Footprints Lawrence

Footprints Lawrence www.footprints.com We think this is the best place to buy Birkenstocks in the entire country. We have more than 10,000 pair in stock.

Our retail store and mail order business are both operated out of the same building, an old grocery storefront built of limestone in the 1870s. We are experts at fitting and have a complete repair shop. We invite you to come in and see our selection. Take your time trying on as many pairs as you would like. Choose the pair that is perfect for you.

"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity....
08/28/2026

"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity."
— President Dwight Eisenhower

I am old enough to remember standing on a curb and waving as President Eisenhower's motorcade whizzed by. Such a thrill at the time. My buddy Skip's parents pushed Skip under the rope line, much to the Secret Service's distress, so he could shake the President's hand. Ike's boyhood home is less than a couple of hours' drive west of our store. He was the third son born to David and Elizabeth Eisenhower; they had seven sons in total. Their home is evidence of the family's modest means. Eisenhower always emphasized the value of his Kansas roots. Therefore, of all the Presidents, my connection with Eisenhower is the strongest.

This Presidential Library was in the news recently when the director was forced to resign over a spat with the current administration regarding the gifting of one of Eisenhower's swords to King Charles III during his recent state visit. The sword rightly remains in the collection, but the former director is now gone. The 22-acre campus includes not only the final resting place for both the President and Mamie Eisenhower, but also 70,000 artifacts, 335,000 photographs, and 30 million pages of historical records. It is a world-class research facility, museum, and library. It is well worth a visit. You can gain a better understanding of the man and his times. He wasn't perfect. He didn't make enough progress with civil rights, let McCarthyism fester too long, and oversaw the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Iran. However, you come away understanding that Ike was driven by duty, honor, and country, which his family and West Point drilled into him. He did his best.

Presidential libraries explain how the political pendulum swings back and forth. Eisenhower ended 20 years of Democratic control of the White House; after 8 years, JFK replaced Ike. At the end of World War II, Ike was the consensus candidate for President. Both Democrats and Republicans wanted to nominate him; his party affiliation was unknown. His campaign slogan was simple: "I like Ike." At the end of Ike's tenure in the White House, the national debt was a paltry $289 billion, inflation remained steady below 2% and unemployment stayed below 4.5%. He practiced what he called "practical conservatism." Although he ardently believed in small government with a balanced budget, he did operate at a deficit, though modest when you consider the infrastructure projects like the Interstate Highway System and gearing up for the Cold War. Eisenhower's net worth was around $10 million in inflation-adjusted 2026 dollars. That is about the same as Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford. He was an honorable man. Even so, the country wanted the "torch passed to a younger generation" and party. The upcoming midterms will provide plenty of data points indicating the pendulum's direction. Even the Kansas Senate race seems competitive. It will be interesting.

Take a walk with Birkenstock.
— Mick

https://footprints.com/blogs/take-a-walk-with-birkenstock/eisenhower-presidential-library-abilene-ks

“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” — Pablo PicassoThe town of Salina, KS seems to be flourishing. If ...
08/21/2026

“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
— Pablo Picasso

The town of Salina, KS seems to be flourishing. If you walk up and down Santa Fe Avenue you will find a wonderful selection of intriguing retail stores and restaurants. The Stiefel Theatre seems to be the anchor. This Boller Brothers theater, built in 1931, was gloriously restored a few years ago and has drawn crowds to Salina with a packed schedule of shows ever since. Reportedly 70% of attendees are from out of town, which is great for the town's motels, restaurants, and stores. There is a wonderful Arts Center downtown. An ongoing mural festival has brought world-class muralists to adorn the bare walls of storefronts, grain elevators, and warehouses with colorful, thought-provoking works of art. The effort has wonderfully and colorfully transformed the town. A job well done.

On the other hand, the city has reportedly spent $800,000 on legal fees over a dispute regarding a mural on my favorite hamburger stand, The Cozy Inn. This restaurant only has six stools at the counter inside. There are just three items on the menu: burgers, chips, and soda. They have been serving up their uniquely styled burgers since 1922. They wanted to participate in the mural movement taking place around them. A whimsical scene depicted flying saucers resembling hamburgers squirting ketchup on the north side of their building. The controversy stemmed from: Is it a sign or is it art? Is it a violation of a sign ordinance, or is the city's order to stop that mural a violation of the Cozy Inn's First Amendment rights? So far, the lower courts have found in favor of the tiny hamburger stand. And their mural colorfully continues to enhance the north wall and the walk-up order window.

