Springtime has come, and while many of you will pass the time indoors in front of screens, others will have a desire to place their feet onto terra firma and breathe in the fresh spring air. Since I am a country boy at heart and a Wichita resident by choice, I find it necessary to provide a list of nooks and crannies within Wichita where you can visit, find some tranquility and observe the beauty of spring:

1.  Oak Park/ North Riverside Park. 

This area, part of Riverside Park, is a good place to walk, exercise and get away from the concrete jungle of the city. Oak Park has many trails that lead through wooded areas and provides the opportunity to observe nature and do some forest bathing, which can help you to concentrate and relax. 

2. Sedgwick County Zoo/Tanganyika

The Sedgwick County Zoo is a great place to see animals that you haven’t seen before and spend time with friends. It’s always cool to see the gorillas and tigers in person.

And if you’ve been to the zoo enough there’s always Tanganyika on the west side of town. They offer a unique opportunity that many have never had before.

3. Downtown Wichita

While it is normal to become desensitized to something you are around all the time, downtown Wichita still provides many wonderful places to walk, look and take in. You can go to the top level of a parking garage and world watch, buy a coffee from a café and take a walk, visit the second floor of Legacy Antique Mall and, finally, use your imagination to put yourself back into the early 20th century, during downtown’s “boom” years. 

4. Bike Trails

Ride the many bike trails that run through Wichita. These trails are fun and allow one to see the underbelly of Wichita. The Canal Hike and Bike Trail begins west of campus, past Grove St., on 21st street, and travels south. A detailed map of these trails can be found by going to wichita.gov.

5. Get out of town

Finally, one of the best ideas for getting outside and defeating spring fever would be to take a road trip. Get out of Wichita and visit some other interesting sites in Kansas, Oklahoma or anywhere else in the country. There are many cool state parks that are within driving distance of Wichita and that provide camping, fishing, hiking and sightseeing. 

There are things to do in and out of Wichita; you just have to go look for them.