This week’s contest got readers thinking about our town’s perpetual tourism troubles. Old Cowtown Museum seems to find itself torn between two worlds. On the one hand is their museum mission with all of its implied emphasis on historical accuracy. On the other is the rootin’ tootin’ wild west approach with all the cheesy cliches that make historians squirm and make tourists go gaga.Here’s what contestants had to say: Kevin Hughe of Topeka weighed in with "Time to get the hell to Dodge!" Jim Kipcak of Lajitas, Texas said "Sorry little lady, but we all’s passin’ you by on our way to the #1 tourist attraction in Kansas – Cabela’s store in KC!" Curtis Fowler of Wichita saw another local tourism problem and said "Pardon me ma’am. Could you head me in the direction of a ghost town called ‘Exploration Place’?" From Richard Julius of Peck: "If Miss Kitty swaps her petticoats and corset for pasties and a g-string, they’ll come!" Dan Spoonhour of Wichita said "Oh, Oh! Looks like the ole gray mare ain’t what she used to be!" Wichita’s Bruce Cole sent in "Maybe this is one of those ‘Hidden Treasures’ things…" Our dear town got a bit of a whacking from Twila Branch of Wichita: "Yep, this is Wichita, where everything tends to be outdated, out-of-joint and a ‘little behind.’ " Finally, Karen Wallace kept it short and sweet with "Is that historic enough for ya?"
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