4 Fun Winter Getaways in Kansas

When you're on the lookout for somewhere in Wichita, Kansas to spend a nice day with the kids, we have some suggestions. Enjoy the best family day filled with adventures at one of these fun and educational places. Museum of World Treasures What do you call a fascinating venue filled with ancient treasures from around the world? The Museum of World Treasures, of course. Touting a diverse collection of unique objects from military history to dinosaur bones and Egyptian mummies, the museum offers a glimpse into ancient civilizations long turned to dust. more Join museum staff on the first Thursday of the month from 5 to 7 p.m. for family night. For just $5, everyone 5 and older gets to meet a variety of dinosaurs, including Ivan, a 38-foot skeletal model of a Tyrannosaurus rex. Fun activities and projects add even more delight to the experience. Located at the Wichita Public Schools, the mission of the Museum of World Treasures is to inspire, entertain, and educate visitors. It's truly a wonderful way to spend the day with family, and it's open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Botanica — Community Gardens of Wichita Open year-round, Botanica — Community Gardens of Wichita is a terrific way to get the whole family outdoors. A center for horticulture, it now encompasses 30 separate gardens over 17 lush acres. Each unique area offers sculptures, streams, fountains, and waterfalls, in addition to more than 4,000 plant species that change over the seasons. There's also a library, as well as the Beverly R. Blue Teaching Garden dedicated to raising awareness. The Downing Children's Garden opened in 2011 and offers more than an acre of child-themed activities. The jewel of the children's garden, a beautiful carousel donated by Joyland Amusement Park, is a must-ride. Enter monster woods if you dare, explore the tree house and pond, and then have a seat in the enchanted glen for story time. Sedgwick County Zoo What family doesn't love a wild adventure at the zoo? Sedgwick County Zoo is home to 400 species of animals and 3,000 individuals grouped geographically based on their natural habitats, from Asia to Africa, from elephants to tigers. Learn more about the apes that reside at the zoo with a keeper chat at 3:30 p.m. every day or get eye to eye with a giraffe and feed him some veggies. Embark on a behind-the-scenes encounter your little ones will never forget, such as at the Cessna Penguin Cove. Get inside the enclosure and venture out into the habitat to meet the animals. Recognized for its successful breeding program of rare and endangered species, Sedgwick County Zoo recently announced the birth of orangutan Lily, who was delivered via C-section on Sep. 7. Grab the kids and enjoy the best family day in Wichita. With a visit to the Museum of World Treasures, botanical gardens, and zoo, it's sure to be an exciting excursion for all your family members. Image via Flickr by CrankyPK

Looking for some new additions to your book collection? Whether you’re a collector or just searching for your next good book, find it at a local Wichita bookstore. Here are five places to find the perfect book. more Watermark Books & Cafe For a truly local bookstore experience, be sure to visit Watermark Books and Cafe on East Douglas Ave. Open six days a week and closed on Sunday, the store offers a variety of books across many genres. With an excellent children's section, the store hosts many storytimes and author signing events to help encourage young readers. In addition, the bookstore publishes newsletters for kids, teachers, new releases, and seasoned readers. With a big focus on local and regional authors, you can find some Wichita gems at Watermark. The bookstore's cafe offers soups and a variety of pastries to enjoy with your book. F.C. Ziegler Co. Also located on East Douglas Ave., F.C. Ziegler Company is a small Catholic bookstore chain. Open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, they carry prayer books, devotionals, bibles, and gift items. You can find history books and commemorative edition books to celebrate special occasions such as baptisms and weddings. Book-a-holic Book-a-holic is a wonderful independent used bookstore. With three locations in Wichita, all three are open seven days a week. Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The store allows you to buy, sell, or trade for your next great read in any genre from cooking to science-fiction and everything in between. Barnes & Noble Are you ready to explore a store with something for everyone? Stop by Barnes and Noble on North Rock Road. Free WiFi means you can escape the daily grind to study or work while enjoying a Starbucks coffee in the on-site cafe. You can also relax and disconnect in many of the welcoming seating areas located throughout the store. With weekly storytimes (featuring free cafe items and giveaways for the kids), author events, book release parties, Barnes & Noble is a great weekly stop for the kids. In addition to their events and extensive periodical inventory, you can pick up special orders in-store. Al's Old & New Book Store LLC If you are looking for a new copy of an old book, head over to Al's Old and New Book Store on East William Street. The store focuses on carrying older titles that are hard to find in other locations, including classics and a variety of history books. If you are looking for a treasured book from years ago, ask them to show you the special research tools they have to help cut down your search time. Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to explore their more than 40,000 book inventory. With so many options, it will be fun and easy to find your next read at one of these Wichita bookstores. Make it a weekly after-school field trip with the kids or make it a date night stop to sip a cup of coffee and browse the extensive book selections at your favorite store. Image via Pixabay by geralt

A subcompact SUV, the 2019 Jeep Renegade is a powerful off-roading vehicle that delivers a strong ride. Originally introduced in 2015, the Renegade now features six trims — Sport, Latitude, Altitude, Limited, Trailhawk, and High Altitude. As Jeep's smallest SUV, the Renegade includes several features that set this vehicle apart from others in its class, including a new engine as well as a handful of interior and safety upgrades. more Performance There are two engine options available with the 2019 Jeep Renegade. The base 2.4-liter, 180-horsepower engine produces 175 pound-feet of torque and works well, but if you're looking for more power, consider the 1.3-liter 177-horsepower turbo-four engine that produces 200 pound-feet of torque. The latter engine is new for 2019 and comes standard on the Limited, Trailhawk, and High Altitude trims. Both engines are paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard on the Sport and Latitude trims, while all-wheel drive is available on all trims. Also, when properly equipped, the Renegade can tow up to 2,000 pounds. Entertainment Features To keep you and your passengers entertained, the Renegade has plenty of technology features. It now comes standard with a 5-inch touch-screen display and Bluetooth capabilities. Previous standard features remain, and these include a six-speaker audio system and USB port. The vehicle also offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities as well as an upgraded and user-friendly Uconnect system with either a 7- or 8.4-inch touch-screen display, satellite radio, and a nine-speaker Beats audio system. Fuel Economy With the base engine and all-wheel drive, the Renegade attains 22 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. For the turbo-four engine along with front-wheel drive, numbers increase to 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. Cabin Space Unlike other subcompact SUVs, the 2019 Jeep Renegade provides ample headroom and legroom for both rows. The driver benefits from superb front and rear visibility thanks to a high seating position. You can upgrade to receive a six-way power-adjustable driver's seat. When it comes to cargo space, the Renegade holds 18.5 cubic feet of space, and if you fold down the seats, you gain 50.8 cubic feet of cargo space. Safety Features The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded the Jeep Renegade with four out of five stars for frontal crash and rollover tests. Although it only comes standard with a rearview camera, the vehicle has numerous upgrades available. You can opt for a forward-collision warning, front and rear parking sensors, automatic high beams, lane departure warning, and automatic emergency braking. Also, the vehicle offers two full sets of LATCH car-seat connectors on its outboard rear seats and a tether anchor in the middle seat. The 2019 Jeep Renegade is a smart choice if you're looking for a well-equipped and powerful vehicle. For more information about the Renegade or to schedule a test drive, reach out to the experts at Davis-Moore Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. They can help you determine which trim works best for your needs so you can drive off in this vehicle today. Image via Jeep.com