Heart and Seoul

"I shall make that trip.  I shall go to Korea." ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

As I am finishing (read: STARTING) my laundry for my California trip and thinking about the best way to pack for a conference and erratic California temperatures without taking my whole closet, I have found myself reminiscing about other journeys I have taken.  I have had the opportunity to traverse the US several times, I have traveled from practically one end of Canada to another by train, I have even tolerated a jaunt to France (never again), but no trek I have ever taken compares to the one I took in October 2007.

In October 2007, we got a call from our adoption agency in Colorado that our agency in Korea had finalized, submitted and had received approval on all the paperwork it took to bring our son, Spidey, home.  In a matter of hours, we dropped off our kids and dog with friends and hopped a flight to Seoul, South Korea.

It drove me crazy when we got to Korea, because we could only see our son twice before we could get on a plane to bring him home.  That means just TWO 45 minute visits, on two different days....and we were in Korea for EIGHT days!  What do you do for the other 6 days?  Well, we distracted ourselves with a lot of sightseeing.  And in the course of those trips, we met a lot of fantastic people!

Going to Korea to bring Spidey home was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  But besides the enormous blessing of my son, there was this incredible vacation that Kahuna and I got to experience.  Korea is the most fabulous place I have been.  I would go back in a heartbeat!  We had an amazing time, met amazing people, saw amazing things and were just...well...amazed the whole time we were there!  I HIGHLY encourage everyone to consider taking a trip there.

Korean National Treasure:  The North Gate (before it burned down)

Still need convincing?  Here are some of the top observations I made while there in 2007...(added notes from today in red)


1. Seoul REALLY reminds me of San Francisco....only A LOT bigger!
2. My husband no longer stands out in the crowd.....thereby making it a lot harder to keep track of him. If your spouse is Asian...consider bringing neon clothes for them.
3. Bibimbop is manna from Heaven! Everyone should try it. I ate it EVERY single day we were in Korea and now know how to make it at home!  I even have the stone bowls in which to prepare it!
4. Korea smells different than the US. It smells like garlic with a little underscent of cabbage. Yummy!
5. Everyone uses mass transit, all the time, all day long, everywhere you go......it is crowded.
6. Cleanest subways I have ever seen!   
7. Aussies are VERY fun to hang out with!! If you are traveling to Korea, I hope some are here to share time with.  There were a lot of Australians in Korea when we were there and we had a wonderful time hanging out with them...which leads me to believe somewhere in my future is a vacation in the Land Down Under.
8. I have yet to see one letter of graffiti anywhere!!!
9. Everyone is dressed like they are going to church.  I felt underdressed everywhere we went...but I was assured that the Koreans understood that we "are just Americans"?!!
10. Knee socks and high heels....together.....BIG fashion here!  And somehow they pulled it off magnificently!
11. Favorite accessory in Korea.....Ipod. (some things seem to be similar with the US!)
12. If you stop and look confused, people will try to help you.  The people in Korea were SO nice and willing to talk with you and help in any way!  This was a huge plus, considering how my trip to France was the ABSOLUTE, complete opposite.  Did I mention I am never, ever, ever going back to France?
13. Kimchi pancakes....also manna from Heaven! Gotta have it!  Glad I had them, they ended up being Spidey's favorite dish (still is).
14. Soju is extremely overrated. Pass.  Definitely pass.
15. Hyundais are pretty good looking cars.  Though, it was kind of hard to tell for sure when they came  speeding AT you at 70 mph!
16. Samsung makes everything...electronics, cars, ships, the list goes on and on.
17. In 1975, most houses in Korea still had thatched rooves!
18. I have not seen one homeless person yet.
19. Instant coffee tastes better the more caffeine withdrawal you go through!
20. We love Seoul!!! It is beautiful, the people are wonderful, the guests at the guest house where we are staying are so much fun and we are so thankful for the opportunity to be here!  I want to go back so badly!

Sometimes, I wonder if Korea was all a dream.  Spidey has been with us so long and is such a Yuen, that I can hardly remember that there was a time he wasn't with us.  I wonder if I have such an attachment to Korea because of the reason I was there.  I know that has to be part of it.  But, while reading over this list that I made 6 years ago, I remember that it wasn't just Spidey.  Korea is beautiful and the people are wonderful.  In some ways, it WAS a dream...a lovely one.  And one I can't wait to relive one day.

SPIDEY!!!  Wasn't he cute????

