Buster’s Bar
Sun City

You don’t need a time machine to feel as if "you’ve traveled back to the days when the cowboys would tie their horses up out front of this bar/restaurant in the middle of the Gyp Hills." Step inside this "old-style saloon for a cold drink out of the icy fishbowl of beer" and make sure you bring your appetite for the down-home cooking. Popular with the nearby ranchers, Buster’s features a bunkhouse open during hunting season. The place has been around for over 50 years, with pictures on the wall to remind you of childhood memories on the ranch.

Midland Hotel
Wilson

Just because a hotel is historic doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the amenities of the modern age. Guests can enjoy the experience of staying at a vintage railroad hotel. When the Midland was built in 1899, it was the envy of the Midwest. Over the years, ownership has superbly restored the rooms to their former glory (visitors profess loving the fact that each room is unique.) This historical spot boasts that the same railroads it was established for more than a century ago still exist today. Don’t forget the on-site restaurant. Guests enjoy excellent comfort food that includes Czech and Bohemian specialties, a regional favorite. Read more.

Midsummer’s Day Festival
Lindsborg

Remember the Swedish Chef on the Muppets? He’d certainly approve of this yearly celebration of "authentic Swedish food and culture." As part of the festivities, there are dancers dressed in Swedish costumes and the entire town is decorated with Dalecarlian horses. At the Swedish grocery, you can sample everything from salty licorice fish and salmon paste to Swedish soups and lingonberry jam. In the little stores along Main Street, you can shop for Swedish folk art souvenirs, which are handcrafted by local artists. Read more.

Oklahoma Joe’s
Kansas City

You can wander the states searching for that perfect grilled taste. Or, you could end your search at Oklahoma Joe’s, which some say is "undoubtedly the best barbecue anywhere." It all began as a wild hit on the state cook-off circuit. Today, the atmosphere is "unique" because the restaurant is "located in back of a gas station," but almost every night you’ll find a "local crowd spilling out the door." The reason they come is for servings too big for just one person that are priced unbelievably low, including full slabs of ribs, smoked chicken gumbo, and of course all the standard sides. Read more.

Orpheum Theater
Wichita

When this Wichita theater opened in 1922, it was considered the first in the United States to be done entirely in an "atmospheric style," which meant that the overall feel was that of bringing the outdoors in. The interior looks like a Spanish court and garden with sky and star projections. During its heyday, the Orpheum hosted some of the biggest acts in vaudeville, and now you can come here for plays, concerts, and movies. The refurbishment of the building over the years has been "outstanding," with plenty of evidence of the original "hand-crafted details and proscenium arch." Read more.