Fried Chicken

I tend to think of Kansas as beef country but as a photographer, I’ve been asked to shoot many more fried chicken restaurants in Kansas than steak houses. A few of my favorites have been the Brookville Hotel (pictured here) in Abilene, the Carriage Crossing in Yoder, the Hays House in Council Grove and of course the “feuding” Chicken Annies and Chicken Marys near Pittsburg. They’re each great in their own way and perhaps their differences are what makes each of them greater still. I know there are others – the Chicken House in Olpe and Tevis in Topeka, for instance – where’s your favorite?

-Michael

A rainy day in Holton, Kansas…

…but at the French Market, an annual Holton outdoor fair, people are smiling and chatting and poring over the eclectic selection of merchandise with that slow, friendly pace small towns seem to engender, Children scamper as their parents stroll (when was the last time you strolled?) among the many colorful booths packed with jewelry or pottery or antiques.

While the rest of the world may be going to hell in a hand basket, in the peaceful and beautiful and just-a-little-rainy Holton city square, everything seems just fine.

And that’s something even the most caffeinated of city dwellers can learn to love.

- Gary P

Koger Variety

Koger Variety is a most amazing little variety store on the square in Holton. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a panoply of things from today and yesterday in one place. If they don’t have it, you don’t need it. I could spend hours in there, just discovering. Last Saturday, I found a box of cards with Life Magazine photography for $2. I can’t wait to send someone a thank you note! There were puzzles and games (turn off the TV for one night), office supplies, cake decorating paraphernalia, pillow cases for embroidering, Burt’s Bees skin care products and Halloween decorations galore.

You can also rent a tux, buy a hostess gift or a CD.

The old fashioned candy counter and soda fountain are like the cherry on top of the best sundae ever. Just go!

- Martha

Music at the Soul of Lawrence

Lawrence is full of music enthusiasts. Visitors of downtown notice this seconds after stepping out of their cars. On one street corner you can find a surprisingly talented sax player. At the next corner, you may find a guitar player or a drummer. Walk a couple of blocks and you are likely to hear classical or folk music coming out of the Signs of Life. If you are in the mood for rock, jazz, pop, rap, metal, bluegrass or soul, you have come to the right place. Lawrence has a strong and colorful local music scene, full of upcoming artists. The Jazzhaus, Bottleneck, Granada Theatre, Jackpot Saloon, Abe and Jake’s Landing, Replay Lounge, Liberty Hall, Eighth Street Tap Room and Last Call (to name a few) have music for every taste-bud.

Lawrence isn’t just about local bands. It’s big enough to attract big name bands and is home of the nationally recognized Walkarusa Music Festival.

If you are looking for a different style, the Lied Center has everything you could want. From ballet and classical, to contemporary and unusual (Inflatable theater… cool), the Lied Center has a show you’ll enjoy.

- Sara

Welcome to… Malaysia?

I found this interesting map on the Strange Maps blog:

The cartographer has compared the Gross Domestic Product of the States with those of countries. As Strange Maps points out on their site, it’s of limited usefulness because it doesn’t account for population, but it does make for some interesting relationships.

Anyway… it was interesting to ME!

-Michael

Dad gum GIhugic!

I’m completely mesmerized by the Kansas State Fair’s largest pumpkin. It was just announced that this year’s winner weighs 976.6 pounds. One onlooker says that’s “pretty dad gum big.” I don’t think that does it justice. I think it’s pretty dad gum gihugic.

Did they have to send a “wide load” vehicle with red lights and screaming sirens ahead of the truck that towed this pumpkin to the Fair?

What do you do with a pumpkin like that after it wins? It’s certainly not fitting into any trophy case I’ve ever seen. Seems like it would be a crime to turn it into a jack-o-lantern. Or maybe that’s a fitting end to something that’s really kind of scary already.

The Wichita Eagle has a nice story and video clip. Check it out here if you can’t make it to Hutch!