Because I went there and because I had such a connection to Seoul and the people there, I can't help but be extremely saddened by the escalating tension between North Korea and South Korea.  I continue to pray for both nations and for peace of mind for the South Koreans especially.  Please join me.

And while I am praying for them, I will be digging out all my bermuda shorts and washing everything else so I can go to California.  So...pray for me, too.  I hate laundry.

Gotta Mosey!

California Funshine Dream Destinations

"The coldest winter I ever spent, was summer in San Francisco." ~ Mark Twain

Butterfly finishes her college courses this Saturday (WHOOP!), and after she sleeps for a week, I am looking forward to planning some Dream Destination stops with her for our trip to California. I miss our friends and family in the Golden State, but I don't miss living there.  There is much to be said for the clean air, blue sky, mountains and breathing room of Colorado, where we now live.  That said, there are some places in California that just can't be replicated in any other part of the world...and I want to make sure that we get to revisit them while we are there!

Without further ado...here are my Golden State Dream Destination (NorCal edition):

1.  San Francisco Chinatown.  San Francisco Chinatown is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia, as well as the oldest Chinatown in North America.  It is comprised of only 24 blocks. The open air markets and apothecaries and bustling crowds are fascinating to take in.  The architecture from the street lamps to the Dragon Gate are also stunning.  I also enjoy watching the elders playing Chinese chess in Portsmouth Square. Another fun thing to do is take a tour of a fortune cookie factory (I hesitate to call it a factory, as it is just one small room...but fun to watch). Currently, ten of Emperor Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Warriors are on display with other artifacts at the Asian Art Museum in Chinatown and I would like to see that.   But, the main reason to go to Chinatown is for the food!  Restaurants, big and small, abound and you can eat from one end of Chinatown to the other and never eat the same thing!!

2. Gizdich Ranch.  Gizdich is a family owned farm in Watsonville that has acres and acres of fruit!  Admittedly, the best time to visit the ranch is in summer when the berries are crazy on the vines!  You can pick strawberries, blackberries and gigantic ollalieberries!  Besides their berries, they have a large apple orchard consisting of 16 varieties of apples, which may be picked in the fall.  Also, in the fall, they have a pumpkin field.  So, what is in season when I am there in April?  PIE!!!!  Gizdich makes the BEST pies ever!!!  While the fields and orchards may not be ready with ripe fruit in the spring, the pies are ever available.  The ranch also has a working apple press for their amazing juice that you can watch in action throughout the year.  My favorite thing about Gizdich pies, is that they top off a meal from my absolute favorite restaurant in the world, which is just down the highway from Gizdich and is stop #3 of my Dream Destinations.

3. Phil's Fish Market.   Oh. My. Goodness.  Ohmygoodness! OH MY GOODNESS! I make their amazing cioppino at home, but there is something about rolling in off the beach into this actual cement floor, sandy, no-frills restaurant and ordering Fettuccine with Crabmeat and Bay Shrimp in a Saffron Cream Sauce that just can't be reproduced at home!  There is absolutely NOTHING fancy about Phil's except the food.  Often, the line is long...but well worth the wait.  Bring a sweatshirt, as the market is somewhat open air.  And put a pin on the map to show where you are from.  Probably the nicest thing about Phil's...is Phil, who can almost always be spotted checking in with the patrons!  Oh...I am hungry now!

4. Monterey/Carmel.  Hands-down, the most amazing real estate in California is this area!  And on the 17 Mile Drive, you can see the best of the best of this area!  Wildlife, ocean life, seals, Pebble Beach and other golf courses, amazing homes and ocean views are all peppered along this stretch of California's coast!  I find the need for oxygen whenever I go on this drive because every view from every angle is breathtaking!  

Carmel is gorgeous, and Ocean Beach is a phenomenal place to take a walk on white sands.  But, just up the street from the beach is MY favorite place in Carmel-by-the-Sea.  The Cottage of Sweets is a candy shop that sells old time candy and unusual treats, too.  When we go, we ALWAYS order the Turkish Delight.  But, the most delightful thing about that Turkish Delight is not the candy itself, which is pretty extraordinary, but the conversation.  The man who owns the shop will start a whole Narnia conversation with you if you order it.  He stands about 5'6" and when he asks you who your favorite Narnia character is and why, he is happy to share that the height challenged Reepacheep is his!  Because little guys can do GREAT things!  It is definitely worth the stop in.

