I was thisclose to going to Hutchinson, Kansas for a mid-April for blogger/press trip, but it didn't work out. I know, I know. You're wondering why I would head to the middle of nowhere. It turns out this town about 40 minutes out of Wichita has a couple of unique attractions in addition to hosting the Kansas State Fair each summer.For starters, the town is home to a world-class space museum, the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center. Who knew, right? But of course, I live a short drive from Chicago's from the Adler Planetarium, no need for me to pack up and drive all that way for a space center.What's Hutchinson got that Chicago hasn't? A Salt Mine.Specifically, the Kansas Underground Salt Museum. For a fee, children over the age of four and their families can take a dark (pitch black at some points, I'm told) elevator ride down 650 feet into the Earth to tour the mine. The salt deposits are estimated to have formed over 275 million years ago. The Salt Museum's website is sparse on the details, but I'm told the tour is rather informative. And at the very least, it's unique.If that deep, dark mine is too scary, visitors can supposedly just click their heels three times and say "there's no place like home," and they'll be transported back to the surface. C'mon, it's Kansas. I had to make that joke.

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