A Jeanne in the Kitchen

In between events at the Midsummer Festival, left for dinner. Since we were enjoying the Swedish festival, we thought we should enjoy some Swedish food as well. We found a restaurant called Crown & Rye. It was a happening spot. I think a lot of other people had the same idea.

Crown & Rye is owned and operated by Brandi Swenson and her family. Brandi, with over 20 years spent in the restaurant industry, has a deep understanding of the culinary world.  She honed her skills at the prestigious Scottsdale Culinary Institute, earning a Le Cordon Bleu Culinary degree.  Brandi’s passion for food is balanced with a strong business acumen, thanks to her additional degree in Business with a Human Resources emphasis from Fort Hays State University.  Her management experience spans restaurants in both Lindsborg and Salina.  She is the master of making tastebuds happy!

Driven by a love for food and hospitality, Brandi creates dining experiences that leave a lasting impression.

Crown & Rye serves traditional Swedish food as well as some non-traditional foods as well. The food is very good and the restaurant is very clean, warm and inviting. Both of our meals came with a salad. Larry went with an American salad, where I chose a beet, green onion, caper and egg salad which is a typical Swedish salad. I loved it and ate every bite.

Larry ordered Swedish meatballs for his entre. Those were also very good. We both tried each other’s dinner choices. We do this all the time so we each get to sample more dishes.

I chose the potato sausage and Swedish potatoes. I had never eaten potato sausage before. It’s really good.

After our dinner and yet again, full tummies, we walked around the town a bit to take in the sights. The streets are lined with typical Swedish art and folklore.

More Dalas.

The Swedish eagle.

I fell in love with this beautiful colorful house too.

It was a very enjoyable way to spend our last evening of the trip. We had a great trip, but we were ready to go home too.

Crown and Rye is located at 121 N. Main St, Lindsborg, KS. You can call them at (785) 227-8422 or visit them online at eat@crownandrye.com too.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is short. Live life to the fullest and try as many new things as you can. Enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.

Once again we had an early start. We left Branson and had another long driving day ahead. Our trip was coming to an end but we still had to go through Missouri to get through Kansas before entering Colorado. We drove from Branson, MO to Lindsborg, KS. It was a 5 1/2 hour drive, without stops and a distance of 353 miles. Of course we took a few stops though, making the drive a bit longer.

One stop was in Warsaw, MO, where Larry lived for about 2 years while growing up. He wanted top see his old town again. It had changed since the time he was there and he didn’t recognize much of it. But we stopped so he could get a picture.

We also had to take a picture of this sign. It is so apropos and we thought it was hilarious. Definitely a sign of the current times.

They had a little street fair going on while we were there too. One of the things they offered was a spin art booth. Of course I had to try it out. But there were some glitches. The canvases they bought didn’t fit on their spinner, so some adjustments had to be made first. That’s OK. It gave me a chance to visit the facilities. 🙂 Once they got it up and running, I was able to make my “masterpiece” of the day before we had to get back on the road again.

This is what I came home with, but I changed it a little once we got home.

It needed something more in the middle to add some balance.

From Warsaw, we headed straight to Lindsborg, KS. Lindsborg is known as “Little Sweden, USA”. It was founded in 1869 by Swedish immigrants. It is known for its rich blend of Scandinavian culture, public art, and unique dining experiences.

They were also having a summer Swedish festival when we there. It is a big deal called the Midsummer Festival. The Lindsborg Midsummer’s Festival is a traditional, free Swedish summer solstice celebration held annually in June in Lindsborg, Kansas. The event features the raising of the Midsummer pole, Swedish folk dancing, a Kubb tournament, craft demonstrations (such as blomkrans making), Swedish pancake demonstrations, and local food favorites like “Viking-on-a-Stick”. This festival is held annually on the 3rd Saturday of June. We did not get to see everything, but we did get to see the dancing and the raising of the Midsummer pole. Before we watched the dancing and other events, we toured through their museums. One was the town museum and the other was the old mill museum.

The Dala horse (Dalahäst) is a hand-carved wooden figurine from Sweden’s Dalarna region. Originally crafted as children’s toys, they have evolved into an iconic symbol of Sweden. They represent Good Luck and Happiness: It is widely considered a charm that brings prosperity to a home and wards off malevolent spirits; Strength and Courage: In Swedish agrarian history, the horse was revered for its vital role in labor, stamina, and resilience; Hospitality and Home: It represents warm welcomes and is often given as a traditional Swedish gift for housewarmings, graduations, and weddings; Cultural Heritage: It is celebrated as the ultimate emblem of Swedish folk art and craftsmanship. Different colors have different meanings too. Red, black and orange are the most popular colors. Red means passion, energy, and the famous red paint traditionally used on Swedish cottages. Black represents strength, power, and dignity. And orange stands for joy and happiness.