As stunning as the Monterey Bay area is...there is one place that everyone loves that I HOPE I do not have to visit.  I say this in vain, because I am usually outnumbered by the people I am with.  But, I just have to say, if I never ever visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium again, it will be too soon. 

Okay....these guys are safe.....but....

Dark and Scary Monterey Bay Aquarium

I know that the aquarium is world-renowned and considered quite a feat in aquatic study and development, but to me it is a nightmare just waiting to happen!

I should mention that a close second to my fear of flying is fear of aquariums.  Well, not the aquarium itself, but the things IN the aquarium.  And not really all things (I really like the bat rays), just some things.  Mainly, sharks.  And besides being afraid of flying, aquariums and sharks, I also am petrified of earthquakes.  And also drowning.  So...when I am at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, all I can think is that we are going to have some 8.0 earthquake, all the glass is going to break and it will be a race to see whether I drown or get eaten by a set free shark first!  Oh, they try to make it all friendly with cute, little bat rays you can touch, shorebirds, fun-loving otters and innocent touch pools...but the sharks are just waiting for their big chance at a last meal!  Don't laugh....it could happen.

Gotta Mosey!

Jilly of Chincoteague

"She's just a piece of wind and sky."  Grandpa Beebe, Misty of Chincoteague

I have three daughters.  And I am a girl, myself.  And if there is one thing I know...girls LOVE horses!  It may not be a love affair that lasts a lifetime, but for at least a few years in their youth, girls would love nothing more than to own and ride a horse of their own.  And brush it's mane.  And braid it.  And curl its tail. And paint its hooves pretty colors.  And put pretty clothes on it.  Horses, to a young girl, is a type of four-footed Barbie...with twice the hair to style!

As girls grow up and their pony interests become keen, well-meaning parents (usually mothers) introduce the works of Marguerite Henry to their daughters.  Henry wrote 59 books based on true stories of horses from all over the world, but the one that most girls start with is Misty of Chincoteague.

Misty is the foal of Phantom, both of who make the swim from Assateague Island in Virginia/Maryland to Chincoteague Island in Virginia.  The Beebe children are determined to buy a pony at auction and raise it.  It is every girls first foray into the addiction that is horses.

For the next couple of years, at least, after reading the book, young ladies will read 58 more works by Henry, buy enough Breyer Horses to start her own virtual horse farm, and beg for horse riding lessons.  And if you cave on that, heaven help you!

I read the Henry books when I was a girl, and while I no longer have a desire to own a horse, I still enjoy riding them, when I get the chance.  But more than riding a domesticated horse, seeing a pony in the wild, the way Henry described, is still something I greatly desire to see.  And that is why my Dream Destination today (and always) is:

The Pony Swim from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island

The ponies on Assateague Island are believed to descend from ponies that escaped a shipwreck that is believed to have occurred in 1750.  Since then, herds of "beach ponies" have been present on the island.  They are wild, which means no riding or hair styling for them.

However, in 1925, the sorely inadequate Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department held a festival as a fund raiser during the annual swim and were able to modernize their equipment for the department with the money they raised.  Beginning in 1947, the Fire Department on the island began buying and building its own herd.  The fire department, to this day, owns the herd that is swum across the channel and receives the proceeds from the auction of the foals on Chincoteague.

Besides the Pony Swim, Chincoteague also offers other activities.  Most of these involve tours of the island...by foot, by bike or by boat.  I am just thinking there is one mode of transportation that is missing from this list...by HORSE.  Perhaps it is only the fire fighters who are allowed to capitalize on the horses' fame, but it sure seems like it is a natural fit to have horse tours of the island. And profitable.  I do not believe that most visitors to Chincoteague come for the Easter Decoy and Art Festival.  There is a reason that this...

is just not going to drum up as much interest or dollars as this...

I am no rocket scientist, but it seems to me that when an island of 3,000 people sees 40,000 more people every year for a three day event, it might be time to realize that the horses are a big deal.  Of those 40,000 people, probably 40,000 of them are there for the ponies and horse related activities.  They do offer pony rides in an enclosed pen and they have Pony Day Camps, where kids can do everything with a real, live Chincoteague pony...except ride one.  I do not understand the sacred status of the beach pony.  They are hardy animals!  They live off sea grass and semi-fresh pond water and swim the ocean yearly with their babies.  They can surely handle a 70 pound child for an hour or two.  And if the kids can ride, then they just need to have horses available for the adults to accompany them and voila!  Instant two hour, memory-making,  trek for the tourists and year round profitable business for the locals!!  

