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Tag: Goodland

Roxie Yonkey, Secret Kansas

Posted on by Pat Melgares
Portrait picture, Roxie Yonkey
Roxie Yonkey

Can I tell you a secret? How about 84 of them?

That sounds like a lot. In this case, I’m referring to a new book that intentionally shares such little known stories. The book is titled Secret Kansas. It is chock-full of fascinating and little-known stories about our state.

Roxie Yonkey, who we have profiled before, is an author, blogger and travel writer. A Nebraska native, she became a staff writer at a college in Virginia. She came back to the Midwest for her career in journalism, married a Kansan in Goodland, and worked in tourism for years. She found she enjoyed writing about Kansas attractions.

In 2019, Yonkey launched a website and travel blog called www.roxieontheroad.com, of which she is the CEO: that is, Chief Exploration Officer.

She continues to write and post about Kansas attractions. In 2021, Yonkey published her book titled “100 Things to Do in Kansas Before You Die,” as we have previously profiled.

Continue reading “Roxie Yonkey, Secret Kansas” →

Roxie Yonkey, 100 Things to Do in Kansas

Posted on by Pat Melgares

“Is there anything to do in Kansas?”

“Oh, yes. There are a HUNDRED things to do in Kansas!”

Woman smiling, Roxie Yonkey
Roxie Yonkey

If you don’t believe me, take the word of author Roxie Yonkey. She recently wrote a book titled “100 Things to Do in Kansas Before You Die.”

Roxie was born and raised in Nebraska and always enjoyed writing. At college in Virginia, she became a staff writer.

Roxie came to Kansas for a job opportunity at the Goodland newspaper. Her plan was to stay for a year. More than 30 years later, she’s still here.

When Roxie took the job in Goodland, she met a good-looking guy at the next desk. Four years later, they would be married. Roxie and Eric bought a newspaper in Syracuse and sold it in 2000.

They came back to northwest Kansas. Roxie found that she enjoyed writing about Kansas attractions. She designed the regional travel guide called the Ultimate Guide to Northwest Kansas, worked for the Sherman County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and became administrator for the Kansas I-70 Association.

When those positions ended, she was not sure what to do next. “I was sitting and staring at my computer, asking myself, `What do I do now?’ Then it was as if a voice said to me, `What do you have in your hand?’ I answered, `A computer mouse…’ I realized I could become a travel writer and blogger,” Roxie said.

Continue reading “Roxie Yonkey, 100 Things to Do in Kansas” →

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Kale Dankenbring and Heidi Plumb, Part 1 – travelers

Posted on by Jason Hackett

PART ONE OF A THREE-PART SERIES

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

“Let’s go one lap around.” That sounds easy. But what if that one lap didn’t refer to the local walking track? What if it referred to one lap – around the entire globe? This week, we’ll meet a young Kansas couple who took on the amazing goal of circumnavigating the globe by themselves.

Heidi Plumb and Kale Dankenbring
Heidi Plumb and Kale Dankenbring

Heidi Plumb and Kale Dankenbring are the remarkable young couple who made this amazing journey. Heidi grew up near Dallas. Kale grew up at St. Francis, Kansas. He studied information technology at Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland, a rural community of 4,489 people. Now, that’s rural.

After graduation, Kale’s IT career took him to Phoenix where he met Heidi. The two shared lots of interests, including nutrition, coffee and travel. They had an incredible idea: What if they could travel around the world on a shoestring budget?

They made it happen. Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Kale Dankenbring and Heidi Plumb, Part 1 – travelers” →

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Terri Anderson, SlideonInn Horse Hotel

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

“I’d like a non-smoking room for one night, please – with plenty of prairie hay in it.” That probably doesn’t sound like a typical request at your local lodging establishment. It demonstrates the unique needs of someone traveling with horses.

When going across country with a horse in a trailer, that equine can’t just check into the room next to you at the motel. Today we’ll meet a rural Kansas woman who has built a business by hosting equestrian travelers.

Terri Anderson is the founder and owner of the SlideonInn Horse Hotel near Goodland. Terri grew up at Oberlin. Her parents had been involved with horses, but her dad was killed in a tractor accident when she was little.

“I begged my mom for a horse every single day,” Terri said. “She finally gave in. I think she figured I would get tired of doing chores pretty quickly, but it didn’t work.”

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Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Ben Schears – Northwest Tech

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

“There oughta be an app for that.” This statement is frequently heard as there is increasing demand for applications on our portable electronic devices. Today we’ll learn about an innovative technical college which is helping students do the coding necessary to develop more software applications.

Ben Schears, president of Northwest Kansas Technical College.

Ben Schears is president of Northwest Kansas Technical College – called Northwest Tech for short – in Goodland.

Ben grew up in rural Lyon County between the towns of Olpe, population 548, and Hartford, population 371 people. Now, that’s rural.

“I admit, I was not the best student in high school and probably didn’t show much promise,” Ben said. “I was more interested in sports and girls.” At the urging of his school counselor, he went to Flint Hills Technical College in Emporia during his last two years of high school where he learned heating and cooling technical skills.

Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Ben Schears – Northwest Tech” →