A Guide to Haysville, KS: An Evening Out in a Small Town

When you've lived in and around a small town your entire life, you know that the most exciting thing to do on a Saturday night may not exactly encourage your out-of-town relatives to pay you a visit. That doesn't mean that you can't show them a good time, of course, once you've convinced them to give it a try. Barring a trip to a nearby big city, there are other ways you can have some fun.

Haysville, Kansas, located just south of Wichita, is an excellent example. It doesn't have any museums or even a movie theater, but it does have some redeeming entertainment qualities. One advantage of the layout of the town, or any town its size, is that everything is within walking or biking distance. The city has, in fact, recently completed the construction of a sidewalk trail that circles through town, providing a well-lighted area for pedestrian travel.

There is a variety of eating establishments in town, something for nearly everyone, when you make plans to go out for dinner. If you are in the mood for Chinese, my personal favorite is the small, family-owned China Café on Main St., where you can watch your order being made fresh while you wait. If you prefer the all-American style of pizza, there is a Pizza Hut right across the street. And if you want something healthier, there's a Subway on the corner of Grand (71^st St.) and Broadway. Whether you're looking for big-chain food, like at the Sonic Drive-Thru just north of Subway and the Dairy Queen on Main St., or a little small-town charm, like at Pam's Diner just north of China Café, you'll find it on a quick drive through Haysville.

When you're finished with dinner, or possibly lunch, you might feel like spending a relaxing evening at home. You can do so by first stopping by one of the video rental stores in town. Movie Gallery is on Main St. and also offers tanning beds if that's how you'd rather spend your Saturday. Family Video is on Grand and is rumored to have the lowest video prices in town.