Check out Salina's murals and grab some of the world-famous burgers.

Take a walk with Birkenstock.
— Mick

https://footprints.com/blogs/take-a-walk-with-birkenstock/murals-of-salina-ks

"A true friend is someone who thinks you are a good egg even though he knows you are slightly cracked." — Bernard Meltze...
08/14/2026

"A true friend is someone who thinks you are a good egg even though he knows you are slightly cracked."
— Bernard Meltzer

Wilson, Kansas is a mile and a half south of the intersection of I-70 and the Post Rock Scenic Byway, 186 miles west of Lawrence. The surrounding region is known as the Smoky Hills due to its rolling hills and blue-grey mists, which frequently gather in the valleys. Vast deposits of Dakota Sandstone, Greenhorn Limestone, and Niobrara Chalk lie underfoot. The abundance of these kinds of stone and the lack of trees determined the early vernacular architecture. Wilson grew up around the Kansas Pacific Railway's station in the late 1860s. Czech immigrants were drawn to the area to build the railroad and establish a life. If you like kolaches, klobasa, and slow-cooked beef goulash, Wilson's annual After Harvest Czech Festival might be the perfect excuse for a visit.

You will find a small town with a wonderful collection of limestone buildings. If you thought it would make a perfect movie set, you'd be correct. The 1973 film Paper Moon was filmed here. Photographs documenting the filming are inside the wonderfully restored Midland Hotel. Just west of the giant egg is the Wilson Opera House, which suffered a devastating fire in 2009. However, the town has banded together to restore it as an open-air theater. A clever way to use and maintain the opera house's limestone walls.

Czech out these proverbs:
A custom wears a shirt of iron.
An apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
After a battle, everyone is a general.
As one makes his bed, that way he shall lie down.
Laws without penalties are like bells without clappers.

Take a walk with Birkenstock.
— Mick

https://footprints.com/blogs/take-a-walk-with-birkenstock/worlds-largest-hand-painted-czech-egg-wilson-ks

“It matters little who first arrives at an idea, rather what is significant is how far that idea can go.”— Sophie Germai...
08/07/2026

“It matters little who first arrives at an idea, rather what is significant is how far that idea can go.”
— Sophie Germain, French mathematician

When most people think of Paris, the image that first comes to mind is the city’s most iconic landmark, the Eiffel Tower. Growing up in northern Minnesota, I have long admired the architectural beauty of another engineering marvel, the Aerial Lift Bridge, a 138 foot tall steel bridge connecting the city of Duluth, Minnesota to a strip of land called Minnesota Point. I’ve probably walked around or across it hundreds of times, and it still gives me an effervescent feeling of awe every time I visit. I always imagined the Eiffel Tower would be similarly stunning (and about 7 times taller), however international travel, except to Canada, was not a part of my childhood.

This summer, my dream of visiting the Eiffel Tower finally came true. In celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary on July 14 (Bastille Day, or Fête Nationale as it’s called in France), my husband and I took a 2-week trip to Paris with our daughter. The Eiffel Tower was one of our first stops, and it was every bit as spectacular as I expected it to be.

The Eiffel Tower was designed by Gustave Eiffel, who had designed the interior structure of the Statue of Liberty less than a decade prior. The tower was to serve as the grand entrance to the 1889 Paris World’s Fair, coinciding with the 100th Anniversary of the French Revolution. Construction began in 1887 and was completed in just over two years, a remarkable feat for such a unique and enormous structure. Despite its eventual fame, the Eiffel Tower was not well-received as it was being built, and public outrage actually forced construction to halt completely mid-project. Only by his own substantial financial contributions was Eiffel able to complete the tower, which explains why he decided against naming it La Tour Paris and named it after himself, instead.

When it opened to the public, the tower impressed, as Eiffel knew it would. At over 1,000 feet it was the tallest structure in the world at the time, surpassing the previous record-holder, the Washington Monument, by nearly double. With three viewing decks and hydraulic elevators to carry visitors between, it was a prime example of innovation and industrial ingenuity. Visitors (and money) poured in, and Eiffel easily recouped his investment. However, despite its popularity, the tower was only to be temporary, and Eiffel knew he needed to devise an alternative use to justify its preservation. He cleverly organized multiple scientific partnerships, including a meteorology laboratory and observatory at the summit of the tower. But the fact that the tower made a perfect perch for telecommunications antennae proved to be the most convincing reason to save it from demolition.

