Trade the City of Festivals for the City of Spirits
Lenexa is known as the "City of Festivals" — the Great Lenexa BBQ Battle, Spinach Festival, and countless community events keep this Johnson County city buzzing year-round. But when you want a festival-free weekend focused on craft spirits and open skies, Smoky Valley Distillery delivers. We're 195 miles west in Marquette, deep in the Smoky Hills, where the only event on the calendar is your private tasting.
Getting Here from Lenexa
From Lenexa, take I-435 N to I-70 W. Follow I-70 through Lawrence, Topeka, and the Flint Hills all the way to Salina — about 170 miles of interstate. In Salina, exit onto KS-4 W and drive 25 miles through Lindsborg to Marquette. Total drive time is approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes.
The drive west on I-70 is one of the most relaxing stretches of highway in Kansas — wide open, minimal traffic, and increasingly scenic as the terrain shifts from the Flint Hills into the Smoky Hills region.
Nearest Retailers
Pick up our spirits at two Salina stores right along your I-70 route:
- Brook's Liquor — stocking all 10 spirits, from Straight Bourbon to Pickle Vodka
- Cave Divers Liquor Store — full vodka, bourbon, and whiskey selection
Both are convenient stops in Salina, whether you're heading to the distillery or on your way home.
Lenexa to Marquette — A Weekend Plan
Here's how Lenexa residents can make the most of a trip west:
Friday:
- Leave Lenexa after work — I-70 W traffic is lighter heading out of the metro
- Stop for dinner in Topeka or Abilene along the way
- Arrive in Marquette by 9 PM, check into Preston House (sleeps 11, walking distance to the distillery)
Saturday:
- Morning: Stroll through historic downtown Marquette — the Kansas Motorcycle Museum and Main Street murals set the scene
- 10 AM: Guided tour and tasting at the distillery — $10/person, 30-45 minutes, covering all 10 spirits
- Noon: Drive to Lindsborg for lunch — Swedish meatballs, pastries, and shopping along Main Street
- Afternoon: Visit Coronado Heights (a WPA-built hilltop castle with 360-degree views) or hike at Mushroom Rock State Park's unique sandstone formations
- Evening: Return to the distillery for live music and cocktails. Try a Smoked Jalapeno Vodka Bloody Mary.
Sunday:
- Late breakfast, pack up Preston House
- Head east on I-70, stopping at the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene or the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City
- Home in Lenexa by mid-afternoon
Something You Can't Get in JoCo
Johnson County has excellent dining and plenty of craft beverage options. What it doesn't have is a family-run, grain-to-glass distillery set in a 1919 COOP building in a town of 600 people. Our Kernza Whiskey uses a perennial grain you won't find in any other distillery in the country, and our Rye Whiskey and Bud & Dewey's wheated bourbon are the kind of spirits that earn repeat visits from across the KC metro.