Kansas
Travel Blog
Chronicling
changes to KansasTravel.org and Keith's exploration
& photographing Kansas restaurants, attractions, museums, festivals
and art. Contact him.
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Monday
- September 1, 2025: Many locally owned restaurants are closed today,
but we revisited Hayward's Pit Bar B Que in Shawnee, Kansas, for lunch.
Despite it being a holiday, they lunch specials were still valid to day
and one of us had the lunch ribs, 5 St. Louis cut ribs and a standard side
for $16. We upgraded to onion rings for a $1.
I
also had a new dish on the menu, The BIG Piggy, which is pulled pork, sausage,
and ham topped with fried pickles and Helga mustard on a sesame seed hoagie
roll for $17 including a standard side. It was a BIG sandwich and I ate
half here with the remaining half being almost too much for a meal later
in the week. Although the Corned Beef Burnt End Reuben is my favorite sandwich
at Hayward's, my next favorite tends to be which ever one I had most recently
and I thought this one was great!
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The BIG Piggy
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Wednesday
- September 3, 2025: Today's lunch was at Crazy Good Eats in Olathe,
Kansas, another KC BBQ restaurant which I hadn't been to since last year.
I had two of my favorite appetizers "Mad Meatballs" (bacon wrapped meatballs)
and onion straws. The meatballs didn't seem a s good today, like they had
been around for a few days.
Several
things were annoying today. They have Coke products, but when I went to
the fountain to fill my drink, they only have Coke Zero, not Diet Coke.
When I went for my money back (I'm not sure how much, the price isn't on
the menu and they don't give a receipt), they gave me a 12 ounce can of
Diet Coke, which is a poor substitute for 32 ounce glass and unlimited
refills.
The
floor of the dining room was very sticky and my shoes stuck to the floor
as I walked to and from ny table.
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Mad Meatballs
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Thursday,
September 4, 2025: Today's lunch was a Cronin's Bar & Grill in
Lenexa. It had been a year and a half since I had been there. Their Basic
Burger is #4 on our best Kansas Burger List and there was a dollar off
today, so that was the way to go. The 1/3 pound burger was $10 with a side
dish and I ordered fresh cut fries, then added cheddar cheese and grilled
onions for 50 cents each. A large, great burger & fries for $10.
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Cronin's Basic Burger |
Friday,
September 5, 2025: We are off to central Kansas for a day of exploring
and a day at the Kansas Sampler Foundation's Pop Up Big Kansas Road Trip
in Halstead.
The
first stop of the trip was a single grave all by itself beside a rural
road west of Allen, Kansas. It is the burial site of Henry Clousing, who
was a Colonel in a Voluntary Army during the Civil War. It isn't kept up
and a fence at the side of the road kept me from getting close enough to
be positive, but it appears there is no memorial stone, just a metal fence
surrounding the grave.
Next
stop was Dunlap Colored Cemetery, about a half mile from the much larger
Dunlap Cemetery, which is a mile away from the near ghost town of Dunlap,
Kansas. This may be the largest Exoduster burial site we have found in
Kansas. Find-A-Grave lists 135 burials. Very few of the graves have modern
legible stones. Many have just a small fragment of what may have been a
homemade stone, but all of those have CVC pipe crosses to preserve the
location of the grave. The graves date from the 1880s to 1993.
As
we were leaving the cemetery a truck parked behind us pulling a trailer
with a large mower. The man driver said he has been mowing the cemetery
for three years and we were the first people he had ever seen there. He
isn't sure who pays for the maintenance of the cemetery.
The
cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
We
took a photos of a few of the remaining buildings in Dunlap and then went
on to Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park,
southwest of Council Grove, Kansas. We already have a web page devoted
to the park, but this was a chance to photograph structures and and signs
which have been added and most importantly, the Sacred Red Rock called
I‘zhúje‘waxóbe or Grandfather.
The
28 ton stone was once located by the Kansas River near Topeka and was sacred
to the Kanza, or Kaw. people, but had been relocated to a park in Lawrence
where a 300 pound bronze plaque honoring settlers was attached. The plaque
was removed and the rock was repatriated to the Kaw people at this location.
We
drove into Council Grove to have lunch at Trail
Days Cafe and Museum. The small complex of old buildings is a combination
museum, cafe and bakery. We were last there during the height of Covid
in 2020 when food was being served at tables placed outside on the porch.