A model of the ship that brought a lot of the Swedish immigrants over.

Wheat is one of the main crops of the area.

Flour and baking are parts of the heritage.

Typical Swedish costumes worn for the Midsummer Festival.

Some Swedish dances.

We left after the dancing to go into town to get some dinner, then we returned to the festival after we ate. More on the restaurant in just a bit.

We returned in time to see the flag ceremony that featured the American flag, the Swedish flag and the Kansas State flag.

The grand finale of the festival, the raising of the Midsummer pole, was after the flag ceremony.

Once we left festival, we made one more stop before going to our hotel. We stopped at the nearby tower in Coronado Heights. It was originally made as a lookout since it has a commanding 360* view of the area. Today, it is a popular picnic spot.

Coronado Heights is the southern-most bluff in a series of seven, known as the Smoky Hills. The hill is located northwest of Lindsborg. It is believed that Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his men viewed the prairie from this lookout point 300 feet above the valley floor. Legend holds that this is where Coronado abandoned his quest for gold in 1541 and turned back to Mexico. Archaeological finds in the area—such as 16th-century Spanish chain mail and coins—add weight to the romantic notion of Spanish exploration in the area. Chain mail from Spanish armor was found in the area by Bethany college professor J.A. Udden in 1915. Others have found Spanish coins, a bridle, and lead bars in the valley. Native Dakota sandstone was used to build the castle and picnic areas in 1936 as a project of the Works Progress Administration. Coronado Heights is one of the “8 Wonders of Kansas Geography”.

We pulled into our hotel just in time too. We got hit with a bad rain storm and the skies were filled with thunder bolts and lightning. Before heading home, we made a final stop to visit with Ollie (Larry’s mom) again, then we were homeward bound.

We had a great trip. We saw and did so much and visited with friends and family all along the way. We had a lot of fun adventures. But it was time to come home. We were ready. We missed home and the “kids” and the kids missed us too. We traveled from Colorado to Missouri; through Illinois and Kentucky to get to Tennessee; from Tennessee to Alabama; from Alabama to Mississippi then through Tennessee again and Arkansas and onto Missouri once again; and from Missouri back through Kansas and home again back to Colorado. We covered 3000 miles in about 9 days. It was A LOT.

Life is short. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride, but don’t forget to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the sights along the way. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

You have to have BBQ when in the south. It would be sacrilege if you didn’t. And there are MANY different versions of traditional southern BBQ so, you have to try as many as you can when traveling through the south. In Branson we tried a place called Danna’s.

In my last post I mentioned how so many places in Branson were very empty Goin’ South – Part 12 – A Day In Branson – Taking In The Sights. That was DEFINITELY NOT the case with Danna’s. It was packed to the gills.

If you are a vegan or vegetarian, Danna’s is NOT the place for you. It is all about the meats here. It is meat, meat, meat and lots of it.

Larry got in line to order, and I got us on a waiting list for a table. Fortunately we didn’t have to wait too long for either.

Danna’s is full of personality and great food. “THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE AN OL’ FASHIONED BARBECUE.” Danna’s Great Aunt Ruth.

We invite you to join us at Danna’s BBQ and Burger Shop for barbecue made the way it is supposed to be. We have something for everyone from our Smoked Pork Plate piled high with tender pork and accompanied by homemade coleslaw and signature Memphis rolls to our BBQ Nachos, Boss Man Salad, not-to-be missed burgers, ribs, chicken and much more.

Our burgers may not be perfectly round, because they are handmade from fresh (never frozen!) beef or turkey; we don’t start making your burger until you order it.

Every night, we smoke our beef and pork for 12 to 14 hours over locally smoked hickory wood. We smoke our ribs, chicken and sausage for four hours twice a day. All our meats are sourced from reputable vendors who meet our strict standards for fat content and tenderness, and they deliver to us several times a week to ensure freshness. We make our own barbecue rub and barbecue sauces for chicken and ribs; when you visit us, you can buy some to try in your own cooking.

We ordered a combo plate that was enough food to feed a small army. Needless to say, we took a lot of it with us to enjoy again later, AND we shared it between us too and we still had a ton leftover. Our combo plate came with ribs, sausage, chicken and brisket, cole slaw, French fries, baked beans and a roll. HOLY COW! But everything was delicious and smoked to perfection. After we had finished eating, it didn’t even look like we had put a dent in the platter, yet our tummies were about to burst.

They offered both a sweet and a smoky BBQ sauce. We like both so we combined them to make our own sweet and smoky sauce.