There are a couple of things to keep in mind if you do go to Chincoteague:

Beware Post Pony Depression

As I said,  I would be content to see these gorgeous beach ponies swim the channel and then see them at auction. Not all people are content with that, so there are other pony offerings on Chincoteague. Visitors can go to the Pony Show and watch the Chincoteague Pony Drill Team strut their stuff.  I just hope I can hear them over the little girls in the audience who are crying because they can't ride "Misty". On a lighter note, one of the other highlights of Chincoteague according to their website is Island Creamery, where they hand make ice cream.  Perhaps that is the real money maker.  The bribe offered all disappointed children on the island.

Deceptive Advertising

If you sign up to ride the Pony Express, be advised...there are no horses involved in this tour.   It is advertised as a trolley that tours the island, but it is not even a trolley.  No horse, no horse-drawn trolley (even Disney has THAT and they don't make a livelihood off horses!), no TROLLEY!  It's a bus.  That looks like a trolley.

But, all of the crying and bribery and disappointment and deceptive advertising isn't going to stand in my way.  I still have the memory of Misty too strongly in my heart to pass up an opportunity to see any of her 80 remaining relatives swim the channel.  I just want to be able to go before my daughters are out of my house and miss the opportunity to realize this dream with me.  After all, we are just horse-loving little girls at heart when it comes to the Ponies of Chincoteague.

So if you have girls...and boys (cuz I am making my boys come along)...don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance to make their dream to be a part of an incredible story come true.  And as the Saltwater Cowboys on Chincoteague would say (I think they would say it.  I would say it if I was a Saltwater Cowboy), I

Gotta Mosey.

In the Merry 'Ol Land of Wamego

"We're off to see the Wizard!" ~ Dorothy Gale and Friends in the Wizard of Oz

Welcome to Day 3 of my Dream Destinations Week!  So far, I have set my sights on Graceland in Memphis, TN and the annual Svensk Hyllningsfest in Lindsborg, KS.  And it is beginning to look like fall for the Trendy Travelers is going to be busy with trips to Kansas as, Oztoberfest is coming to Wamego, Kansas at the end of September and who wants to miss that?

The Wizard of Oz has a special place in my heart.  When I was younger, I tried to do as my parents told me and expected of me, but some temptations were far too great for me to overcome.  My mother had some rules that I was not too anxious to break.  If I overstepped the boundaries I am sure there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth...mainly mine.

But, still, there was that one line I was dying to cross!  It beckoned to me every day.  Every. Single. Day.

It started innocently enough.  Usually in summer.  You know how it was.  I was a latchkey kid; home alone all day long in the summer.  By myself.  Left to my own devices.  A child giving into that one big temptation.  I didn't mean for it to happen.  There were those "gateway" sins that came first.

Like.....the Monkees.  They were on at noon every day.  And I watched.  No harm, no foul.  Later, in the day when I was older, I watched All My Children.  Still no issue.  Yet, I was flirting closer and closer to disaster every day I turned on the TV.  Each day, turning on the set a little earlier.  Each day dancing closer to the line of no return.  And then....one day....I did it.  I turned on the TV at 10 in the morning and watched....

THE BRADY BUNCH!!!  

The Bradys were contraband in my house.  My mother had no issue with Gilligan, the Monkees, Bewitched and the rest of the re-run crowd....but the Bradys were completely off limits!  And I have to admit....they never helped my cause.  My mother hated the way Mike and Carol never had to actually discipline the kids. (Secretly, I think it had nothing to do with the kids, I think my mom was jealous that Carol had a full time housekeeper).  I hated how the kids totally repented and obeyed after one small reprimand of, "Now Marsha."  "Now Greg."  But, still....it was just a TV show.  When I started watching what had always been restricted to me, I began to see that the Brady Bunch was really no big deal.  It actually wasn't even that great of a show.   I began to wonder about all those other shows that were forbidden to me.  Maybe they weren't so bad/good either.

