Need Rec on Hotel Near Airport & Quick Sights...

Here%26#39;s the whole story. I%26#39;m meeting up with some friends north of Wichita but will be flying in alone one day early.

I%26#39;m planning to rent a car when I arrive, check into the hotel, and then visit some place. Then I%26#39;ll have dinner and get back to the hotel at a reasonable hour. The next day, I%26#39;m planning to check out around 10, then again go somewhere, have lunch, and then meet up with my friend in mid-afternoon, basically returning my car and getting into her rental car.

Hotel Questions: When in doubt, I generally go for an airport hotel. If this were the case, what suggestions do you have? It%26#39;s only for 1 night, and I don%26#39;t need a spa-like place. I%26#39;d like a place that%26#39;s reasonably priced, clean, with good service. I%26#39;d like to avoid paying for parking. On the other hand, would it be better to stay in Old Town to have access to shops and restaurants right outside my door? If so, what hotels would you recommend? That brings me to the next set of questions...

Sight-Seeing Questions: What sights would you recommend that I go to? For example, I should be available from 4:30 - 8:30 on Saturday night (should probably return to the hotel earlier), and I%26#39;ll have 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. free on Sunday. I like learning about the culture/history of the area, and I like going to touristy areas as well. For example, if I were visiting San Francisco, I%26#39;d be interested in Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf (touristy) and the Mission District (for the Hispanic culture).

For a point of reference (in case it matters, and sometimes it does), I%26#39;m a middle-aged (I can%26#39;t believe I just wrote that) Asian woman coming from San Francisco.

Thanks for any info you can provide. I%26#39;m planning 7 months ahead because I need to sign up for the event I%26#39;m actually going to.

Need Rec on Hotel Near Airport %26amp; Quick Sights...

What do you consider reasonably priced?

Need Rec on Hotel Near Airport %26amp; Quick Sights...

Sorry about the delay. I would say under $150. I have sort of decided not to stay in the airport area. A friend who grew up there suggested Old Town/Downtown/Warehouse district but didn%26#39;t have specific suggestions. This way I could come in and out to walk, eat, explore, etc.

I would recommend ';The Hotel at Old Town'; or The Courtyard by Marriott. They are both within a short walk to restaurants,bars etc. There are several good restaurants in Old Town Square. Sabor{sort of South American) Imbiss Grill {German} Hana(Japanese)and the Uptown Bistro (sort of a mix of everything). There is also Oeno which is a wine bar that does some food.

The Museum of World Treasures which I highly recommend is directly across the street from the Hotel at Old Town and the Marriott is right beside all of the above mentioned restaurants.

You might check out www.oldcowtown.org. Wichita has a long history as a cowtown and some people say it is still.

Thank you! I%26#39;ll look into all of those hotels!

If you are going to have a car available I would also suggest going to see the Keeper of the Plains at night. It is a beautiful area overlooking the river, Exploration Place and is very safe (Wichita is very safe--no concerns as a single traveler!) The art museum and cowtown are all in the museum area too and are fun to see if you are new to the area. Since you are used to traveling in a city you will be surprised at how easy it is to get anywhere in town--about 30 minutes to get from one end to the other! I am not sure when you are coming,but Botanica is beautiful especially when the flowers are in bloom. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Thanks everyone! I am so excited! Another internet friend of mine will be joining me. Hotel at Old Town, which looks like a great hotel, is booked because of an event, so I have a room at the Courtyard. It%26#39;s about $120, so $60/each person is great! This way we can also walk out for food and come back to rest and repeat easily. I also got marketing material from the visitor%26#39;s center, so I have maps. Think I%26#39;ll go to the World Treasures museum as well since they have a T-rex there. I%26#39;ll see if my friend can drive to the Botanica - don%26#39;t know what her interest is. I%26#39;ll post again in case I have questions when we get closer.