Not So Crazy Kansas with Andrea Buginsky

When my husband and I moved from Florida to Kansas three years ago, our families and friends thought we were a little crazy. We didn’t know anyone here, and I had never been here before. My husband lived her for a couple of years when he was a teenager, and has always remembered it as his favorite place to live. So we decided to make the move. As an author, I can work from anywhere, so it had no effect on my career whatsoever.

Kansas City offers great shopping at the Plaza, wonderful shows at Starlight Theatre, Royals baseball, and Chiefs football.

But only fifteen minutes south is my little corner of the world, Overland Park. I love my wonderful town. It’s close enough to the city to enjoy all it has to offer, but in the beautiful suburban area that’s a lot less crowded. Overland Park has some wonderful sites of its own.

One of my favorite spots is the Arboretum, a 300-acre park made up of botanical gardens and the arboretum itself. Around 85% of the Arboretum is dedicated to preserving and restoring eight natural ecosystems. I love walking around the different areas of the park, seeing all the beautiful exhibits, flowers, trees, and statues. There’s a huge pond in the middle filled with coy fish that I could watch for hours.

As a writer, I find the whole area a sanctuary to let things go, clear my thoughts, breathe in mother nature, and perhaps come up with some beautiful scenery for my books. I’ve taken several pictures of the exhibits and love to flip through them from time to time.

A newer area of Overland Park I’ve recently discovered is Cinetopia, a unique movie complex with various theaters sporting a variety of themes. My favorite is the Living Room theater, where I can recline and put my feet up while enjoying the movie, and even order concessions to be delivered right to my seat. Prairiefire, a unique shopping center with a variety of stores, restaurants, and entertainment complexes. There’s a huge bowling alley and even a museum. It’s a great place to spend the day.

There’s even an in-theater restaurant. Cinetopia is located at

My third favorite place is the Louisburg Cider Mill, located about an hour south of Overland Park. The drive itself on US 69 is incredible, as you pass by beautiful farmlands. The cider mill provides a unique experience of watching the entire process of the cider being made, from the apples being rinsed and deposited into the mill, to the grinding and dispensing of the cider. There’s a wonderful country store where you can buy the delicious cider, along with other novelty items. I love stopping for fresh cider on days we want to go on long rides.

I might not have discovered a lot of Overland Park in the three years I’ve been here, but the areas I have discovered have been wonderful and unique. I’ve published two books since moving here, Fate and Striker’s Apprentice, and am currently writing my seventh book. I still have plenty of places I want to check out, including the rest of Prairiefire and the Farmer’s Market. I can’t wait to share my new experiences with you next year.

 

I’m offering up a mobi or nook copy of one of my books, winner's choice.

For more visit http://andreabuginskyauthor.blogspot.com/
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