Coronado Heights is a scenic overlook on the southern-most bluff in a series of seven, known as the Smoky Hills.
Coronado Heights Castle, Smoky View, Kansas
Lindsborg, Kansas “Little Sweden”
Lindsborg is a small town an hour north of Wichita on Interstate 35. It was one of the places I had been looking forward to seeing and it did not disappoint. Scandinavian heritage is represented from the food to the architecture and attractions.
The Herd of Wild Dala Horses
What exactly is a dala horse?
It is a popular Swedish handicraft and souvenir. The name comes from its home province, Dalarna, in Central Sweden. Most popular are the red-orange horses. More of the history of the Dala Horse can be found here.
The Herd of Wild Dala Horses are large cast fiberglass horses decorated by local Lindsborg artists. They are found throughout the town.
Public Art
Art is scattered all over Lindsborg. There are contemporary outdoor sculptures, paintings, wind vanes, iron works and tile installments about town.
The town is so charming.
I had a recommendation from a local to eat lunch at Öl Stuga. He was carrying his takeout & I took his advice.
If you are visiting Kansas, be sure to save a day to spend in Lindsborg!
Strataca Salt Mine, Hutchinson, Kansas
This 3 hour adventure in the Strataca Salt Mine was one of the best adventures I have been on yet & I can’t wait to share it with you.
Friday Funnies
I have a great joke for you today—enjoy!
A Frog, a Bank & a Loan
A frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that the teller’s name is Patricia Whack. So he says, “Ms. Whack, I’d like to get a loan to buy a boat and go on a long vacation.”
Patti looks at the frog in disbelief and asks how much he wants to borrow.
The frog says $30,000.
The teller asks his name and the frog says that his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it’s OK, he knows the bank manager.
Patti explains that $30,000 is a substantial amount of money and that he will need to secure some collateral against the loan. She asks if he has anything he can use as collateral.
The frog says, “Sure. I have this,” and produces a tiny pink porcelain elephant, about half an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed.
Very confused, Patti explains that she’ll have to consult with the manager and disappears into a back office.
She finds the manager and says “There’s a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000. He wants to use this as collateral.” She holds up the tiny pink elephant. “I mean, what the heck is this?”
The bank manager looks back at her and says: “It’s a knick knack, Patti Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man’s a Rolling Stone.”
Food & Art in Wichita, Kansas
I have been busy this week. I’m making the most of my time in Wichita & doing as much as I can.
Wichita State University
A bit of trivia from Wikipedia:
The name for WSU’s athletic teams is the Shockers and, collectively, students are also referred to as being “Shockers”. The name reflects the university’s heritage. Early students at what was then Fairmount College earned money by shocking, or harvesting, wheat in nearby fields. Early football games were played on a stubbled wheat field.
Pizza Hut Museum
Did you know that Pizza Hut was started by two brothers attending Wichita State in 1958? Dan and Frank Carney started the pizzeria with a $600 loan from their mother. The Pizza Hut Museum is located on the WSU campus.
You can’t help but notice all of the art around campus.
Other art is scattered around the campus.
Favorite Food Finds
I’ve had some great meals at these locally-owned restaurants in Wichita.
Meddy’s https://www.meddys.com/
Doo Dah Diner https://www.doodahdiner.com/ The best Sunday brunch around. Check out the food tour here.
Mediterranean Bistro https://www.medbistro.com/
Hope you ate lunch before checking out these great places!
Wichita with Friends
I had the best time this week with my friends Brooke & Phil! They live back in North Carolina and were passing through Wichita. We spent a day together seeing some of the sights.
The Keeper of the Plains
The Keeper of the Plains is a 13.4 metres Cor-Ten steel sculpture by Kiowa-Comanche artist Blackbear Bosin. It stands at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas (both are pronounced Ar-Kansas) rivers in Wichita, Kansas, adjacent to the Mid-America All-Indian Center.
The Wichita Troll
Our next stop was to see the Wichita Troll. This one was a little more challenging since there is nothing indicating it is even there.
Atlas Obscura describes it “Without a plaque or other indicator, the hidden troll sculpture of Wichita, Kansas lays in wait, chained beneath an unassuming storm grate.
Known as “The Wichita Troll” for lack of a proper name, this gruesome sculpture is a well-kept local secret. Visitors walking by it (or even over it) on the sidewalk during the day are likely to miss it entirely, but at night a sickly green light illuminates the seven-foot tall creature. With a large, grotesque head and spindly appendages clothed in cobbled together black fabric, the troll stares up out of the grate with a look of rage for being chained in his industrial jail.”
Wichita Art Museum
The day was overcast, windy and extremely cold. A perfect day for the Wichita Art Museum.
The museum has over 10,000 pieces of art. Some of my standouts are pictured below.
Safe travels to Brooke & Phil as they travel home. I always enjoy spending time with you & I hope our paths cross again soon. Love you both!
Friday Funnies
I started my first “official” job on my 16th birthday. I was a waitress at the local Shoney’s aka Big Boy. We had a cigarette vending machine at the front entrance. I still remember how kids loved pulling those rods! I think cigarettes were $1.25 back then.
The Old Cowtown Museum, Part 2
One of the things I enjoyed at the Old Cowtown was seeing all of the advertisements & signs posted at the businesses.
Here is a look at the businesses in town:
There were two stores that really interested me. I can imagine how much fun it must have been to take a trip into town and get a soda at the fountain or shop at the general store.
Drugstore, Doctor & Dentist Offices
The General Store
I hope you have enjoyed a look into the past. Stay tuned for more adventures in Wichita!
The Old Cowtown Museum, Wichita, Kansas
I left Coffeyville, Kansas on Friday on the way to Colorado.; however, the weather had other ideas for me. The wind had been gusting up to 45 miles per hour for two days. After driving for a few hours, I was worn out from fighting the wind. Even with the swaybar hitch, the wind really made the camper sway.
Continue reading “The Old Cowtown Museum, Wichita, Kansas”Friday Funnies
Today is my last day in Kansas. I am heading slowly out west and making the most of my time on the road. Who knows where I might end up next? Hope you all have a good weekend!
Camping with Christi 