Today the tower remains one of Paris’ most popular tourist attractions, both day and night. From sunset to 11 pm 20,000 twinkling lights illuminate it at the top of each hour for lucky onlookers. Each year a spectacular fireworks show is guaranteed for Fête Nationale, and occasionally for other special events.

On the first deck of the tower, the views aren’t particularly remarkable, except for the fact that it is Paris and all views are incredible. But I think the more interesting feature of the first floor is the transparent glass flooring toward the center, which allows visitors to safely experience the butterflies-in-your-stomach sensation of hovering several stories above the ground.

Panoramic views of the city are most impressive on the second deck.

The summit contains the smallest deck and most dizzying views. City landmarks are hazy, but it is a breathtaking experience, akin to standing atop a nearly 80 story building.

Eiffel himself had an office at the summit, which he accessed by a winding spiral staircase from the second deck. Amazingly, there are even (tiny) public restrooms at the summit, as well as a small refreshment counter where visitors can purchase a celebratory glass of champagne. Oui, oui! A trip to the summit of the Eiffel Tower is something to celebrate, indeed.

Back on the ground, inscribed around the base of the Eiffel Tower are the names of 72 prominent scientists, with 18 names per side. Notably missing are the names of any women, as French custom (and law) at the time prohibited their inclusion, despite their influence and contributions.

Ironically, were it not for one pioneering female mathematician’s influential theory of elasticity in physics in the early 1800s, the Eiffel Tower quite literally would not have stood the test of time. Or at all. Sophie Germain, a brilliant, self-educated mathematician, came of age during the French Revolution, teaching herself advanced mathematics with books from her father’s library. Because of gender discrimination at the time she submitted coursework and correspondence with other mathematicians using a male pseudonym. Despite her remarkable and award-winning achievements, she put the advancement of mathematics and scientific theory above her own ego, going uncredited for her many contributions. Her theories on elasticity were crucial for the engineering calculations that ensured the structural integrity of the tower’s ironwork and its ability to resist being toppled by the wind.

Though Eiffel was prohibited from acknowledging her contributions by including her name on the tower itself, according to our tour guide, Eiffel coined the nickname for the tower, “The Iron Lady,” as an homage to Germain.

Announced in 2025, Paris now has plans to add the names of 72 female scientists to the Eiffel Tower, just above the names of the men. The additions are expected to be complete by 2027, and will include the name of Sophie Germain.

Take a walk with Birkenstock.
— Nikki

“I have visited the true temple of equality.”— entry in Paris Catacombs Register of Visitors, 1809Deep below the beautif...
07/31/2026

“I have visited the true temple of equality.”
— entry in Paris Catacombs Register of Visitors, 1809

Deep below the beautiful limestone buildings of Paris lie the artfully-arranged remains of millions of Parisians dating as far back as the 10th century.

Limestone blocks from which Paris’ most iconic landmarks are built were extracted from quarries 20 meters below Paris from the 1300s until the mid-1700s. Once at the outskirts of the city, these quarries became a cause for concern as the city grew. Major sinkholes and collapsing roads finally led Louis XVI to enact laws prohibiting the underground quarries in 1776, and an inspector was named to protect and stabilize the abandoned tunnels.

Around the same time, Paris was facing a population problem… of both the living and the dead. Cemeteries were literally overflowing, causing hygiene and health issues in the city.

A clever solution by the Paris Parliament solved both problems: the old limestone quarries were consolidated and reinforced, then reimagined into a municipal ossuary. Dubbed “Catacombs” as a nod to the ossuaries of classical Antiquity, this space would be a place of respect and remembrance for the remains of these early Parisians.

In 1786 the Catacombs were consecrated by the Archbishop of Paris, and churches began to close cemeteries and relocate remains. Tunnels once used to hoist huge blocks of limestone up to the world above were now used to lower the inhabitants of Parisian cemeteries into the belly of the city. Work was done mainly at night, to be less disruptive and upsetting to the living. The initial relocation lasted 15 months, but additions continued until 1860.

The remains of several million Parisians were relocated to the Catacombs. Within the tunnels, bones from each cemetery are housed together and marked with a plaque of origin, but individual remains are mixed- men, women, and children, poor and rich, commoners and luminaries. Cemetery records confirm many famous Parisians of the time are among the remains, including scientists, writers, playwrights, ministers, politicians, and even the sister of Louis XVI.