- Martha

Banquet on a stick

I’m hoping to squeeze in a quick road trip to the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson this weekend. When I was a kid I loved going to Fair. My parents grew up in Hutchinson and my grandparents lived there – so it was an annual trip for my family. I couldn’t wait for rides in Ye Old Mill, salt water taffy, the demolition derby and lots of other great stuff. But it was the Pronto Pup that took top dog for me. One year I remember making about a dozen trips to the funky yellow Pronto Pup hut for another awesome dog. I hear they now have fried Oreos and fried candy bars at the Fair – but for me, nothing will ever beat “a banquet on a stick.”

-doug

Easter Island Challenge

I had the opportunity to go to Easter Island last Fall (well… it was Spring on the island… but let’s not get into that) and looked forward to seeing what is promoted as the most remote inhabited place on earth. After all it is over 2000 miles off the coast of Chile and over 1200 miles from the next closest inhabited place – the Pitcairn Islands.

So, you’d imagine it would be a pretty exotic, altogether different kind of place, wouldn’t you. Yet the first thing I though when I got off of the plane was that it looked A LOT like the Kansas Flint Hills!

See for yourself and take my little quiz. I’ve paired up six sets of photos: one taken on Easter Island and the other in Kansas. See how many you can tell apart. I’ll put the answers in the comments area of this posting.

No cheating!!!

- Michael

What’s in a name?

I’ve always been fascinated and sometimes perplexed by city names. So, I thought I would take a closer look at cities in Kansas.

Since Kansas is not known for its abundance of trees, it seems a little odd that so many cities would name themselves after our wooded friends. We have Willowbrook, Walnut, Oak Hill, Oakley, Mulberry, Mapleton, Maple Hill, Lone Elm, Elmdale, Cottonwood Falls, Cedar Point, Cedar, Cedar Vale, Burr Oak and Walnut. My favorite tree, the sycamore, didn’t make the list.

Animals are always a popular choice, and Kansas has its fair share. Kansans who were partial to animals include Partridge, Elk Falls, Elk City, Elkhart, Elk (county), Deerfield, Buffalo, Bison and Bird City.

Colorful characters are a big part of Kansas history, so why not use a color in your city name. Kansas color cities include Greensburg, Green, Greenleaf, Greenwood (county) Blue Mound, Blue Rapids, White City, White Cloud, Silver Lake, Redfield, Gray (county), and Brown (county). Where is black, yellow, orange or pink (there are several rose variations)?

There are just some cities that absolutely own their name and Kansas has a few of those. No one would ever mistake Dodge City as anything other than Kansas. And to my knowledge, there is not another Topeka anywhere in the US. But many Kansas cities names wouldn’t remind anyone of the Sunflower State. They include: Zurich, Tampa, Toronto, Troy, Peru, Milan, Moscow, Lebanon, Jamestown, Huron, Havana, Everest, Cuba, Attica, Atlanta, Bel Aire, Long Island, Louisville, Nashville, New Albany, Ottawa, Princeton, and Toronto.

And my favorite category – the quirky and stange. Several cities chose a happy, uplifting approach like Hope, Pleasanton, Eureka, Viola, and of course, Climax. In the “what were they thinking?” category you have: Stark, Speed, Radium, Gas City, and Erie (maybe that refers to the famous lake). But my all-time favorite quirky Kansas name is Bazaar. It’s located in the heart of the Flint Hills. I think it’s unincorporated now, but it still has several homes and a truly unique cememtary.

- doug

Passion for fashion.

Some people can get downright snobby about heading to Chicago or New York to find an of-the-moment ensmblé. Honestly, I find it just about as irritating as a chip in my YSL Deep Purple #34 pedicure. It doesn’t take much research to find fabulous unique boutiques around the Sunflower State. Blush Boutique – a relative newcomer in Topeka is small and intimate, with tons of designer denim you can’t find anywhere else. Yes, tons. And Hope, the owner has incredible stamina to keep bringing you new things to try on. You never have to leave the fitting room! You will leave happy.

El Dorado has Pink Saloon – a chic little spot with all kinds of dresses, denim, handbags, shoes and WOW. And they even have an online wish list. There is no reason you can’t shop till you max out your credit cards.

I can’t give up all my sources at once, so visit KansasTalk again and I’ll share more little gems. Or share some of your own discoveries. I always love a new discovery!

- Martha