Liberal, KS

Graueradler

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Graueradler
Planning to visit the air museum in Liberal some time this summer. Anyone in the area have any hotel recommendations? National chains are usually a pretty safe choice but they can provide surprises now and then.
 
Can't recall where we stayed. Think it was a holiday inn. No complaints. Got stuck there with a busted mag seal. The FBO on the field was great... (Except the one mechanic there that day said he wasn't good at setting the timing on the mags, so he had to call another one in on his day off :confused::confused: )
 
I've spent a few nights there at the Hampton Inn. I liked the museum, many airplanes there like my family owned over the years. It gets a bit smelly around town with a large number of processing plants in town. Nice FBO and they have an airport loaner truck that I used. Just watch out for my mouthy brother that flies a Beech 400 out of there too. Just don't talk to him.
 
We'll be driving, not flying. I sold the plane about a year ago. Got fed up with the FAA bull cr*p with the class III medical. I flew just for fun and the FAA nonsense took the fun out so whats the point.
 
I dropped in there one time many years ago. I was driving from Ohio to Colorado and saw the sign for "Air Museum". I had the time so took the exit from I-70 and drove down to Liberal. Aside from a very nice air museum, there were a few things that struck me about the town. First, it's in the middle of nowhere, quite a way from the interstate! Secondly, on the two lane roads on the way into town, most people wave as they pass you in the opposite direction. And third, as a 20-something young man, I took special notice of how cute the girls were in that town compared to the other small towns that I passed through to get there! I wonder if the former military base there had something to do with the healthy gene pool that seems to have blessed this little town :)
 
.i.grew.up.there....the.smell.washes.off....trust.me.

YES, THE GIRLS ARE CORN FED!! YEOWSA!

I was there two weeks ago with family. Flew in in the Bo - man they keep chopping up the runways out there. I remember when all the original runways were still useable. Not now and one is a raceway :( (While in high school, I helped maintain the runways. Even carried the radio so we could monitor CTAF and not get run over when out spraying weeds.)

The museum is the former Beech plant. Yes, Beech built airplanes in Liberal back in the 50s through about 1984 when they moved everything to Wichita. There are a LOT of very nice examples in the museum. (Although I think their -35 might be a few serial numbers newer than mine.) Everything from some record setting pipers, navions, Beeches (including a starship), WWII warbirds and even a FedEx Jet they are converting into a classroom for one of the technical colleges.

Where to stay: There is a Holiday Inn express over by the Hospital that is near the airport. Also a new Hampton Inn that is nice. If you need cheap: There is the Liberal Inn - to get your 70's on... check it out.

Breakfast: The Liberal Pancake House is a must.

Dinner: Not sure what they call it now, but the old "cattleman's restaurant" is open again - but I don't remember the name. If you find the Pancake House, then look for the steakhouse next door. Come hungry - go away hurting. (Many other options - just ask the locals.)

I'm sure I'm missing something. I'll answer what I can remember...
 
I appreciate the responses. I think that this is a great board.

I did check out the Liberal Inn on the internet. It was recommended by a local. Result of customer feedback seems to be that the resteraunt is good but the hotel itself, not so much. Looks like I'll settle on one of the chains.

Further input welcome.
 
I appreciate the responses. I think that this is a great board.

I did check out the Liberal Inn on the internet. It was recommended by a local. Result of customer feedback seems to be that the resteraunt is good but the hotel itself, not so much. Looks like I'll settle on one of the chains.

Further input welcome.

I spent a night in the Liberal Inn about 20 years ago. I'm sure that experience is relevant (not). It was good by Liberal standards then. The steak was excellent.
 
I stayed in the Holiday Inn Express a little over a year ago. Nothing wrong with it. Something you might try, if it's only a 1 night stay, is to use priceline and name your price. Knowing that there are only a couple chain hotels there, it's fairly limited on what you can end up with (that's how I ended up in the Holiday Inn Express)
 
I went to the Cattlemans Restaurant when I was there for a Mailbu prebuy. It was good but smelly outside. I flew in on United from Denver. No worry on which gate to use. There's only one.
 
World famous oxymorons:

Jumbo Shrimp

Flat Busted

Liberal Kansas
 
World famous oxymorons:

Jumbo Shrimp

Flat Busted

Liberal Kansas

Bite your tong. Why just the other day in church we said a prayer for all those lost gay souls. (Sorry - took the bait on that one.)
 
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