In 1809 the ossuary opened to the public. Between 1810 and 1814, Louis-Ètienne François Héricart de Thury, the new director of the General Inspection of Quarries, led an effort to clean up and rearrange the remains. Over the years, the dreary piles of bones were sorted and stacked into tidy walls, which incorporated creative and amusing patterns, including a heart, a cross, and later even Paris landmarks such as Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. (Unfortunately, due to damage caused by inconsiderate visitors, the Notre Dame and Eiffel Tower arrangements are now off-limits to the general public.)

If you look up as you walk through the tunnels, you can still see a black line running along the ceiling: soot from the candles carried by early visitors. It would have been a thrilling experience at the time, not for the faint of heart, and it was considered a badge of honor to have signed one’s name in the Register of Visitors at the end of the visit. During an (illegal) evening soirée in 1897, orchestras nestled themselves within the tunnels and played classical works such as Saint-Saën’s Dance Macabre and Chopin’s Funeral March to especially-adventurous Parisian visitors.

But the intention of the Catacombs was never to be a ghastly spectacle or a macabre dare. It is a sacred space, and among the carefully arranged remains, de Thury installed plaques with poetry and scripture to aid visitors in their reverence and contemplation. The Catacombs are a place for the history of these early Parisians to be respected, preserved, and celebrated.

Take a walk with Birkenstock.
— Nikki
https://footprints.com/blogs/take-a-walk-with-birkenstock/les-catacombes-de-paris-paris-france

"Camping: Where you spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person."The motto of the great state of Nebraska is "E...
07/24/2026

"Camping: Where you spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person."

The motto of the great state of Nebraska is "Equality before the law." The motto was adopted in 1867 as the territory became a state during the ratification of the 14th Amendment. To become the 37th state the Nebraska State Legislature was required to eliminate its "whites only" voting requirement. Nebraska then voted for the 14th Amendment. In the post-Civil War era, the notion of equality was certainly trending. A decade later the Nebraska Fish Commission was created. It later became the Nebraska Fish and Game Commission, which established the Nebraska State Parks system in 1921 with the creation of Chadron State Park, Nebraska's first state park. Mahoney State Park was established in 1991. The purpose of the Nebraska State Parks is to conserve natural and cultural assets and make them available to all citizens.

Eugene Mahoney had been a Boy Scout, Eagle Scout, policeman, state legislator and the long-time director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. He is credited with transforming the Nebraska State Parks system into the wonderful asset it is today. The park named in his honor is 500 acres of woodland and grassland along the Platte River, roughly halfway between Omaha and Lincoln. The Park offers hunting and fishing opportunities, trail rides, an aquatic center, a melodrama theater, a nice lodge, cabins, and campgrounds for tent campers and RVers. Regardless of income level, if you can afford gas, you can enjoy a wonderful vacation at Mahoney for very little cost. The quality of the state parks makes you feel good about paying taxes and user fees, as the investment in the public good seems so beneficial and democratic.

Take a walk with Birkenstock.
— Mick
https://footprints.com/blogs/take-a-walk-with-birkenstock/mahoney-state-park-ashland-nebraska

"A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others."― Salvador DaliWithin Nebraska, there are 12 Pos...
07/17/2026

"A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others."
― Salvador Dali

Within Nebraska, there are 12 Post Office murals, part of a New Deal program designed to both employ starving artists and bring art to people who rarely had access to it. The murals were intended to be "beacons of hope" in a time of economic and emotional despair. All states have them. Seeking out Post Office murals along your route is a fun travel activity. You get to stop, stretch your legs, and learn something about each community, and the artist. Since the murals were designed with local public input and subject matter that related to their history, the murals are a window to the community's past. Kansas had 26 murals with 21 still remaining. With only a dozen in Nebraska it seemed a reasonable goal to view all of them on a trip we made a few years ago. The route was rather long and zigzagged, but it was doable. However, we were stymied in Valentine, NE. They built a new Post Office, but the mural stayed put in the old building. The old Post Office had been converted to the city's public library, but then a new public library was built leaving the mural behind locked doors.