If we had a Danna’s close to us, I think we would make an exception to not eating out a lot at home, and would most probably dine there frequently. Everything was so good.

There is no Danna’s close to us, but there are two locations in the Branson area. One is located at 963 St. Hwy 165, Branson, MO, 65616, 417-337-5527 and the other one is located at 15 Hope Way, ½ mile south of Hwy 76 on Hwy 13
Branson West, MO, 65737, 417-272-1945. Both are open Monday-Saturday from 10:30 AM-8:00 PM. So next time you are in Branson, and have a hankerin’ for some great BBQ, I suggest poppin’ in to Danna’s. I guarantee you will be in for a finger lickin’ culinary feast.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is short. Make the most out of everyday and live life to the fullest. Enjoy the ride and as much good food as you can along the way. ‘Til next time.

Still continuing on with our busy day in Branson, after spending time in the Memorial Gardens, we had a lot of time left to take in the sights before heading off to dinner and our last show. Branson is a very family friendly place to visit, and has a lot of theme parks and kid friendly adventures. We did not go to these, but it was fun to see them as we drove by. The thing we found very odd about Branson though was just how empty it was. The streets had traffic but most of the restaurants and attractions were empty. Kids are all out of school now, but hardly anyone was partaking in the adventure or theme parks. We also found a lot of places are now shuttered permanently. Is the allure of Branson wearing thin? Is Branson becoming a ghost town?

We also toured the outside shopping mall too. We are not usually into a lot of touristy shops, however, we do like bringing home little mementos from everywhere we go. Every year we host our annual ornament exchange party, so often times we bring home Christmas ornaments from our travels. We usually buy an ornament for us and one to place in the ornament exchange.

Larry is good about letting me indulge in purchasing materials and stones for my new found love of jewelry making. There was a stone shop not to far away, so we paid it a visit too. Of course I came home with new stones for new projects. Currently I have more projects and ideas in the que than I have time for. 🙂

We also found a winery that we had to try as well. It was called Ozark Hills Winery. Not only do they make wines, but they also make different whiskeys too. You can try both, but neither of us are whiskey drinkers, so we only tried their wines.

When we first entered, it was pretty quiet. No one else was there. But as we sat down to do a tasting flight, other people joined in and we were all visiting with each other, telling about our adventures and what we had done.

Adam was our wine guide. He was hilarious and had us all in stitches with some of his stories.

The wines were good and the stories were fun. Wine tasting is always a fun experience, no matter where we go. 🙂

Ozark Hills Winery is located at 601 State Highway 165 Branson, MO 65616. You can just pop in and join the fun or you can give them a call to set up something special at (417) 334-1897. You can also check them out online too at hoot@ozarkhillswinery.com.

After our wine tasting, we decided we needed to find a place to have dinner before our last show. I will feature our dinner location in a bit. Our last show was called Anthems of Rock. it was a similar show to Rock of Ages, with big songs from the 80’s and dance routines choreographed around all the songs. All the performers were very good. The guitarist was one of the same guitarists we saw earlier at the Simon and Garfunkel show. He can literally play it all. He can play ballads one minute, then shred the guitar with the likes of AC/DC, Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, or Queen the next minute. He is doing some Van Halen here. I can tell by his finger tapping harmonics style. That is an Eddie Van Halen trademark technique and style. The show was very good and very entertaining. We really enjoyed it a lot.

As you can see, we did our best to pack in as much as we could in our day. We had a very fun, very busy day indeed. Life is short. Live life to the fullest and make the most out of everyday. Enjoy the ride, and listen to the music. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

We did so much in one day that I just had to break it up some. Our adventures continue. I will show you some of the fun sights we saw later, but I felt it was important to highlight the beautiful, heartfelt tributes to all the brave men, women, and service animals who fought to protect us, especially with America’s 250th birthday being celebrated this week.

Branson had a lot of tributes to the military and to veterans, which we both really appreciated. Both mine and Larry’s dad fought in WWII. Larry’s dad was in the Navy and my dad fought in the Australian Army, then continued for the rest of his life in the Merchant Marines, doing military sealift commands during times of war for both the Korean War and the Vietnam War. They were both just kids yet they bravely fought for our freedoms. Branson did a great job honoring all our veterans. This Memorial Garden is full of love, honoring all the brave men, women and service animals.

These were not part of the gardens, but were still in honor of the brave.

Thank you to all who served, sacrificed and made the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe. We are forever in your debt.

I have lots more to share. Don’t go anywhere. Stay tuned. ‘Til next time.

