If you love the big open sky surrounding Lawrence, KS, and the sound of crickets, cows and a…read morepicturesque Midwestern night, you're going to see the appeal of the Historic Taylor Barn. That was our thinking when we booked this for our wedding in 2015. This beautiful working farm, although a bit more on the rustic side than some photos would have you believe, really is a place where you can breathe deep, relax and make for a wonderful evening. Being in the event world myself, I was less than thrilled with some of the steps leading up to it when we booked this venue. They are friendly folks, but there was a sense of a vaguery around a lot of things. We had to have every vendor "approved" by them, but the responses were slow. In the wedding planning process, things move so quickly that you better nail down that photographer, caterer, etc. and not have to wait and follow up continuously. Something that bugged me as my stress was H-I-G-H that final week before the wedding was that a big time cold front and high chance of rain were forecasted to move in. With over a week's notice I requested that they go ahead and get the heaters and tents that we'd talked about as our agreed upon contingency plan. No response. Followed up, and by then it was too late to get all that we needed, even though we were still four days out. They had told me 48 hours would be sufficient notice so I was very disappointed. Thank god it didn't rain as forecasted! She also quoted me pretty high on the heat lamps and I grew weary. I called the rental company (Sunflower Rental) myself and found that the total price I was quoted was bumped up to nearly double what they actually charge. So I could've just ordered these myself and saved a lot of money, and there was no explanation for the upcharge except that I called them on it. Now the wedding day was great, they were accommodating to the caterers, they dressed up and were around but not too present, and were just overall great. I chalk it up to the fact that everyone EVER who is in the wedding business realizes the cash grab that it can be and that a few things here and there fell in that category. I think this would probably be the same for a lot of venues, I just wish there had been a bit more transparency from the get go. Also not a fan of the $300 clean up charge, that's bogus. Thankfully as the bride and groom we were not on the hook and our family stepped up to do this. Our wedding was beautiful, and the weather cooperated. It was crisp, they had a bon fire stoked for us, and the historic barn (built in 1887 I think?) and I was thrilled with the way everything worked out.

From the owner: Wedding/reception venue Rehearsal dinners…read moreAnniversary celebration Photo opportunities

Yoder meats in Lawrence ks has the best ribeyes in the US. Bryan really knows how to cut meat and…read moreis so knowledgeable about his product! He's so nice to deal with. I always make the drive to go here! A great place!

Meat me at this butcher shop for some awesome food. lol. I had wanted to go to this shop for some…read moretime now so the other day I just made it happen. I do not eat a great deal of meat but when I do... I want quality. I was ill prepared for the wonderful experience that awaited me. The person that helped me, Brian, was terrific. He was super knowledgeable about products, preparation and taste. He even steered me away from higher priced items for lower priced things he thought I would like better. He was thorough and patient with my endless questions. He is very well suited to his job. They have all sorts of items in this quaint shop. They have cheese, jams, jellies, bread, eggs, kitchen equipment. From outside the shop, it does not appear to be very large inside and it isn't necessarily large.. just well packaged. The meat selection is vast... beef, pork, buffalo, chicken, lamb.... in every configuration you can imagine. They have steaks, ground meat, jerky. I learned so much just talking to Brian. There is ample parking and this store is located in a strip mall so there is easy access. Everything is sparkling clean and has a very nice atmosphere about the shop. Tremendously impressed with this gem of a shop.

Word has been out on this place for over a decade now, but it's always a treat to experience…read more One year way back when, they had issues with crazy, CRAZY traffic and people parking alongside the highways all around. Everything has been remedied, as far as I can tell, and it's a pleasant stop if you can time it right. (Typically around Labor Day weekend and the following week). We took our girls for the first time and they enjoyed it. They had to get used to the fact there are boatloads of bees, but the bees are in their own, symbiotic world at that point. They have a few fields, all a very short drive from each other. This last trip up we went to their little general store and ended up having an impromptu dinner from a BBQ truck they had up that weekend. Just a magical night that unfolded with these vibrant yellow flowers all around us against a dark gray sky. If you're too early, it doesn't hit the same, and if you're too late, you'll know it. Follow their Facebook page as they add some fun and details that people love to follow along with.

There's a joke about how life in the Midwest is so slow that people like to stand in the middle of…read morea field for fun. It's true. We do. For two to three weeks around Labor Day, Grinter Farms is the place to be and the sunflowers are the main attraction. Family and engagement photos, candid pics, selfies, panoramics and more. It's fun for all ages. The main field, which is the smaller of the two, has a small store for gifts and collectibles. The second field, about a quarter mile down the road, is made for exploring.