Kansas lies in the middle of the continental United States and was named after the Kansas River that runs across the state. The state is about 82,000 square miles with approximately 2.7 million people.
The climate of Kansas depends on where you are at in the state. It gets cold in the north, but in the southwest area of the state it gets a lot hotter, especially in the summers. Kansas is a Mecca for weather enthusiasts since the weather is volatile in the spring during tornado season. Kansas reports anywhere from forty to fifty tornadoes annually.
But Kansas isn’t all weather. It has some of the fastest growing cities in the nation. Wichita, the largest city in the state, is home to over 600,000 people. In 2006 the city was ranked ninth on the top ten best big cities in the United States. Wichita is also a large manufacturing city of the aircraft industry. In the downtown area is Old town, a district that is home to many nightclubs and restaurants that utilize old warehouse space. There are also outdoor events and amusement parks to attend in Wichita.
Topeka, the state’s capital, has a rich history including the Brown vs. Board of Education site and Washburn University, the last school to be city-chartered in the United States.
If you are looking for a state that hosts not only unusual weather but also great cultural experiences, then Kansas just might be the retirement spot for you. There’s no place like home.