Quiet Breaks - Lawrence

The mellow town of LAWRENCE lies on the Kansas River, roughly halfway between Kansas City and Topeka, around thirty miles from either. Tree-lined streets, a welcoming historic downtown and an aura of old-hippie artsiness make it an appealing destination, with a cultural energy owed in part to the University of Kansas

(home of the Jayhawk, the mythical bird which is the emblem of its sports teams), and a long liberal and intellectual history.

Studded with cafés and eclectic shops, downtown Lawrence is a delight to walk around - and just as busy outside of term time, when day-trippers flock in from less congenial Kansan cities. However, most of the town's formal attractions are congregated on campus. The University of Kansas Natural History Museum , on Jayhawk Boulevard at 14th Street (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm; free), holds a chronological panorama of North American flora and fauna, as well as the now stuffed horse Comanche, the lone survivor of Custer's cavalry at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Across the road, the Museum of Anthropology , in Spooner Hall, presents African and Eskimo artifacts (Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm; free). The Spencer Museum of Art , at 1301 Mississippi St (Tues, Wed, Fri & Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-9pm, Sun noon-5pm; free), specializes in world art, with an Oriental gallery, Old Masters and a Pre-Raphaelite masterpiece. Graphic art (shown by appointment) from the Sixties includes some Warhols and exceptional photographs, from Diane Arbus's disturbing portraits to Weegee's documentary exposés of New York City life. Its gift shop does a great line in surreal and offbeat postcards.

Native American traditions are preserved and packaged for the public each year by the exhibitions of the Lawrence Indian Arts Show , held throughout the city from mid-September to the end of October. One venue is the Haskell Indian Nations University at 23rd and Massachusetts streets, where the Hiawatha Visitor Center and American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame are open year-round by appointment (tel 785/749-8404

Lawrence's nightlife is dominated by students, found in their droves along Massachusetts Street. One of the better places to investigate is Liberty Hall at 642 Massachusetts St (tel 745/749-1912). Once a social and political center, this building housed Lawrence's first newspaper until it was burned down by pro-slavery agitators in 1863. Today it puts on art-house films, plays and concerts.