Cheap flights to Kansas from £385

Kansas is best known for its rolling prairies, with seemingly endless rows of golden wheat stretching out beneath wide, cloud-scudded skies. Aside from the tornadoes that plague the area (and famously deposited Dorothy and Toto in Oz) it all seems gloriously peaceful.

The state has a turbulent history, however, with violent clashes between white settlers and Native Americans and between pro-slavery and abolitionist factions that earned it the sobriquet of “Bleeding Kansas”. After the Civil War, farming flourished as immigrants flooded in – among them Russian Mennonites, who brought the wheat seeds that would make Kansas rich.

The Wild West, too, was born, as cattle were driven across the state from Texas. Lawless boomtowns, home to saloons, drifters and gun-slinging cowboys, flourished along the trail. The most famous, Dodge City, today celebrates its nefarious history with a reconstruction of the main street and its gunfights. East of here is Wichita, another former trail town. With some fine museums and a varied cultural calendar that includes annual jazz and river festivals, it’s more tourist-friendly than Topeka, the capital city.

Kansas climate

One of the Great Plains states, Kansas has hot and humid summers, cold winters, and thunderstorms, droughts, blizzards, hailstorms, and frequent tornados.Summer temperatures can climb to the 30s, and the winter temperatures are usually zero or lower during the day and about minus 6 at night. April through August are the wettest months. Tornados can strike any time of year, and their peak season is April, May, and June.Late spring and early autumn typically have the most moderate weather.

Getting around Kansas

Kansas has rolling prairies and the terrain gradually rises as you head west. The best way to get around the state is with a car or RV. Buses run between the major cities and there is some train service to major towns and cities. There are also lots of trails, open for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and snowshoeing.

What is good to know if travelling to Kansas?

• Once a cow town, Wichita is now home to some of the state’s most renowned museums including the Wichita Art Museum and the Mid-America All-Indian Centre and Museum. The town is also known for its stunning architecture such as the Allen Lambe House Museum – a prairie house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
• If you find yourself panicking on the last day because you haven’t found gifts to take back home to your loved ones, then don’t leave Kansas without visiting the Legends at Village West, a 1.2 million square-foot open-air shopping and entertainment centre.