We have been through Kansas before, but only in transit to other places. We stopped by Monument Rocks in 2016. But that is about it. This time, we visit another of Kansas’s 8 wonders: the Strataca Salt Mines. While, above ground, this region seems as unremarkable as most - wide flat farm land cut by railway tracks - the town of Hutchinson has hidden depths.
We love National Parks with massive rock formations. But the title of "National Park" tends to also be synonymous with "overcrowded." There is, of course, a paradox in National Parks: they are meant to preserve unique natural wonders but also share them at the same time. Rarely are those two missions compatible. That is why it is great to visit stunning parts of America that haven't quite become National Parks. Instead, they could be, say, a National Natural Landmark like, Kansas' Monument Rocks.