Paxico Antiques

I think Kansas might be more interesting if more towns were visible from the interstate. Just as I was getting restless with the drive, I saw a small sign for Paxico antiques. I took the exit and immediately found myself on a narrow dirt road that seemed to go nowhere. I followed it as it climbed over a railroad track, skirted some fields and eventually led me to the most amazing little town, itself an antique. Paaxico's main drag has a delightful row of old clapboard stores from a way-back western era. Lots of antique stores.

I met a fellow named Wayne Ervin and struck up a conversation. The next thing I knew I was being given the "five cents tour" of his little museum called WANO. This is a neatly arranged display of some of his own collections: cameras and projectors, tiny toy cars of metal, posters, even his wife's old dolls. In the next room he'd built displays from the recent wars in the Middle East, the Pinkertons, his own uniform from the Vietnam era, even a space devoted to the hippies at his wife's request. These are all interesting but let me tell you about his dinosaurs.

He has a friend who builds dinosaur displays and other neat dino stuff (google: Dino Jim Boydston). He built dinosaurs for his friend, Wayne, who painted a backdrop and set them up. They are made of foam, large, colorful and fairly realistic in an animation sense. I was fascinated, charmed and impressed all at once.

The next time anyone finds themselves driving through Kansas complaining of boredom...look again. and don't forget to look up Wayne and his museum in Paxico. He is an interesting character with many a good story and his museum is a gem. Don't miss it...and check out the antique shops while you're at it