Don't get me wrong though.  My Mom loves movies.  Albeit, not the ones I would have liked as a child.  My mom was so excited to share her favorite movie with me when I was six.  My first movie with an intermission!  Just like in the fancy movies!!!  You know why movies have intermissions?  Because they keep you from breaking out in hysterics from boredom.  The movie my mom took me to?  Gone with the Wind.  Which I now can appreciate as  3 hours of cinematic masterpiece....but at six years old, was the most terrible form of torture I could imagine.  I didn't even get popcorn!!!!!  I was hardly old enough to know what Viet Nam was, let alone a war that occurred over a hundred years before!!!  Watching this movie, by the way, subjected me to more cruel and unusual punishment, like Joan Baez music.  For days after we saw Gone with the Wind, my mother would play The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down on her Joan Baez album over and over and over and over again...ad nauseum.  I still break out in a cold sweat when I hear that song.

So, as you can see, I was quite neglected limited in what I was allowed for my viewing pleasure.  While other little girls were curling their hair in sponge rollers and entering Shirley Temple look-alike contests (which, by the way, Cindy Brady did in an episode of the Brady Bunch), I was  reenacting Scarlett's big scene before the much needed intermission...."As God as my witness, I will never be hungry again!" (complete with realistic retching sounds).    While other girls were auditioning in their drama classes with Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I was stuck leading Joan Baez sing-alongs!

There was actually a whole slew of entertainment that I was not allowed to watch. But, the biggest Hollywood taboo in my childhood home was The Wizard of OZ.   My mother HATES The Wizard of Oz, but my father could not wait to share with me and  is now one of my favorite movies. When I was a kid, the Wizard was only on TV once a year during Spring Break.  I was always thankful for the times when it was my Dad's turn to have me during that holiday, so I could watch Dorothy and her friends get over on that icky, green witch.  Something my mom would never allow.

So, the Wizard became this secret rebellion.  Though it was rebellion born out of a fantastic story, incredible music and father-daughter bonding.  It is easy to see why I love that movie for so many reasons.  So, while driving through Kansas, you can also see how I get so excited when the Oz billboards  start popping up on the side of the freeway near Wamego.  Well, I am hoping soon, this will be a Dream Come True Destination!

Wamego has built a livelihood on the Emerald City and its residences.  Much of the town revolves around L.Frank Baum's classic-come-to-life.  From festivals to drinks, to menus and museums, every aspect of Oz seems to be alive and well in Wamego.  

The foundational pillar of Ozness in Wamego has to be the Oz Museum.  According to their website, the museum houses over 2,000 "artifacts" dating back to the book's publishing date of 1900.  The museum houses memorabilia from the 1939 musical starring Judy Garland, as well as items from the 1925 silent film of the same name starring Oliver Hardy as the Tin Woodman (who knew?!).  Also available for observation are items from the Diana Ross/Michael Jackson/Bill Cosby movie, The Wiz.  All Oz bases seem to be covered in the Wamego museum.  

After visiting the museum, if you are still trying to forget you are in Kansas...and I have been there, it is a favorite pastime....you can ease on down, ease on down the road to Toto's Tacoz.  Here, you can enjoy all kinds of Fresh-Mex food from a Tin Man Black Bean Burrito, to Munchkin Tacos to a Yellow Brick Burro'd (I am NOT asking if that is a description of the meat used in this dish).  The restaurant offers indoor patio seating, perhaps to avoid tornadoes coming through outdoor patios....?  And also Oz murals to enjoy as you eat.

But, the reason I want to go in the fall is because at the end of  September,  Wamego, Kansas hosts Oztoberfest!  Last year, this event included several dinner theater productions of The Wizard of Oz, a silent auction to benefit the Oz Museum, with items such as a limited edition Oz lamp, special edition DVD sets, signed Ruby Slippers license plates and gift bags signed by special Oz guests.  One of those guests was probably Margaret Pellegrini, who is one of three surviving Munchkins.  According to the Oztoberfest website, she has a great relationship with the Oz community in Wamego and attends this event as health allows.  Wow!  A visit with a real, live Munchkin!  She would be awesome for my Munchkyuens to meet...because I am a nicer mom than my own when it comes to movies...I love the Wizard of Oz!  And so do my kids!  But I digress.  Also available for visitors to Oztoberfest is a 10K Ruby Slipper Run (though, I was disappointed to find out this is just the name of the race and not the required running shoe option), a street fair, a two mile Scarecrow Fun Run, a Yellow Brick Road Bike Ride, a Munchkinland Kid's Play Area and much, much more!  They also have a Sip-and-Stroll for those over 21, with wine and beer tastings...represented by many wineries and breweries, EXCEPT the Oz Winery.  Which is sad, because it would just be fun to see the bottles from Oz Winery.  They have  wines called Ding Dong, the Wine is Red, Witch Gone Good,  Wine of a Different Color and myriad of other labels.  The pictures on the labels are worth having that vendor around!

