My Kansas Kronikles: McPherson, one of the 100 best small towns in America

My next stop on my Kansas trip was to McPherson, which is consistently ranked among the top 100 small towns in America. The unique attraction of the village is the McPherson Opera House, built in 1888 in the Romanesque Revival style. Operas aren't performed there anymore, there's a photo art gallery on the first floor of the building, selling prints of Kansas landscape. Of course you can get the same thing here for free--just remember to patronize the advertisers.

McPherson is the county seat of McPherson County, and it's another Kansas town blessed with a beautiful courthouse, pictured on the right and below. Like the opera house, this structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Besides the heat, another disadvantage of traveling there in July is that many wonderful buildings can't be properly photographed because they're blocked by trees sporting full foliage. However, making a trip to Kansas is definitely worth the minor hardships.

Next: Mushroom Rock

Technorati tags: Kansas travel byways photography photos architecture americana small towns