Our Impressions
Geographically, Paxico and Wamego are small towns right next to each other off I-70 in the midwestern part of Kansas. The two towns have different vibes. Paxico is very small and is mostly antique shops. The shopkeepers are friendly. The antique shop on the corner even repairs old potbelly cookstoves! It is an easy walk from the campground to downtown Paxico.
Wamego is about a twenty-minute drive from Paxico. I am not sure how we lucked out, but our visit was during Oztober Fest! The entire downtown was shut down for the festivities! There were food trucks, kids’ games, and all the stores were decorated and had great sales. It was a fun place to be.
Attractions
Wamego: The Oz Museum is in downtown Wamego. It is a fun museum with everything OZ. Lots of interesting information about the movie and the characters! Take all the pictures you want, including the helium balloon! It is worth the trip if you are interested in movie memorabilia!
Newbury: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, founded in 1870, established in 1874. The church was built where the locals believed the railroad was going to be built. The founding members felt this would be a good site to build based on the amount of traffic the railroad would bring with it. Unfortunately, plans changed. The railroad was built about 5 miles south of the church. It is a beautiful building!
Wamego: Oztober Fest was going on the day we visited the area. The main street was shut down for the festivities. There was live music, food trucks, craft booths, contests for the people who mostly dressed and looked like characters from the Wizard of Oz as well as games and a bouncy house for children. It was very well attended!
Food and Drink
Paxico: We ate mostly food made by Dan, the campground owner! We would go back to this campground just for Dan’s cooking!
Paxico: Longbranch Bar is the only restaurant/bar in downtown Paxico. The Dammit Jim hamburger was big, juicy and flavorful.
Wamego: Food trucks were plentiful at Oztoberfest. You could get anything you wanted, from tacos to ice cream!
Wamego: And of course, we had to stop at Arbuckle Mountain Fried Pies! The cherry pie served warm was excellent!
Home Base: The Campground
For us, a campground is not our destination. Our RV is self-contained. Rarely do we use campground services or amenities. We are explorers, not campground reviewers!
We stayed at site 27 at Mill Creek Campground in Paxico. This is a very clean, well-maintained park. Our site was a FHU (water-electric-sewer) pull thru on packed gravel. Very simple check-in, friendly staff. Sites are long, but narrow. Most are “buddy sites”. 30 and 50 amp service was available. There was good cell phone coverage (Verizon) and a good open southern sky for our satellite. It is very quiet, except for the occasional train that runs along the length of the campground.
What is exceptionally special about this campground is that the owners make AND DELIVER meals at a reasonable price! Homemade pizza with fresh toppings! Full breakfasts!
Fun Facts
You probably know that Frank Baum was the author of the Wizard of Oz. But did you know his mother-in-law, Matilda Gage, was a co-founder of the National Woman Suffrage Association?
Statistics:
| Paxico | Wamego | |
| Population: | 210 | 4,846 |
| Founded: | 1879 | 1866 |
| Average Income: | $29,535 | $42,500 |
| Average House Cost: | $257,849 | $288,507 |
| Average age of population: | 49 | 37 |
Website:
Paxico – https://www.wbcounty.org/home/pages/paxico-kansas
Wambago – https://www.wamego.org/
Summary
Very small-town feel. We have stopped here several times crossing Kansas. We would definitely stop by here again.
Since beginning our full-time journey to discover the country, we have found something to appreciate in every city and town we have passed through. We hope you enjoy reading about them as much as we have enjoyed discovering them!
Your partners in travel,
Kathryn and Dave
RVing Nomads
It’s a lifestyle
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| No person, business or attraction has paid us for an endorsement. AI has not been used to create any of the content in this blog or website. All of the photos in this blog and website were taken by Dave or Kathryn Harrington. |