North Lawrence Walking Tour

Walking Tour

Second and Locust

North Lawrence, Kansas

If I were you, I’d ditch the car in the parking 

lot at the corner of Second and Locust just 

over the bridge in North Lawrence. From 

there you have options. Immediately to 

your south is the Kaw River Bridge. And 

right there is the Bowersock North 

Powerhouse, a monument, in steel and 

concrete, to the future of low impact 

energy generation. The levee trail runs 

east and west overlooking the river.

The Gaslight Gardens is west of the parking 

lot and Johnny’s, just across the street to 

the north, are available for your eating and 

drinking pleasure should those desires arise.

  

Across Locust is the Union Pacific Depot,
now the Visitor’s Center. I recommend the
benches around two different sculptures on
the Depot grounds. A bronze memorial
spirit rises ‘From the Ashes’ by Jim Brothers.
And sculpted in stainless steel and water -
wheels within wheels - you have ‘Mobility’
by Shellie Bender.

Freight trains rumble by regularly. If you 

stand against the fence you can feel their 

motive power, and over your shoulder you

can see the grain elevator standing tall, 

representing hard work and the feeding 

of many people – although it must be 

recognized, at the cost of the topsoil 

roiling under the Kaw River bridge.

If you take the sidewalk north along 

Second Street, you will pass under the 

train tracks. The tunnel to the other side 

is a little dark, but you can see light. 

Since no one can hear you anyway, sing 

loud, or at least holler. The sound in 

your ears might surprise you.

North Lawrence is not very picturesque along this 

street, but in several blocks you’ll come to an 

Iwig dairy store. Their cows are well taken care 

of so their products are as humane and satisfying 

as you can reasonably hope for.

I recommend that you come prepared with

metal spoons. Plastic is a distant second choice 

if you plan to buy more than a cone. Take 

ice cream and walk it back to some of the 

places I mentioned.

Sit. Savor the world with your eyes and 

your tongue. Trust me. You have little better 

to do for an hour or two. 

And if I were you, I wouldn’t spend too much 

time in picking which flavor of ice cream to buy. 

You can always do this kind of thing again. These 

places are within mere blocks of each other and 

change with the seasons and the time of day. 

Take another walk sometime soon.

Text and photos by Bert Haverkate-Ens
walktokaw.blogspot.com