One of the reasons a new Post Office was needed in Valentine was the town's name. Did you know that you can send your valentine a valentine from Valentine with a special cachet or special holiday postmark?
Since 1941, Valentine has promoted this tradition. Between 10,000 and 50,000 people send their valentines from here every year. Valentine was named after Edward K. Valentine, a Nebraska Congressman who pushed homesteading and the development of western Nebraska. Nevertheless, the name comes in handy when promoting the town.

The artist Kady B. Faulkner was awarded the 1939 commission for the Valentine Post Office mural after her submission for the Dallas, TX Post Office competition was passed over in favor of another artist, Peter Hurd. The commission included a payment of $620 made in installments. She had to cover the cost of art supplies, transportation, and the installation out of her own pocket. She traveled to Valentine, to view the countryside and speak with community members about what they wanted. She collected photographs of the type of train which would have arrived at the new train station in early Valentine as well as period clothing. She completed the mural while teaching art at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Once completed the mural was displayed in Morrill Hall on the university campus, where it received state-wide press. The predella, which is the lower narrative band at the base of the mural includes various cattle brands used on ranches in the Nebraska sandhills. During her spring break in 1939, Faulkner delivered and installed her mural ahead of schedule.

We have driven through Valentine several times, even floated down the beautiful Niobrara River, which is nearby. Usually, we would stop and try to peer through the window shades to catch a glimpse of the mural. This time we spoke with a resident and asked if he remembered the mural. He said, "Of course." He saw it all the time as a kid when he would pick up the mail. He then let us know that City Hall, across the street, had the old Post Office keys and someone would probably let us in. Everyone at City Hall was most accommodating. We were the 6th group of people to ask to see the murals this year, and at last we completed our Nebraska PO mural quest.

Take a walk with Birkenstock.
— Mick

“Peace will come to the hearts of men when they realize their oneness with the universe, It is everywhere.”― Black ElkWh...
07/10/2026

“Peace will come to the hearts of men when they realize their oneness with the universe, It is everywhere.”
― Black Elk

What is in a name? For years I have hiked to the top of the tallest peak east of the Rocky Mountains, now called Black Elk Peak in the heart of the Black Hills of South Dakota. The trail begins at Sylvan Lake and rises a bit more than 1,000 feet in elevation over the beautiful three-mile trail. An estimated 41,000 people make this trek annually. A few hardy locals even have a tradition of summiting the peak every New Year's Day. Between 1935 and 1938 the Civilian Conservation Corps built a rustic stone lookout tower atop the granite peak. The tower served as a perch to scan the incredible horizon for forest fires. A dam, reservoir, and pumphouse were cleverly built to provide water and flush toilets for rangers who lived in the tower's lower level. The structure served that purpose until 1967 when technology made it obsolete. When the tower was built the peak was known as Harney Peak after U.S. Army General William S. Harney. The Lakota referred to the sacred peak as Hinhan Kaga (Making of Owls) because the rock formation resembles owls. In 2016 the peak's name changed to Black Elk Peak, honoring a Lakota holy man. For years I continued to refer to Black Elk Peak as Harney Peak not out of any objection to the name change or admiration for General Harney, but rather habit. Habits are hard to change.

The Black Hills belonged to the Lakota per the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. When gold was discovered in the Black Hills people invaded seeking fortune. The United States then violated the treaty and took the land lawlessly. Finally in 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Hills were wrongly taken from the Lakota and that compensation was deserved. The tribe refused to agree to the pittance offered as compensation. The peak's 2016 name change honors Nicholas Black Elk who was a second cousin of Crazy Horse. At age nine he had a powerful religious vision while atop Hinhan Kaga Peak. At the tender age of thirteen, he took his first scalp alongside his second cousin, at the Battle of Greasy Grass, also known as the Battle of the Little Bighorn. He later toured with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. He later became famous by speaking with poet John Neihardt who published Black Elk's remembrance of his life events and spirituality in a book titled Black Elk Speaks. Black Elk's connection to the peak is profound. General William S. Harney's connection is slight.

