The house was closed when we were passing through town but it was still pretty rad to see this…read morepiece of history. Really humbling to stand on the property and think about all the lives that were saved because of it.

This was one of the many runaway railroads and historical landmarks in Topeka, Kansas. It's really…read moresmall but definitely well maintained over the decades, a really nice place to visit not too far from the Brown vs The board of education museum a few blocks down the street.

Harry W. Colmery is remembered as the author of The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, better…read moreknown as the GI Bill of Rights. Colmery was a Kansas native who practiced law in Topeka and was national commander of the American Legion. The GI Bill fundamentally changed the United States by giving access to higher education and affordable home loans as a means of providing for their families as they returned from combat. Around the corner from the State Capitol, this small memorial plaza was dedicated on June 22, 2016, on the 72nd anniversary of the signing of the Act in 1944. The plaza has a life-size statue of Colmery saluting six WWII era veterans on the bronze relief. Six veterans, one for each of the branches of the US military during World War II. Standing behind Colmery is another relief showing those same six veterans but in clothes depicting the professional careers that the GI Bill enabled them to achieve. Clever. [Review 11409 overall, 1186 of 2019.]

We came to the Pennant after dinner for dessert. They have a pretty long list of sweet treats and…read moredrinks. Our server wasn't sure what items were gluten free but took the time to check, which we appreciated. We ended up splitting a PB Chocolate Madness, which was plenty of sugar for both of us. The Pennant had TVs tuned to hockey and basketball playoff games, arcade games, and a bar area. It was a bit loud, but we enjoyed dessert and checking out the playoffs games.

After exploring Topeka on a freezing cold KS day, we stopped in to warm up, grab a bite to eat and…read moreorder some of their shakes we've seen. What a cool place! Retro arcade, lots of dine in seating and a bar. Our waitress was nice and super helpful. We ordered a burger and Nashville chicken sandwich, which was good, but the star of the show was the shakes! Super creative, super creamy, super good! I highly recommended checking them out!

For years, we've driven past on I-70 and spotted the capital's dome. This trip we planned to get…read moreoff I-70 and visit the capital. Interestingly enough, the State of Kansas helped with those plans by closing I-70 through downtown. We took a guided history tour of the capital (about an hour) where we learned about the history of the building and got to see the very ornate senate hall and the house of representatives. We also got to see the governor's ceremonial office. The interior view of the capitol's dome is fabulous. I strongly recommend taking the guided tour.

It's hard to rate state capitol buildings as they all have something unique about each one of them…read more Like in Kansas, they have the dome which you can go to the top and go outside it! But I would advise that you do so if you are not afraid of heights. I've been skydiving before so I didn't think it was a big deal. But going up and down the steps was very intimidating. There's so much history in that part of the building as kids would write graffiti all over the inside of the top part by the dome. Kansas does have some cool history as it pays tribute to its culture, the Native Americans, its most famous residents, agriculture, and much more. A lot of it may surprise the visitor, or even a Kansas resident! Parking is underground, and it doesn't cost extra. They do have a cafeteria or restaurant in there.

Dr. Samuel Jay Crumbine (1862-1954) was a pioneer in public health who campaigned against the…read morecommon drinking cup, the common towel and spitting in public. At the age of 21, Crumbine entered the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery and graduated in 1888. Following that graduation, he moved to Kansas. In 1911, he assumed the duties of Dean of the School of Medicine of the University of Kansas. According to the wikipedia article, Dr. Crumbine was the model for "Doc Adams" on the long running TV show "Gunsmoke". The legendary lawmen of Dodge City - Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Luke Short and Bill Tilghman - were his contemporaries. The marker details all of this and more. "At a time when the public did not fully grasp the role of germs int he spread of disease, Crumbine believed educating the public was essential in combating tuberculosis and other illnesses common at the time." [Review 11411 overall, 1188 of 2019.]

Really cool to see somewhere so profound in our history. The sign was being repaired when we went,…read moreand the parking was a confusing but it was a beautiful day and worth the stop.

Ranger Lawson and Ranger Jeff welcomed me from the moment I stopped into this historic building…read more Ranger Lawson directed me towards the exhibits and made himself available if I needed. The exhibits were amazing. The videos and interactive media were all functioning. DYK there were actually five cases that were combined and argued in front of the Supreme Court in 1954, combined they were known as the historic Brown vs Topeka Board of Education that ended segregation of schools in the U.S. in 1954. The Hall of Courage is an interesting exhibit that shows videos of discrimination on both sides. It attempts to mimic the feeling that folks back in the 1950s and the Jim Crow South had to deal with. The building also has a recreation of a kindergarten in Topeka during the 1950. Where teachers believed that play was the highest form of learning. So children could let their minds run free and creativity develop their curious minds. The Legacy Room has plenty of exhibits. I particularly liked the Wall of Courage, that highlight post-Brown heroes, and the Protest in Music exhibit that had songs from Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, to Public Enemy. I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to learn more about the case and be on the grounds where the one of the cases originated. This location presents the information well, and visitors cannot help but feel proud about the event.

This was an interesting look into the life of Robert "Evel" Knievel. It covers his childhood to his…read moredeath. Many of the displays contain original items like his drawing of Man O'War, letters from fans, and letters he wrote for business. Many of the exhibits contain video of him and his jumps, along with the motorcycles, leathers that he wore, etc. It took us about 1.5 hours to go through. The staff at the entrance and exit were friendly. I took off one star because they'll be moving to Las Vegas.

I will start by saying GET THERE WHILE IT'S STILL HERE. I want to thank the staff for a fantastic…read morevisit and we feel very lucky to see it in person as it will be permanently closing an moving to Vegas in November. We grew up with Evel in our lives and this place is just filled with so many cool memories....and so many things I didn't know about the life of a true daredevil....definitely a highlight of our cross country adventure.