State of STATE

he rental car was packed, the tank was full, and the open road was waiting. My scenic road trip from Kansas to Arizona had officially begun.

Challenging Winter Driving Conditions

The first stop of the morning was Kansas City International Airport, where my wife, Dawn, and our son, Benson, were flying ahead to Arizona. After saying goodbye and watching their plane take off, I turned west and began the solo stretch of my scenic road trip from Kansas to Arizona.

Not long after leaving the city, the weather began to change. Snow started to fall, light at first, then heavier. The farther west I drove along I-70, the larger the flakes became. Temperatures dropped below freezing, and visibility worsened. For a heavily traveled interstate, there were surprisingly few plows or salt trucks in sight.

The hardest part of winter driving wasn’t just the snow — it was the other vehicles. Spray from passing cars and semis covered my windshield, and the wipers could barely keep up. Each pass felt like driving blind for a few seconds. Still, the miles ticked by. Near Manhattan, Kansas, the sky began to clear, and by the time I passed the exit, the snow had faded into sunlight.

Exploring Abilene’s Roadside Giants

My first stop was Abilene, Kansas, home to two of the most unique roadside attractions on my scenic road trip from Kansas to Arizona.

The “Former World’s Largest Spur” towers 28 feet high and weighs over a ton. Built by Larry Houston in 2002, the massive spur once held a Guinness World Record title until 2017. Even though lighting and traffic made photography difficult, standing beneath it was still an impressive sight.

Just down the road stood Abilene’s newest claim to fame — the “World’s Largest Belt Buckle.” Designed by local artist Jason Lahr of Fluter’s Creek Metal Works, the buckle measures nearly 20 feet wide and almost 14 feet tall. Its face features scenes and figures celebrating Abilene’s Wild West history. The city installed it to encourage travelers to stop and explore, and it worked. It was the perfect pit stop before heading deeper into central Kansas.

A Night at the Midland Railroad Hotel

By 9:15 that night, I arrived in Wilson, Kansas, where I had reserved a room at the Midland Railroad Hotel & Restaurant. The historic hotel immediately stood out — oak furnishings, carved moldings, and a sense of timelessness filled every corner.

The Midland Railroad Hotel felt like stepping back into another era. After a long day of winter driving, the warmth of the lobby and the quiet charm of the old building were a welcome change. The stay ended up being one of the highlights of my scenic road trip from Kansas to Arizona.

If this article interests you, read about other Kansas roadside attractions I have visited or browse through all the roadside attractions I have been to.