Last year's Silent Auction Special at  Oztoberfest.  Who wouldn't want THAT conversation piece in their living room?

As you can see, Wamego is completely committed to being Oz.  And helping you enjoy your journey there, as well.  After poking around Wamego's website, you can see why they call themselves "Small Town - BIG Experience".  They remind you to stay in Wamego when visiting because they have over 90 ROOMS available.  One of which, Kahuna and I hope to secure with our Munchkyuens in an upcoming autumn.  

Until then, I

Gotta Mosey!

Valkommen! Ja!

"This doesn't look like Kansas, Toto." ~ Dorothy, in the Wizard of Oz

Well, here we are on Day 2 of my Dream Destinations week.  I hope that yesterday's jaunt to Graceland didn't cause you to lose faith in journeying with me.  I know that Graceland is the epitome of gaudy ostentatiousness, but, come on....it's Elvis.

However, for those with more sophisticated tastes, who desire culture and refinement, today's foray may be just the thing to redeem myself!  

Dream Destination #2:  Svensk Hyllningsfest in Lindsborg, Kansas

Lindsborg is a town in Kansas that was settled by Swedish pioneers in 1869.  To say it is a small town is an understatement.  As of 2011, the 1.5 square mile town had just 3,465 residents.  But it is rich in Scandinavian tradition!  And every fall of odd numbered years, Lindsborg hosts Svensk Hyllningsfest - a festival to honor the town's Swedish heritage.  There is traditional folk dancing, music, arts, entertainment, Dala Horses and smorgasbord!  Pure culture.  No kitsch here!

It is my opinion that nothing screams cultural diversity more than a town of 3500 Swedish descendants celebrating their heritage at a traditional Swedish Honoring Festival in the fall.....in KANSAS.  Seriously speaking,  I am sure that our Amer-Asian family will drastically change the town's demographics when we show up, just by increasing the number of brunettes in Lindsborg. But, I am also sure that Lindsborg may be the closest retreat we have to a foreign country and well worth the travel into the flatlands of Kansas.

I look forward to attending the festival in October of this year.  They already have a whole schedule of events for the weekend of the Svensk Hyllningsfest, including, but not limited to smorgasbord, folk dancing, clogging (by a traditional Swedish group from the booming metropolis of Marquette, KS, population 641), folk dancing, arts and crafts, folk dancing, smorgasbord, folk dancing WITH the audience, smorgasbord and folk dancing!  Yes, there'll be swingin', swayin', records playin'...."dansing" in the street!  And food.

And apparently a Dala Horse hunt.  Not to eat.  Just to find.  There are many, many Dalas all over town and so the challenge is to see how many you can find.  Including the City Hall Dala - Fala, the Dala Brick Road.  No joke.  That is the town's most famous Dala Horse!  In Kansas....get it?  Oh those riotous Swedes!

Besides going to Lindsborg for their festival and their obvious sense of wit and whimsy, I would like to visit some of their Top 5 Attractions (which actually lists dozens of attractions, which tells me the Swedes of Lindsborg know how to have a good time...but not how to count).  Fine dining abounds in this quaint village on the prairie, with the #1 offering on Lindsborg's website being Bethany College's cafeteria.  The only pitfall here, besides the fact that it is a school lunch, is that you can only dine here during the school year. If you visit Lindsborg during the summer, you will have to settle for fare from one of the other fine eating establishments, such as Casey's Carryout Pizza.  I wonder if Casey serves that with Lingonberry jam.

Number 2 on the list of attractions in Lingsborg, or Little Sweden as the locals call it, is Coronado Heights.  This winner of one of Kansas' 8 Wonders of Kansas Geography is supposedly a historical and natural delight.  My guess is that it is on the 8 Wonders list because it is Coronado HEIGHTS, which in a state as flat as Kansas, is saying something.

The third attraction list is of art galleries in the town.  After all the dancing and smorgasbording I intend to do in October in Little Sweden, I do not know how much time I will have to observe art, but I am going to be sure to make time to visit Hemsljod, "An Adventure in Swedish Tradition", which made the list of the 8 Wonders of Kansas Customs list, for it's traditional and pop art Dala Horse Factory!  This gallery also makes the #4 attraction category of Swedish Gift Shops.

