GEAPS Exchange 2010 Guest Program
Hosted by the guests of our International officers and Host Advisory Council, this is a great opportunity to make new friendships or meet up with friends from the past. Light refreshments will be served and a representative from the Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau will be available with information about ways to experience the city during your stay.
Travel back in time as you board the heated River City Trolley for a delightful scenic drive. You'll take in views of the Arkansas River crossing over the bridge of two rivers, guarded by Wichita's own "Keeper of the Plains" statue. First stop, the Keeper Kafe located in the Mid-America All-Indian Center where you’ll get just a taste of the museum during our visit with dessert of Indian fried bread. You may return to the museum during your free time later in the week and see all it has on display.
The afternoon continues with a trolley ride to Historic Old Town to tour one of the largest privately owned collections, "Museum of World Treasures." Explore three floors of dinosaurs, ancient civilizations, Marilyn Monroe's jewelry, Elvis' handkerchief and local artifacts of plains Indians.
First stop on this tour is at the Crown Uptown Theatre. Join the theatre in celebrating 33 years of providing Broadway-style shows and a delicious all-you-care-to-eat buffet prepared by the Crown Uptown's chef and his outstanding culinary staff. The performance is the hit show "All Shook Up!" featuring the music of Elvis: It's 1955 in a sleepy Midwestern town. One girl's dream is kick-started when a guitar playing, hip-shaking, motorcycle-riding hunk comes to town and helps the community discover the magic of romance and the power of rock 'n' roll! This new musical features Elvis Presley's greatest hits, including "Jailhouse Rock," "Heartbreak Hotel," "Don't Be Cruel," "Burning Love" and many more!
Board the trolley after your performance and get your chocolate fix at our next stop, Cero's, Wichita's hand-dipped chocolate and candy tradition since 1885. What's better than coffee and chocolate on a brisk Wichita afternoon? Guests will get a chance to try their skills as they make their own hand-dipped treats.
While one half of the group is chocolating, the rest will travel uptown to the College Hill area to experience the 1915 Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie House, which is considered among his best designs. Designed for the prominent journalist and Statesman Henry J. Allen and his wife Elsie J. Nuzman Allen, who was active in local art organizations, the house was occupied until late 1947. The house is considered the last of the Prairie Houses and is full of unique features and one-of-a-kind original furnishings designed by Wright specifically for this home.
Kick off the final day of the Exchange with all of the friends you have met. Plan your day's activities over a full breakfast buffet and then head out for a morning of sightseeing or rest and relaxation.
This tour will take you to the studio of Rollin Karg, a renowned glass artisan from the Midwest who designs and creates small and massive sculptural pieces from molten glass, usually shaped in a freeform, asymmetrical manner. He brings the glass to life through his dynamic use of color, especially dichroic colors—a color that transmits one color while reflecting another—which adds a unique dimension to the piece.
Guests on the Karg Art Studio tour will get to watch as Karg and other glass artisans create works of art right in front of their eyes. Then it's off to the Wichita Art Museum to view additional works by Karg as well as hundreds of other artists.