We were only in Branson for just 1 full day (just like the rest of our trip. We didn’t stay in any one place for too long.) But we sure can pack a lot into one day. 🙂

Our hotel did not provide breakfast, so we went to a local Bob Evans restaurant for breakfast. I had never been to a Bob Evans restaurant before, but they are similar to a Cracker Barrel. They have good food, and a lot of it, with a little store in the front. Our breakfasts were both so big that we boxed them up and they were breakfast for the next day too.

After a good, hearty breakfast, we had another show to go to. We had two shows, one in the morning and one in the evening. Our first show was a Simon & Garfunkel music/comedy show. They were very good and very entertaining.

Because we bought tickets for three shows, we got a bonus coupon for another free activity. Because we love animals so much, we choose the Wild World. We are used to our Wild Animal Sanctuary here at home, where the animals all have large pens that resemble their wild habitats, but Branson did a good job with the space they had. You could tell all the animals were well loved and well cared for, and the animals loved their handlers too, which speaks volumes.

There were a bunch of different animals, all with their own personalities. The first things we saw were a pair of dancing red macaws. They were having so much fun bebopping along.

And even though we were literally in the middle of the country, and completely landlocked, we still found sharks, rays and sea turtles. 🙂

I guess we will always find a way to connect with the sea no matter where we are. We are always still diving, even if only in our hearts and dreams (though we will be diving for real again in September). I am SOOOOO glad we don’t have to dive in this!

We saw many other animals too; animals we don’t see too often.

Usually we only see kangaroos and wallabies when we are down under.

This wolf loved her human and vice versa.

We even got attacked by dinosaurs. 🙂

This is only part of our very full day of adventures, but it is a good spot to stop for an intermission. Don’t go anywhere. I still have a lot more to share. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.

When we eat out, we do our best to not eat at chains, or at least not in chains we have here at home. And we rarely eat out when at home. We eat out mostly when we travel, and we like to try the local cuisines and dine where the locals dine. Before going to our show in Branson, we found a place close to our hotel and went there. It was called Dockside Pub & Cafe.

Dockside had a wide and varied menu, but there was definitely a nautical them going on. We both ordered something “fishy” since we hadn’t eaten any seafood on this trip.

Our meal was delivered to us by both our server Nicky and a robot. I don’t quite get the reason why, but it is what it is.

I ordered catfish with a crawfish etoufee. It was delicious. I was hungry for some good catfish.

Larry went with fish & chips, also very good.

Our server Nicky was excellent. We definitely had service with a big smile. They were having some kind of a contest for the servers, and she asked us to participate. We took a picture or her and wrote a review to submit. Good luck Nicky. We hope you win. 🙂

After dinner we went to see Reza, the illusionist. He was FANTASTIC! I have NO idea how he did some of the things he did.

After the magic, it was time to call it a day. We had another full day in Branson coming up.

Let there always be a little magic in your days. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Once again we got an early start, knowing we had a lot of states to cover before getting to Branson, MO in time to pick up our tickets to our first show. In order to get to Branson, we left Alabama, went through Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas before crossing into Missouri. Once again, we just had either short stops or stopped just long enough in each state to take pictures proving we were there.

Almost immediately after crossing the Mississippi border, we got hit with a massive rain storm. Fortunately, it only lasted for about 20 or 30 minutes, but it was still a challenge to drive through. Mississippi was a new state for Larry.

By the time we got to the visitor’s center though, the rain had stopped, and once again the skies were blue.

Next state, next stop, Tennessee.

We stopped at the Shelby Park in Tennessee. It was a beautiful big state park with lakes, biking and walking trails, picnic areas, and bison. We were going a different route, so we came through a different part of Tennessee than we saw earlier in our trip.

We saw lots of herons again.

At first the bison were hiding, but we did a loop around the park and then they came out to say hi.

We only had a short time to visit with the bison. We still had a lot more driving and states ahead. Next stop, Arkansas. We had another river crossing.

Arkansas was another new state for both of us.

A green heron

In Arkansas, we stopped at a little tribute to the mountain homes and to the hill people. These are replicas of actual homes and the way of life for many people.

We got to Branson in plenty of time. We were able to get our tickets, check in to our hotel and grab a bite to eat before our show.

I loved all the tributes to the brave men and women who have fought to defend our beautiful country. Thank you to all who served and especially to those who sacrificed.

It was a long travel day, and we still had to eat and go to our show. I will leave it here for now. Stay tuned. There is more fun adventures coming your way.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is short. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.

