltwater spring, which now sits at the bottom of a man-made lake. Rumored caches of the Fleagle Gang's loot still draw treasure hunters in spades. From mariachi legends to rodeo roundups, Roger Ringer gathers in a vast and varied harvest of Kansas lore.
Your round-trip ticket to the wildest, wackiest, most outrageous people, places, and things the Sunflower State has to offer! Whether you’re a born-and-raised Kansan, a recent transplant, or just passing through, Kansas Curiosities will have you laughing out loud as Pam Grout takes you on a rollicking tour of the strangest sides of the Sunflower State. Visit the Museum of the World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things—and get your own largest ball starter kit. Meet more chainsaw-wielding, glow-in-the-dark-scrap-metal-zoo-building, grapefruit-peel-sculpting, papier-mâché-mixing, porcelain-pig-painting grassroots artists than you can shake a stick at! Get a load of Big Brutus, a sixteen-story coal shovel that has become a popular tourist attraction; and discover the thrill of an indoor hurricane—it’ll blow you away.
State Oddities takes a different kind of look at the American nation, spotlighting the fun foibles, peculiarities, and twists in each of the 50 states that are (mostly) united under the Stars and Stripes. State Oddities is a fascinating trip through the 50 states for students studying America, teachers planning classroom activities, and general readers who will enjoy an eye-opening journey through the nation's fun side. It offers a compelling look at the character of America through the individuality of 50 very distinct states that together form the USA. This book paints a picture of the broad sweep of the American story, offering a gateway to the country as it developed into one nation filled with individual states that can be remarkably different from each other, yet unified under such national symbols as the American flag and "The Star-Spangled Banner." The author of State Oddities has become known as a master of "painless history," telling America's story in a sparkling style along with the historian's eye for fascinating detail. On the book's cross-country journey, the reader will find that it differs from other works by taking a fresh look at stories we think we know.
From vast plains to gently rolling hills, Kansas is a state filled with history and agriculture. This visually stunning book explores Kansas from the rich farmland To The mosaic of modern culture. Timelines and sidebars ensure a broad experience of Kansas, both past and present.
Kansas has tales as extraordinary as its plains, although the stories behind the legends are sometimes lost to time. Discover the history of the state's world-class violinist, homemade airplane and alleged volcano. Iola's Mad Bomber blew up the town's saloons after a hangover. The bulletproof and most "extinctest" creature lurked in sinkholes outside Inman. Hunters in Stafford County learned to leave out enormous quantities of food for local hermit Pelican Pete. Join author Roger Ringer as he delves into these and other facts behind the myths of the Sunflower State.
The historic tales of the Sunflower State and its people are as interesting as the days are long. A pair of brothers went from making airplanes to tractors and soon became part of John Deere. Kansan Captain Donald K. Ross won the first Congressional Medal of Honor through his actions at Pearl Harbor. The first telephone exchange in the area was invented by a Mr. Strowger because a rival funeral director had a girlfriend who was an operator for the local telephone company and kept sending his business to her friend. Nannie Jones, who stood up to Jim Crow racism and won her case in court, is memorialized by a headstone at Highland Cemetery. Author Roger Ringer details these stories and more.
Discover Nebraska’s curious underside with this oddly entertaining little guide! Travelers with a taste for the bizarre, tacky, and hilarious can visit the Avoca Quack-Off, learn about the inland Linoma Lighthouse, view a Roller Skating Museum, and pay a visit to the world’s largest covered wagon. Only true Cornhuskers could capture the essence of these and other authentic Nebraska phenomena, and Rick Yoder and David Harding do their home state proud.
Your round-trip ticket to the wildest, wackiest, most outrageous people, places, and things the Show-Me State has to offer! Whether you’re a born-and-raised Missourian, a recent transplant, or just passing through, Missouri Curiosities will have you laughing out loud as Josh Young takes you on a rollicking tour of the strangest sides of the Show-Me State. Wander with tigers at the world’s only big cat bed-and-breakfast, browse through America’s only corncob pipe museum, and swim in the world’s largest underground lake. Meet some crazy catfish-catching noodlers; a wacky-artwork-welding artist; and a pint-size, punch-packing former wrestling champ. Discover the fun of swinging sausages while you dance, and duel with dinosaurs—you’ll roar with delight!
There are a lot of gratitude books out there, but none quite like this, which comes with actual gifts: a sign, a totem, an answer, and a present from the natural world! Most of us believe we can think our way out of problems. We believe that if we just exert enough mental effort, we will pull up a solution to whatever ails us. And that has gotten us nowhere. So in this book, we’re going to forget thinking . . . and start thanking. This playful but easy practice has the power to reconnect us with our true nature. When we observe the world from a place of gratitude, when we use our attention to spot beauty and gaze at wonder, we tune in to a frequency of magic. This joy channel is the most powerful on the planet and has the capability to radically change our lives. Brazen gratitude provides a portal—an entry point—straight into the heart of the field of infinite possibilities described in Pam Grout’s bestseller E-Squared. It enables you to align with the spaciousness of the cosmic energy field, the spaciousness that makes your life a love-shining prism. Thanking puts you on an energetic frequency—a vibration—that calls in miracles and will make you rich (in spirit), happy, and madly in love (with life). This book also offers a different perspective on abundance, which is not just financial capital. It shows readers how to grow and expand creative capital, social capital, rip-roaring good times capital, and much, much more!
