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Spring ’ 14 | sunflowerpub.com | $5
Kangaroos
in kansas?
A short road trip reveals the
ordinary magic of exotic animals
Photography by Deborah Walker and Susan Kraus
Story by Susan Kraus
F
lash back to 1995, more or less. I was taking my
kids on our annual spring break trip. We had
always visited places within a 5-to-6 hour driving radius of home. Over the years, we did St.
Louis, Omaha, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and a lot of towns and
sights in-between.
That year was Wichita and Hutchinson. I’d told the kids
we would stay at a hotel with an indoor pool (always a plus)
when we got to Wichita, but that for the first night we would
stay at a bed-and-breakfast. As usual in driving through
Kansas, we passed pastures with cows. Then horses. Then
more cows.
As we entered a long gravel drive, the kids casually
glanced up from their books. Then they snapped to attention. There were fields on either side of the drive, and something—not a cow, not a horse—was racing our car.
An animal. A big-right-out-of-the-movies animal.
It was an ostrich.
And it was winning the race.
That was our greeting at Hedrick’s B&B in Nickerson,
Kansas, just a tad northwest of Hutchinson. The B&B is part
of an exotic animal farm that was started back in 1978 by Joe
and Sondra Hedrick.
“Joe’s dad had small circuses when Joe was a kid,”
explains Sondra. “So he grew up surrounded by weird animals. He’d trained a zebra and buffalo for rodeo shows, and
was a rodeo clown. After we were married, we started buying exotic breeding stock.”
In 1993, the Hedricks opened their bed and breakfast,
and have been hosting families and school groups, birthday
parties and clubs, ever since.
I returned to Hedrick’s
last summer, this time with my
now grown-up daughter and my
87-year-old mother. It was even
better than I’d remembered.
And I think that Grammy
had the most fun of all.
The B&B is a large, barnlike building with a front that
looks like a Wild West movie set.
Balconies ring the second story,
great to run out on in pajamas
in the middle of the night when
you hear strange, deep booming noises. (Who knew ostriches
could sound like that?) Most
rooms are suites designed for families, sleeping up to eight.
There is also an apartment that sleeps 10. Rooms are unique
and animal-themed: kangaroo, llama, giraffe, camel, bird of
paradise. Guests are served evening snacks and hot buffet
breakfasts, and there is a big game room to hang out, play
cards, foosball or board games.
about the
writer
Susan Kraus is a therapist and award-winning travel writer who believes
that travel can be the best therapy. She enjoys helping people create their
own “travel therapy” by writing about journeys that anyone can replicate.
TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Spring ’ 14
45
But the most fun comes from the tours included in the cost of a stay.
Picture a large enclosure, with a dozen or more kangaroos hopping around. You are not watching from the outside, but right in the
middle. You can pet and feed the kangaroos, make goo-goo eyes at the
joeys poking their heads out of their mothers’ pouches. Kangaroo fur
is startling in its softness, like a bunny’s. But then, both bunnies and
kangaroos do hop, so it makes a certain sense.
Moving on, you can pet or even kiss a giraffe. Feed a camel. Make
a hairy eyeball at an emu or ostrich. Scratch a zebra behind its ears.
Play with miniature goats and sheep. There are dozens of different
species of animals, and you’ll have the chance to get up-close-and-per-
sonal in ways you never can at a zoo. The tours are chock-full of info
to engage the parents. And the kids will love the free camel and pony
rides after the morning tour.
My advice: Don’t tell the family anything about where you’re
going. The surprise factor, with no expectations, makes it more fun.
Over the years, we did dozens of road-trip vacations with our kids.
And with a lot of them, the memories got lost or flow together. But I
know for a fact that the kids have never forgotten that one night at
Hedrick’s.
Because you can’t forget what it feels like to cuddle a Kansas
kangaroo.
what else to do in
Hutchinson?
Cosmosphere (620) 662-2305: This museum houses the largest collection of space artifacts
outside the Smithsonian, plus theaters, the astronaut experience, and more. Interactive and familyfriendly. Open daily.
Strataca Kansas Underground Salt Museum (620) 662-1425: Descend 650 feet below the prairie
to a subterranean world of original mines and unusual exhibits and surprises (such as discovering
where old movies are stored). Tram ride and displays. Reservations are helpful, as groups are limited
by the size of the elevator.
Hutchinson Zoo (620) 694-2693: Compact and kid-friendly, open weekends only October to April.
Reno County Museum (620) 662-1184: Features four rotating-exhibit galleries and an Oodleplex
which provides interactive fun for kids of all ages. Call for hours.
Yoder Amish Community (620) 465-3613: Located south of Hutchinson, this is a step back in
time, with shops, family-style restaurants, antiques and more.
For info on restaurants and lodging in Hutchinson, or upcoming events, go to visithutch.com.
Hedrick’s Bed & Breakfast Inn and Exotic Animal Farm: For reservations and more detailed
information on overnight stays, birthday parties, school groups or private family tours, go to hedricks.
com or call (888) 489-8039. 46
TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Spring ’ 14