Monday, August 30, 2010

Explore Kansas: Paxico, Wamego And Alma

Hi friends!   I have been away from my blog for a couple of weeks, getting kids back to college, etc...    I will try to get caught up on all your blogs and comments asap.    I noticed that somehow I had crossed over the 200 follower mark while I was away.  I was not expecting that, so I am not prepared!   I really need to put on my thinking cap and figure out the best way to say thank you for following me!    So check back here in about a week for a giveaway.

What did you do this weekend?  My husband (Mr. Garden) and I went in search of some heart and soul in the small towns in the Flint Hills region of Kansas.  We discovered scenic spots, good food, history, antiques, crafts and wonderful people!

Paxico has been called the antiques capitol of Kansas.  It may be tiny, but the shops are wonderful and varied.  Restored old stoves,  beautiful wood furniture, firkins,  glassware,  pottery, art, vintage christmas decor, cowboy boots, and tons more.   We had such a great time looking around.





This old limestone school building was located just south of Wamego.  Limestone was the main building material on the treeless prairies of Kansas.


Wamego is a lovely little town, with flowers planted up and down the main street, a big city park, and some unique sites of interest.  The mill is on the National Register of Historic Places.   It was originally built by an immigrant settler.  In the 1920's  it was taken apart, stone by stone, and moved from the farm to the city park to honor the Kansas pioneer spirit.




We had lunch at the Friendship House (the house on the left with the brick chimney and flag).   This marvelous old home, one block off the main street,  has been transformed into a delightful little restaurant and bakery.


Their special of the day was Bierocks, a German stuffed sandwich pastry, similar to a pirogi. (Or a runza for all you Nebraska people!)   It was whole wheat bread pastry stuffed with ground beef, onion and cabbage, and baked to a gold brown.  And we had a light horseradish sauce for dipping. Yum!   I forgot to take a picture, so this photo is off the web.  The one at the restaurant looked even better than this! 

Any Wizard Of Oz fans out there?  The Oz Museum is also located in Wamego.



Ya'll know whose shoes these are.

If I only had a brain! The scarecrow!

The great and powerful Wizard sitting on the throne in the Emerald City!   Oh wait... that's actually Mr. Garden.

(Miss Gultch and the Wicked Witch of the West really scared me when I saw the movie for the first time.  Didn't like those flying monkey's much either!)

This little fairie garden was just outside another shop.

The Creamery in Alma has been making cheese from local cows milk since 1946.  Yummy cheese!  We have browsed through some of the antique stores on previous visits to Alma,  but ran out of time on this trip.  So we'll have to return soon.


Yes, we brought all sorts of wonderful goodies home with us:   

Cheese- from Alma Creamery and cookies from the Friendship House/Dutch Mill Bakery in Wamego

Gorgeous vintage crocheted cotton pillowcases and a Christmas tablecloth in perfect condition!

Christmas tree brooch and a Christmas tomten decor.  (still covered in dust) 

A gorgeous swirley glass orb made by a Topeka glassblower.

Mr. Garden picked up some coffee mugs made by a local potter and plum jam for our toast. 

We really enjoyed the weekend!  I encourage you to get out of town and "take the road less traveled". 


30 comments:

  1. What a WONDERFUL place to visit! (And it would be a sweet place to live!!!)
    So happy your travels found you here...thank you for sharing!!!

    Happy week to you!

    dawn:)

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  2. What a lovely weekend you must have had - such a lot of interesting (and delicious) places to visit!

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  3. What a wonderful tour you've taken us on. I'll have to remember these destinations when we want to day trip close to home :)

    Blessings!
    Gail

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  4. Thank you for sharing, it is the next best thing to being there. I loved the church and everything you purchased. Aren't those glass balls just great? Like having a blown bubble forever:)

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  5. Those sandwiches look really good, or I am really hungry!

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  6. What a charming little town! I'd love to live somewhere like that.
    Thanks for taking us along ;-).
    Blessings,
    G

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  7. I've never been to Kansas so especially enjoyed your tour. I love small town America and would enjoy exploring some of those antique shops.

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  8. welcome back! love the vintage finds, especially those sweet embroidered pillowcases. thanks for the tour of that part of kansas!

    xo
    ~molly

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  9. Living in Kansas--I have to say, that we haven't been to the places.
    Your back door is the last place to visit, right?
    Looks like fun!