Harney never reached the peak. On a campaign he merely skirted the perimeter of the Hills. Harney Peak was named for him in 1855 following a "battle" which made him famous. It all started in August 1854, when a sick cow struggled to keep up with a Mormon wagon train on the Oregon Trail. The cow wandered into the possession of a Brule Sioux camp. A warrior named High Forehead killed the cow for food. The Mormon who lost the cow filed a complaint at Fort Laramie. The standard response would be for the Indian agent to negotiate some compensation and that would be that. A horse or a mule was offered as compensation, a very reasonable offer for a sick cow. Violating procedure, a brash, inexperienced, incompetent 24-year-old Lieutenant named John Grattan took a small force of soldiers to seek vengeance over the sick cow and entered the Brule camp. Reports indicated that the soldiers had consumed alcohol. They fired on the Indians who had offered the horse or mule in trade and being terrifically outnumbered the soldiers were killed. Public outrage ensued over the deaths of white people. President Franklin Pierce appointed General William S. Harney to "whip the Indians". At the Battle of Blue Water, Harney led his 700 troops into a Sioux village and slaughtered nearly 100 Indians, primarily women and children. The New York Times at the time reported it was a massacre and it wasn't even known if any of the Indians involved had anything to do with the sick cow. A highway historical marker near Ash Hollow, NE commemorates the massacre. Harney's Indian nickname became "Woman Killer". Harney had killed women before. In 1834 he beat an enslaved woman named Hannah to death in a dispute over a set of lost keys to his office. Upon learning this history, I will now and forever refer to the highest peak in the Black Hills as Black Elk Peak.

Take a walk with Birkenstock.
— Mick
https://footprints.com/blogs/take-a-walk-with-birkenstock/black-elk-peak-trail-south-dakota

"Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought." — Albert Einstein The Value of Creati...
06/26/2026

"Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought."
— Albert Einstein

The Value of Creativity

Like many rural towns in Kansas, the population of Lucas has been declining since World War II. As agriculture became more mechanized and reliant upon technology, farmers no longer needed the slew of farm hands they once did. The ripple effect on towns that formerly serviced those farm hands was devastating. Their customer base shrank. Businesses closed, leaving small towns with excess infrastructure. If buildings don't have a use, the maintenance costs can't be justified. Shrinking towns with decaying infrastructure remind locals daily that the economy doesn't work for them the way it formerly did. If urban areas seem booming with technological advances, one can certainly understand the frustration and grumpiness which comes with economic stagnation in some rural areas. Imagine what it would feel like when family members and friends abandon you and your town for the bright lights of cities.

The town of Lucas had a population of 648 in 1940 and is currently around 332. So in the last 84 years almost half of its population has departed in one way or another. Yet the town had the s***k and energy to raise over $100,000 and marshal countless hours of volunteer help to create the Lucas Bowl Plaza on a few vacant lots within their downtown. This public bathroom is a marvel. The seating outside the restroom, in case there was an unlikely line for the toilet, is visually in the shape of a toilet bowl. The portal into the bathroom lobby is a stylized toilet lid. If you follow the sidewalk toward the right, or north, the sidewalk curves into a giant roll of concrete toilet paper. Once inside the bathroom lobby, wine and/or beer bottles embedded in the walls allow speckled colored light to filter in like a church. The men's and women's bathrooms each have clever gender-specific mosaics of found objects on the walls.

Due to the town's creative effort, this bathroom was voted the 2nd best public bathroom in the entire country by USA Today. I was told by a former resident involved in the process of the design of the Bowl Plaza, that our Footprints bathroom, which is built in the shape of a barn with custom made tiles with barnyard humor, was at least partially the inspiration of the Bowl Plaza.

Lucas also boasts a community run movie theater, a host of Airbnb's to handle the growing tourist trade, the Grassroots Artist Museum, the folk art site: The Garden of Eden, an artist cooperative gallery, local industries and of course agriculture. Artists are gradually moving into town, since Lucas seems receptive. The fact that you can buy a 5 bedroom house for under $100,000 is also appealing. Lucas, with a population of just 332, punches well above its weight. It is a good example of what you can accomplish with creativity mixed with neighbors working together.

Lucas is in the heart of Post Rock Limestone country. The scenery is beautiful. The post rock limestone buildings are amazing for their craftsmanship. There is a wonderful brewery/restaurant in Sylvan Grove, KS, a short 12 mile drive from Lucas. Wilson Reservoir is close by, which is a mecca for kayakers and mountain bikers. Lucas is just 17 miles off of I - 70. Take a break. Check out the bathroom and what the area has to offer. It is worth spending some time here.

Take a walk with Birkenstock.
— Mick

https://footprints.com/blogs/take-a-walk-with-birkenstock/lucas-kansas-bowl-plaza

Address

1339 Massachusetts Street
Lawrence, KS
66044

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