K-Stater completes 12-year road trip visiting all 105 Kansas counties
After 12 years of traveling, Casey Ewy ’95, ’00, ’07 and her family have finally completed
their road trip project.
It started back in 2010 — when her children were only 6 and 2 — with a goal of visiting
all 105 counties in the state of Kansas. This summer, they checked the final county
off their list.
“As a family it can be difficult to travel long distances, especially when you have
small children,” Ewy said. “We looked to expose the kids to fun activities that were
local or close by. My mom and I thought about how cool it would be to see all that
Kansas had to offer. We decided to try and expose the boys to every Kansas county
and set the deadline for when my oldest graduates from high school.”
The travelers included Ewy; her mom; and Ewy’s two sons, Corbin (now 18) and Julian
(now 14). The parameters they set for themselves included stopping at each county,
participating in an activity, and taking a picture. If they ate somewhere, it had
to be a local place. Their visits ranged from day trips during spring or winter breaks
to several day-long trips during the summer.
They bought several books over the years to help them plan, including one that explained
how each county (and many of the cities) in Kansas got their names. (For example:
Riley County, home of Kansas State University, is named for Mexican–American War general
Bennet Riley.)
Ewy said the project introduced her family to some amazing scenery and places across
the state.
Corbin’s favorite location was Rock City in Ottawa County, a park known for its large,
spherical boulders, while Julian’s top spot was the salt mines in Reno County.
Ewy enjoyed the Arikaree Breaks in Cheyenne County, a rugged region of ravines and
gullies; the Martin and Osa Johnson Museum in Neosho County and the They Also Ran
Gallery in Norton County (devoted to defeated presidential candidates); and also Fresh
Seven Coffee in Cheyenne County.
For her mother, June, the highlights were the former wild west town Dodge City in
Ford County and Trails Café in Jackson County.
“Being a native Kansan, I thought I had seen it all in Kansas, but our land is so
varied,” Ewy said. “Northwest Kansas has beautiful rock formations and is so hilly.
Southeast Kansas is so green and lush, Southwest Kansas has some stretches of gorgeous
red rolling hills, and the Flint Hills of northeast Kansas are beautiful.
“From the hustle and bustle of Johnson County to the diversity spotted in Seward County,
Kansas has it all. Everywhere we went, we met so many friendly people, ate at some
of the best local restaurants, and made memories that we will all cherish.”
Did you know? There are currently 98,054 K-State alumni in the state of Kansas.