    Melinda

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  10. looks lovely! i love to take rides and if there are antique shops i'm in heaven :) great finds!! susan

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  11. Thank you for stopping by and leaving your sweet comment. Wow, what a neat trip the pictures are lovely and really that is now on my places to see. I just loved the Wizard of Oz museum. I always wanted those ruby slippers.
    So thanks for stopping by, I am going to browse your blog. :)

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  12. Hello! Thanks for sharing these little Kansas towns with us. I've never heard of them before but now I'll have to see about taking a little trip over to that neck of our Kansas woods to check them out! I've been planning on taking pictures of the little town not too far from us but have not had the time. Now after seeing your photo's I'm going to have to get on the ball and do that. Thanks again for taking us along on your little trip...it was fun! Have a wonderful afternoon...Maura :)

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  13. I have been away for a bit too...nut am glad to be back. What a wonderful trip you took. I just adore all of the photos you shared!

    Have a wonderful Monday!

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  14. Great pics of some lovely places. I love Christmas decorations too!

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  15. What a wonderful trip you had, I so enjoyed your photos. Not to mention those goodies you brought back.especially liked the pillow cases and Christmas tablecloth.
    Welcome back and congratulations on your 201 followers.
    Hugs,
    Susan

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  16. Well, get out of Dodge and call me a wizard! What a fun and interesting weekend you had! Thanks for takin' me away from the Ponderosa for just a little while...it was great fun!

    God bless ya and have yourself the most beautiful day sweetie!!!

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  17. What a great weekend you had, much more interesting than mine.
    I so enjoyed my virtual visit to Kansas, I don't suppose I'll ever get there myself, but you never know.

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  18. Love going to those places -- with a daughter in K State we visited those places often. Haven't been back that way in a while!

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  19. Next time explore SE Kansas -- a historic 1842 Fort, the site of Laura Ingals Wilder Little House on the Prairie and we can't forget Big Brutus!!!

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  20. Next time explore SE Kansas -- a historic 1842 Fort, the site of Laura Ingals Wilder Little House on the Prairie and we can't forget Big Brutus!!!

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  21. We love to travel the old highways and visit places like that! I'm going to put this on my list of places to visit! Love the vintage Christmas tablecloth! And the photo of the windmill is awesome! ♥

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  22. What a great weekend you had. If I had my way my house and van would be red just like in your 3rd photo! I tried hard to convince him when we painted our house and when I bought my van. He wouldn't go for it though.

    We used to get beirocks at the fair but I thougth they were called beer-rocks! Either way, I love them!

    I think everyone has been busy lately. I haven't been visiting or posting much lately either.
    Hugs,
    Dawn

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  23. Hello, Gayle. I found your note this morning and wanted to come by and tell you that I've been away from blogging for the majority of the month of August. I've missed it, but have just had too much going on here (or in Maine) to be able to keep up with it. By the time I finish a day's worth of canning, I'm too tired to try and concentrate enough to put something together. I should be finished for the most part with my canning by the middle of next week.

    I love the new look of your blog...I'll probably find once I am able to start catching up with your posts that it isn't so "new". I've missed you and seeing all that has been going on in Kansas.

    I'm so glad your daughter has enjoyed her time in WV this summer. It saddens my heart as well how the beauty of our great state has been destroyed due to the mining. I also understand how the people (esp. in southern WV)depend on the mines for a good income to support their families. There is basically no industry in that region to provide jobs.

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  24. great pictures of your travels. you are right, we have lots in common. : ) glad you found me.

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  25. Looks like a wonderful trip. I love the Christmas tablecloth!

    Donna

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  26. What a great trip this was. My friend's mother used to live in Wamego. It was fun to see the pictures from there.

    Thanks for the sweet comment you left on my blog about the Beagles (and the checked couch too!).

    XO
    jeanne

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  27. LOVED your post! I'm from Kansas, but not from the area you visited. I made Beirocks a couple of weeks ago for supper! I loved them as a kid, cabbage and all. I get to go visit my parents the end of October and I am excited to take pictures of the scenery around their little town in Central Kansas.

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  28. Sure wish we'd known about some of these places when we were in Kansas last summer. We were on the I70 and enjoyed Topeka, Salina, Colby (Starbucks - thank goodness), and Goodland. We didn't see any sunflowers and I sure wish we did. Salina had a great microbrewery where we enjoyed a lunch.

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  29. What a great way to spend a weekend. Thanks for showing me a little of Kansas. Love those cute little villages. You certainly came home with some good loot.

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THANK YOU for your thoughtful comments. Replies to your questions will be posted here, so be sure to check back soon. Have a wonderful day! - Gayle, Garden Of Daisies