After our delicious lunch, with stunning views, Eating Our Way Through The South – Part 4 – Three Sixty Grille 360, we still had more things to see and do while in Muscle Shoals and the surrounding areas. We continued our musical journey by going to The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, located at 101 Glenn Boulevard SW, in Fort Payne. It highlights and features country and music artists specifically from Alabama. I had no idea there were so many famous musicians from the state of Alabama. It is the state’s premier country and roots music museum. It features artifacts from over 1,000 artists, including Hank Williams and Tammy Wynette, alongside exhibits on the legendary Muscle Shoals sound.

Once again, we were in for a lot of musical history once we walked through these doors. Music is taken very seriously in these parts.

The stars definitely fell on Alabama. This wall, as well as the wall of portraits of the Alabama stars, is very impressive.

I love the music from all of these stars, but my favorite is Tommy Shaw, front man and guitar virtuoso from one of my all time favorite bands, STYX. Everyone featured in the museum though has made many great contributions to the world of music.

Who doesn’t love the “unforgettable” velvety voice of Nat King Cole?

The Band Alabama donated a whole tour bus to the museum. Life on the road was not nearly as glamourous as we are led to believe.

This was their home on the road, with each band member having just a bunk to call their own.

After touring the Alabama Hall of Fame, we went back to Blackberry Homestead for more visits with Bruce and Julia before leaving Muscle Shoals and making our trek back home. We thoroughly enjoyed all of our adventures in Muscle Shoals, and especially the time we spent with Bruce and Julia. Many thanks to both of you for your hospitality and all the fun times, but more importantly for your friendship. 🙂 We love you lots.

Life is full of adventures. Live live to the fullest and take as many adventures as you can while you can. Make as many memories as you can along the way too. ‘Til next time.

We took a break from our sightseeing tour to experience Goin’ South – Part 7 – More Muscle Shoals, to dine at Three Sixty Grille 360, a rotating restaurant with magnificent views of Muscle Shoals. We saw the restaurant from across the river first before dining there.

360 Grille is a unique lunch and dinner restaurant overlooking the majestic Tennessee River in Alabama’s only revolving restaurant. What began as a fine-dining, dinner-only restaurant has evolved into a lunch-and-dinner destination with priceless views and extraordinary food. [The] Florence AL restaurant is located over 300 feet above the city. [They] provide a sophisticated atmosphere with genuinely warm hospitality, perfect for special celebrations, meals with clients, or simply catching up with friends. [Their] head chef has created a memorable culinary experience that pairs perfectly with the unique view [they] offer of the Shoals area.

There were more beautiful trees that had captured my attention all through pour southern travels. I finally got a chance to see them up close. Julia told me it is a mimosa tree.

We had to take the elevator to get to the restaurant. There were more musical tributes in the lobby. This time, it was The Rolling Stones who were featured.

Once inside the restaurant, these were the stunning views we saw. They were different views of the areas we had just seen, from a totally different perspective.

Three Sixty Grille 360 dry ages its own meats too.

We sat in the rotating part of the restaurant.

The only downside about going at the time we did is that it is the in between times for service, and during these times, restaurants reduce their staff to a bare minimum. Our server was very nice and helpful, but she was also the only server on duty at the time, and she was hustling. I know these times all too well from many years of personal experience with them.

When our food arrived, it was delicious, and worth the wait. Fresh homemade naan bread and salted butter were set out for us to enjoy while our meals were being prepared. They change the types of bread they offer daily.

Then our lunch arrived. We all ordered something different and got to experience many delicious menu offerings.

Bruce ordered the duck confit benedict.

Julia ordered a crab sandwich.

Larry ordered a steak sandwich on focaccia.

The corn and crab chowder and strawberry chicken salad both called out to me. Once again, my eyes were way bigger than my stomach and Larry ended up eating a good portion of mine too. As usual, I ate too much of the delicious bread first. 🙂

Everything was delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed our whole dining experience.

As everything was rotating, this big magnum of champagne came our way. I was tempted to open it up, but I resisted the temptation. I was good. 🙂

Then the kitchen rotated its way to us as well, giving me a peak behind the scenes.

Once again, we had very full, very satisfied tummies.

Three Sixty Grill 360 is located at 10 Hightower Place, Florence, AL, USA 35630. Reservations are not required for lunch, but are highly recommended for dinner. Their hours of operation are DINNER: DAILY, 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM 
LUNCH: WEDNESDAY – SUNDAY, 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM. You can reach them by phone at  (256) 246-3660 or online at  Discover.theShoals@renshoals.com.

After a fantastic lunch, with a gorgeous view, or views in this case, we were ready to resume our explorations once again. Our next stop was The Alabama Country Music Hall of Fame.

Stay tuned. There is plenty more coming your way once again. Have a great day and make everyday great. it’s always better with good friends, good food and good music too. ‘Til next time.