Hesston College alumni and friends are invited to take part in the college’s annual Explore Kansas! trip, June 24 and 25. The 2017 overnight excursion includes a weekend of art, sports, cuisine, history, architecture, worship and music, with stops at or learning about 15 Kansas Wonders winners or finalists.

Leaving early Saturday morning, June 24, the chartered bus tour will head for the northeast part of the state with stops that include The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City), a first-class nationally-rated museum with 28,000 comprehensive artifacts.

The afternoon event will be Hesston College Day at the K for a 1 p.m. showdown between the Kansas City Royals and the Toronto Bluejays. Community members and those not participating as part of the weekend Explore Kansas! trip are also welcome to attend the Day at the K on their own, including a discounted ticket price of $19 per person. Contact sheri.esau@hesston.edu or 620-327-8147 to reserve game tickets.

Overnight lodging on June 24 will be at the Crowne Plaza Kansas City Downton. Guests just attending the Kansas City Royals game can stay at the hotel for the same discounted rate as the Explore Kansas! group. A limited number of rooms are available.

Sunday events include a tour at First Presbyterian Church in Topeka, which features the Tiffany windows – an art wonder of exquisite stained glass windows installed in 1911. The windows depict biblical stories with incredible detail. Participants will also learn about the Kansas Capitol’s John Steuart Curry murals and native Kansan Poco Frazier’s “Justice” statue.

For afternoon entertainment, and for the final stop, the group will take in the Kansas Mennonite Men’s Chorus concert at the historic Grace Episcopal Church in Topeka, with a post-concert church tour and presentation.

Tour group participants will eat well throughout the weekend, including Saturday evening at Kansas City classic, Stroud’s, for pan-fried chicken, and Sunday lunch at Woodyard Bar-B-Que, which was featured on The Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

The cost for the trip is $160 per person, based on double occupancy lodging. Reservations are encouraged as soon as possible, and no later than Friday, June 9, as available space is limited. No refunds will be made past the June 9 cutoff date.

Contact Alumni Relations at 620-327-8109 to reserve a spot. See a complete itinerary online.