Those who attend the upcoming Douglas County Historical Society’s annual meeting may get a chance to experience Kansas like they never have before — at three miles an hour on a country road.

Henry Fortunato will be the keynote speaker at the annual meeting, and he’ll tell the crowd about his recently completed trip during which he spent six weeks walking 450 miles across Kansas.

“When you race through Kansas on I-70 at 75 miles an hour, it is all a blur and you can’t wait to get out of it,” said Fortunato, who is the director of public affairs for the Kansas City Public Library. “When you walk it at three miles an hour on a country road, you see so much more.”

Fortunato, who has been in Lawrence the past year as the Simons Fellow in Public Humanities at KU’s Hall Center for Humanities, said the passion and kindness of Kansas residents really stood out.

“I met people who are so passionate about what they are doing,” said Fortunato, who also is a former director of the KU History Project. “What they are trying to do is make Kansas a better and more interesting place.”

That included a Greensburg resident who is running a theater in that small town, a Chapman resident who is organizing a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Chisholm Trail and the people of Lucas who are aiming to make that Kansas town the world capital of folk art.

The Historical Society’s annual meeting is set for 6 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Eldridge Hotel, 701 Massachusetts St. Tickets for the event, which includes a meal, are $40 for society members and $50 for non-members. Advance registration is required, and can be made by calling 841-4109 or at watkinsmuseum.org.

The event will be one of the first presentations Fortunato has given since completing his trek about three weeks ago.