And finally on their top 5 attractions list, Lindsborg has many historical buildings and walking tours to offer.  None of which sound as fun a ride on Fala, the Dala Brick Road, or smorgasbord.

As you can see, Lindsborg, is in no shortage of class and culture.  Enjoy the following video so you, too can plan a visit to Little Sweden on the Prairie.

  Let me know what you think in the comments because right now, I 

Jag Maste Mosey!  (Gotta Mosey!)

Walkin' In Memphis

"I'll stay in Memphis." ~ Elvis Presley

Over the next few days, I will be sharing my Dream Destinations with you.  They are all places I am either already planning on visiting, or am hoping to go to soon.  

Vacations are as unique and distinctive as the individuals who plan them.  Some people look forward to theme parks with the kids, others desire a restful, tropical beach, and still others look for mountain get-aways with plenty of hiking and fishing.  All of those places are enjoyable destinations, but for me, I like kitsch.

I am all about the people,food and storymaking when I travel!  It seems the more unusual the venue, the more incredible the people that you meet. It takes a certain genius to make an industry out of brazen tastelessness.  That kind of genius attracts the most extraordinary audience.  And I want to meet that audience!

Anyone can hang out with a bunch of beach bums in Hawaii.  But where is the conversation in that?  Everyone has the same story.  Honeymooners, newlyweds, oldlyweds on an anniversary trip.  Same stories, different faces.  Forget the mundane - Give me the brazen, the tasteless, the extraordinary!  

First stop:  ELVIS PRESLEY'S GRACELAND

I have actually been to Graceland already.  Well, okay...not in Graceland, but I have been to the gift shop.  We took a side trip to the Elvis shrine that is Elvis Presley Blvd. just so I could see it.  But there were 8 of us traveling...and at 37.00 a pop to actually go in the gates - well, you do the math.  It was gas to get home or Graceland!  Gas won. (but only because Kahuna insisted!)

Junior and I will be traveling to Virginia this summer and are hoping to make a stopover at the King's residence on our way home.  I am only taking Junior because she is the only one in my family that truly appreciates Elvis like I do....though, I suspect it is for this reason only....

What can I say, she has good taste!

I really want to take the Graceland tour.  I want to see the Jungle Room.  I admit it.  No shame.  None.  Because the beauty of Elvis Presley is that you could never be born too late to be a fan!  

Elvis died when I was 9 years old.  But that means nothing.  He was bigger than life, and we still have access to him through music, movies, and books.  We can choose an instant play movie of his on Netflix, iTunes is rife with his music...performed by he and many others... and we can Google a gazillion images of him in one keystroke.  Instant Elvis keeps us as perpetual fans!

And then, there is that chance, that once in a lifetime possibility that we...just...might...meet...him.  Though many people think that Elvis began being sighted in Kalamazoo, MI in 1987, according to the Elvis Information Network, spiritual and live sightings of Elvii began occurring immediately after his "death".  

I don't want to overstate the obvious, but if you owned this....

Peacock Room in Elvis Presley's Graceland Mansion

Would you be hanging out here......

Kalamazoo, MI

Just sayin'....I will take my chances trying to sight Elvis at Graceland.  And if he "isn't home", as they like to say at his estate, I will just trek down to Democrat Road in Memphis and check out the King of the World: Elvis Tribute Artist World Championships!  Here I can meet literally hundreds of Elvii!    You can, too!  From the rules of the contest, it seems every forethought has been meticulously planned to give the most authentic Elvis Experience...including rules number 3 and 11 which strictly mandate the use and sharing of scarves during a performance!

I am thinking that after a hard day of touring the King's Rock 'n Roll Palace and investigating his disappearance, Junior and I are going to need some serious nourishment.  I am hoping to catch us a great PB&B sandwich (Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich...yes, I know it is unhealthy, but yolo..unless you are Elvis, who may or may not be on his second life according to this information).  It seems to me, in my research, that the best place to try this hip shakin' super sandwich will be at the oldest restaurant in Memphis, the Arcade.  They bury the sandwich on the last page of their online menu, but most reviews say, this is the place to go for Presley's favorite num num!

I hope to end the day with a good night's rest.  Where, you ask?  Well, where else would an Elvis fan stay?

Perhaps in one of the Elvis-themed Suites here...

I hope to make the pilgrimage visit in June.  Any helpful hints on tracking down the King or other things to do in Memphis that are Elvis related, are greatly appreciated!  Leave them in the comments section because right now, I

Gotta Mosey!