Approximately 15 miles north of McPherson nestled on the Smokey Hill river resides the small community of Lindsborg. In all my years of living in this area I have always found this town to be a simple, quaint place with a lot more to offer than meets the eye. Swedish settlers established it in 1869 and these roots are still very evident today in many of the shops, street names, and the ubiquitous dala horse.
My roommate, a friend and I decided that a walk to Lindsborg would be a doable endeavor so we set out this morning around 9:30 from school on the south side of McPherson. After a quick stop to procure some sustenance for the trek, we left town on 81 highway heading due north. We shortly decided that walking on the gravel road one mile to the west would be more fun so we headed that way. The weather was great today (no wind which was great because that’s normally Kansas’ M.O.) and we were all alone with the vast countryside surrounding us for the majority of the walk there. We stopped in a wooded area off the road for lunch and took a short nap in the grass. While lying in the grass in the silence and stillness of the area, we could hear all sorts of subtle sounds of nature that one usually doesn’t unless they’re listening for them. It was as beautiful as it was simple.
The last stretch of road seemed to go on forever, and as the town came in to view the last few miles really dragged by. We were all getting pretty tired and sore (my knee was and still is killing me) but we finally arrived, crossing the Smoky Hill as a sort of victory and finishing point. All in all, with some winding and course diversions the trip was probably an 18 mile walk. It was very taxing, but I feel satisfied as it was a great experience, a way to get away from everyday life and do something out of the ordinary.
My Friend Staci 