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Welcome to Kansas Favorite Vacation Rentals by Owner.

STEP BACK INTO THE OLD WEST WITH A VACATION RENTAL BY OWNER NEAR DODGE CITY, KANSAS.

Dodge City, Kansas, is a pure definition of the West, and thousands of tourists relive history by visiting the Boot Hill Museum and historic Front Street reconstruction.  In the 1800's lawlessness reigned, towering stacks of buffalo hides lined Front Street, and cowboys drove cattle through town, part of the Santa Fe Trail.  Fort Dodge was established in Kansas to provide protection to wagon trains and the U.S. mail, and served as a supply base for troops engaged in the Indian Wars.  Lawlessness abated with the arrival of such respectable law officers as W. B. 'Bat' Masterson, Ed Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Bill Tilghman, H. B. 'Ham' Bell and Charlie Bassett.  The railroad arrived in the 1870's and triggered rapid growth of the city, the buffalo herds were depleted, and the cattle drives ceased.  But the Dodge City legend lives on in our American imagination.

You can reflect on Kansas' role as gatekeeper to the American West at a number of frontier military forts that offer living history programs, particularly the National Historic Sites of Fort Scott and Fort Larned, as well as a number of Native American Indian museums across the state.  Consider basing your vacation rental by owner near Hutchinson or Wichita or Dodge City to access these historic sites.  A great Kansas historic site is Fort Hays, where Generals George A. Custer, Nelson Miles and Philip Sheridan, Major Reno, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody and James B. "Wild Bill" Hickok protected railroad workers and travelers on the Smoky Hill Trail.  At Pawnee Rock State Historic Site, you can contemplate the rich history of the military and Santa Fe Trails and take in the commanding view of the Arkansas River Valley.  Native Americans were said to have met at Pawnee Rock and used it as a vantage point to spot bison herds and approaching wagon trains.

MORE HISTORIC AND RECREATIONAL SITES SURROUND YOUR TOPEKA AND KANSAS CITY LODGING.

The Kansas Museum of History in Topeka preserves much of Kansas' history and showcases it for all to enjoy.  Other Kansas attractions include the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson, which houses the largest collection of space artifacts outside the Smithsonian Museum in  Washington D.C.. The unique Rolling Hills Zoo in Salina is a top zoological park with an impressive collection of rare and endangered animals.   Kansas is fast becoming a motorsports mecca with hot tourist attractions such as the new Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Heartland Park in Topeka, and the Dodge City Raceway Park.

Two famous Kansans were President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Amelia Earhart.  You can tour the Eisenhower Center in Abilene, which houses one of the nation’s top presidential libraries. You can tour Amelia Earhart's birthplace home in Atchison, Kansas.

WILDLIFE, HUNTING AND FISHING IN KANSAS, FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR VACATION RENTAL CABIN.

The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Strong City and the Konza Prairie Natural Area near Manhattan are just a few of the places to experience the beauty of the Kansas prairie. You can find American bison at two game refuges, the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge in Canton and the Finney Game Refuge in Garden City. In addition, Kansas shares the distinction with Florida of harboring international wetlands for migrating shorebirds at Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Great Bend, Kansas.

Kansas offers ample hunting and fishing opportunities.  In the fall hunters find an abundance of ring-necked pheasants, bobwhites, white-tailed deer and cottontails at Wilson Lake.  Fishing catches include trout, bass, catfish, crappie, bluegill, and trophy wipers (hybrids of white and striped bass) and are found mainly in reservoirs, such as Webster, Lovewell and Keith Sebelius Reservoirs.

MORE RECREATIONAL FUN IN KANSAS, THEN RELAX IN YOUR VACATION RENTAL HOME BY OWNER, WHERE YOU ENJOY PRIVACY, SPACIOUSNESS, AND COST SAVINGS.

Kansas is a windy state, and popular recreational activities include windsurfing and sailing on lakes.  Swimming, boating and water skiing are a great way to beat the heat, and favorite spots include Shawnee Mission Park, John Redmond Reservoir, and Lake Garnett.

If you enjoy bicycling, Kansas offers many miles of manicured trails (such as the Prairie Spirit Rail Trail) and grueling mountain biking trails (such as the 25-mile Clinton Lake trail.)