Drive twenty minutes from the lake and you land on a town square that decided not to give up.
Humboldt sits along the Neosho River, and its story has never been a quiet one. German settlers founded it in 1857, and it survived the raids of 1861 that left it in ashes. A town that can come back from that knows something about starting over.
A Town That Chose to Begin Again
Not long ago, Main Street looked tired. One longtime resident remembers the downtown as mostly boarded up. Then a group of Kansas natives came home with a simple idea: bring the best of city life back to a small town. They called themselves A Bolder Humboldt, and they started in 2016. In 2022, The New York Times named Humboldt one of the places in the world worth visiting. Since 2020 the town has gained coffee, restaurants, a microbrewery, a grocery store, a hotel, and its hometown newspaper again. Old buildings have new life. Locals and travelers now share the same sidewalks.
What You Will Find on the Square
Everything here is a few steps from everything else, and the businesses feed each other like a little ecosystem.
Start at Buzz, the coffee shop inside HoneyBee Bruncherie. It opens at 6am for the early risers and closes at 2pm. Stay for brunch, and try the ube latte. Next, walk over to Octagon City Coffee, a coffee shop named for a historic community experiment that led to the eventual settlement of Humboldt. Step through the adjoining door into Get 'Em Tiger, a playful gift shop full of stickers and small finds.
Keep wandering. Bijou is the candy shop, with fudge, macarons and a wall of sweets. Jae and Co is the place for shopping, and Wishing Well is a kids store made for small hands and big imaginations. Learn something at the Whitetails and Wildlife Museum, then settle in for dinner at UNION, the brewery and restaurant, or at Cozy's on the square. There is Estrellita, a Mexican spot right next to Octagon.
Bring a bike. The Southwind Rail Trail runs between Humboldt and Iola, an easy ride through Allen County. It is the same Southwind spirit behind our name: open country, easy miles, and a reason to keep exploring.
Check Ahead, Then Come Be Part of It
This is the most important thing we can tell you. Humboldt is a town still being built, and that is the magic of it. Many of these businesses are small, owner run, and set their own hours. Some open only certain days, some keep seasonal schedules, and some open for weekends and events. Before you make the drive, check each place you want to visit on its own website or social page. A quick look ahead turns a good day into a great one, and it is the best way to support the people doing this work.
Book your stay at Southwind Lake Cabins, check ahead, and spend a day in Humboldt.
After a day well spent in down head back to the water. Our three lake cabins at Bourbon State Fishing Lake are about twenty minutes from Humboldt, close enough for new experiences and far enough that the evening belongs to the fire, the stars, and the quiet. Book your stay at Southwind Lake Cabins, check ahead, and spend a day in Humboldt.
