Goin’ South – Part 13 – Kansas Bound

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.