A Short Stop

No - this has nothing to do with baseball (that would be shortstop - one word). This is just a belated entry to my Kansas Journeys blogs to bring my readers up to date. My only recent trip was for a meeting in Inman, Kansas, on April 1, not a photo safari. Nonetheless, I was able to make pit stops in two of my favorite small towns - Lindsborg and Council Grove. On this posting, I'll tell of my brief visit to the former.

Lindsborg is, of course, well-known by midwestern travelers for its Swedish ambiance and charm. It is a village that embraces its cultural heritage and its love of the arts. For that reason alone, I could spend far more time in Lindsborg. Going one step further, its residents welcome and eagerly embrace visitors; it's not one of those small towns where somebody will suspiciously ask you what you're doing there. You are genuinely welcome in Lindsborg.


My visit on this occasion was merely to eat, not to do any sightseeing. I pulled into a parking spot that happened to be in front of Jim Richardson's Small World Gallery. Richardson is a famed travel photographer featured in National Geographic. This would be a good time to take a couple of minutes to see some of his work other than his familiar photos of the Flint Hills. Entering the store, I met Kathy Richardson, herself a maker of beautiful jewelry from beads collected around the world. I was pleased to learn that Jim was also present, so had the opportunity to meet him and to profess admiration for his work. Jim was very cordial and asked me about my photo interests, as well, seeing I had my Nikon over my shoulder. Those interested in learning more about the Richardsons and The Small World Gallery may do so at: http://web.me.com/kathyrichardson/Small_World_Gallery/Small_World.html



On to the quest for sustenance - what I had my eye on was The Court Yard Bakery and Cafe, which I had remembered from previous visits. It's located off the street, at the end of a passageway which also takes you to a couple of art galleries. There I met owner Dean Donaldson, who briefed me on some of the available offerings on the day's enticing menu.




I settled on a panini-style sandwich with smoked turkey, cheddar(?), tomatoes, and black olives (a nice touch, by-the-way), accompanied by what Donaldson called Bistro Fries. The potatoes had been pre-boiled and flavored then cut into fries, than warmed on a grill along with (if I remember all correctly) spinach, tomato, onion, and feta. Unusual, colorful on the plate, and very tasty.





With great reluctance, I passed on purchasing any of the Swedish bakery treats available, knowing that down the road at my meeting in Inman, there would be yummy chocolate chip cookies in great abundance.

The Court Yard Bakery and Cafe is well worth a visit, in my opinion. It is located at 125 Main Street, phone 785-227-8787.





For those unfortunates who have not yet been to Lindsborg, I am including a photo taken on an earlier trip of its well-kept and picturesque Main Street, with one of its signature Dalas (folkloric horse figures).