For the first time since New Years Day of 2016, I found myself overnighting in Wichita, Kansas. On that previous visit, Nicole and I braved 20 degree temps as we remarked on how deserted downtown Wichita was. We assumed this was due to it being New Years Day. Flash forward two years and little has changed...
Since I had a pretty long layover, I looked into museums or other attractions to see. It's then that I discovered everything's closed on Sunday. Nevertheless, I put on my jacket and hat and decided to go for a walk.
As I walked along the riverwalk, the only living creatures I encountered were geese who were too stupid to migrate. They had left a good amount of their poop on the trail to remind me who owned this part of town.
With the exception of a homeless man propped up against a veterans memorial, I saw zero people.
I approached an area with a bridge and a cascading fall that led up to a statue of sorts. I thought to myself, "Well that's at least interesting. Let me check it out..."
No such luck. The pedestrian bridge was somehow also closed. Sunday is real serious business in Wichita. I gave up. From there I went into downtown Wichita and old town. It was noon now and I thought it best to try and find a place to eat. To date the only restaurant I have eaten at in Wichita is the restaurant attached to the hotel.
The creepy statues were my only company on downtown's streets. As I have previously speculated, it's to give downtown the illusion of being active and vibrant. I'm not sure if this town is a has-been or a never-was. Perhaps they are yearning to make America great again, like when cows roamed the streets and stores were open. But without exaggeration, I saw one place open during my entire walk. The rest were for lease or simply closed.
I found a Quizno's nearby on my map, so I walked toward it only to find that it too was closed. Things weren't looking good. When I returned to the hotel, I did a search to see what was available in the Wichita airport terminal to eat. The only thing that seemed quick and easy was a Chick-Fil-A. It's like a sick joke. I could starve to death here! At this rate, I'll have to wait until I get to Denver to eat. Pray for me. There's a church around the corner, and it's the only thing open today.
For the first time since New Years Day of 2016, I found myself overnighting in Wichita, Kansas. On that previous visit, Nicole and I braved 20 degree temps as we remarked on how deserted downtown Wichita was. We assumed this was due to it being New Years Day. Flash forward two years and little has changed...
