The Dude & The Precious: A Lovely Day in Lindsborg

August 18, 2012

I have wanted to get to Lindsborg for years. Every time we drive south to Wichita, we pass the exit for Lindsborg, and I have always wondered about that little town that boasts Dala horses and Sandzen art. So when we had a free weekend up for grabs, I quickly filled it with an excursion to this fun pretty town in the middle of Kansas.

We packed the day with little bits of quirk and started early at the Old Mill Museum and the Smoky Valley Roller Mill. The current old flour mill was built in 1898 and was powered by the river for much of its history. Until 1955, this mill converted wheat to flour that was sent worldwide. The best part about this place is that it can still run!

The museum was bizarre and fun. Although I didn't learn anything at all, because we spent most of our time staring at dead stuffed animals and sticking our heads behind these cutouts.

This mill itself was a blast to explore. Every machine was pure artwork, beautifully crafted, and each floor gave way to more and more of these pieces.

Dale was done before we even got there, so that was fun, although Rose did enjoy herself. But I think the only reason she was happy was because she was wearing her cowgirl boots and feeling all cute.

Hello gigantic tree.

We spent a lot of time on the grounds surrounding the mill and museum. The trees were huge, the river was near, and the stone was rampant. It was all very Kansas.

Across the street from the Museum is Heritage Square, where you can explore buildings from the late 1800's and early 1900's. We had a great time pretending we lived there.

The main attraction there is the Swedish Pavilion, which was built in 1904 for the St. Louis World's Fair and then moved to Bethany College in Lindsborg.