The
cafe & bakery are in the 1860-61 Rawlinson-Terwilliger Home where the
serving space doubles as museum and looks like it could be your great grandparents'
home. The food is representative of what those ancestors might have served,
representing multiple nationalities including German, Swedish, English,
French, Italian, Native American and frontier dishes.
They
were out of several items today and we settled on beef pot roast and bison
sloppy Joe. The food was good, but for me the main reason for going here
is the history and the stories which server, cook and retired attorney
82 year old Kenneth McClintock is delighted to share.
Two
buildings which were previously closed have been opened since we last visited.
The docent had been unable to come in this day and they were locked, but
there were no other customers, so Kenneth opened them for us. He showed
us their 9 minute movie on the American Bison and the temporary "Bison
in The Flint Hills" art exhibit. The exhibit and film will change each
year.
They
have also recently opened the 1902 Field School District 54 schoolhouse
which was moved to this site in 1999.
Back
on the road, our next stop was Peabody Sausage House & Locker, which
has been serving Peabody, Kansas since 1967. We were wanting to sample
their German sausage, but they were closed during their regular hours and
there was no sign on the door. Their phone has been disconnected, their
Facebook page has not posted in 2 months and they have not responded to
my email.
The
rest of the afternoon was spent exploring Newton, Kansas, starting with
Meridian Grocery, it is a mid size market with its own bakery and an active
meat market. They are particularly known for their German foods, including
bierocks and German sausage.
The
next stop was downtown at the Harvey County Historical Museum, which we
last visited in 2016. The main gallery is used for temporary exhibits and
the current exhibit is devoted to the Hispanic history of Harvey County.
The docent was not sure how long the exhibit will remain.
We
drove by and photographed a number of the 19th century homes in town, and
briefly crossed into North Newton to see swales left by cattle and wagons
on the Chisholm Trail, but our directions were inadequate and we will need
to try again.
Back
in Newton, we visited 28 year old Gillispie Meats, which in addition to
fresh, ready to cook meats is known for house made ham loaf, sausage and
baked goods such as cookies, scones and cream puffs. We bought some of
ll three catagories.
Driving
through downtown, we noticed a sign saying, "Anderson Book & Office
Supply - Since 1892" and decided to stop and check it out. The business
has been on Main Street since 1892, and moved into this particular building
in 1938. It was built by the Odd Fellows in 1880 and was once a J. C. Penny
store.
Entering
the store is like stepping back several generations. In addition to office
supplies it has a few museum like exhibits of local history and a wide
variety of things such as Kansas regional, children's, Kansas State University
& University of Kansas books, plus gifts, greeting cards, toys &
puzzles and even Newton High School letter jackets & related apparel.
The
neatest thing was meeting the owner, 93 year old Phillip Anderson, III
who is the 4th generation in the 5 generation business. Although he is
a Wichita State University grad, he went to the University of Kansas for
3 semesters before being drafted and near the register there are pictures
of KU basketball players and of Phillip with head coach Bill Self.
We
had parked farther up Main Street near a toy store which had caught our
eyes, so we stopped in there as well. It turns out that Prairie Toy Store
is only 5 months old and is part of much larger business which fills 4
store fronts with openings between them. The others are a Market &
Deli, Health & Wellness, and Home & Outdoor Store. They are all
very nice shops.
There
is even a manufacturing facility in the rear of the market which produces
Prairie brand snack mixes, cookies, spices and other items. We found ourselves
making multiple purchases in the deli and toy store including dark chocolate
covered almonds and pfeffernusse (German spice cookies).
Supper
was at Genova Italian Restaurant on the south side of Newton. We arrived
about 6 PM and they were filling up fast. The bread and dipping sauce they
bring was the highlight of the meal. The Pasta Sampler (Meat lasagna, spinach
ravioli and manicotti with marinara sauce and mozzarella) was a smaller
serving than many, but only $14.99.
The
$15.99 Stromboli (Pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, beef, onions green
peppers, black olives, mushrooms, & mozzarella wrapped in pizza crust
& side of marinara) was enormous, but did come together as we expected.
The ingredients did blend for a combined flavor we were expecting. Perhaps
there was too little sauce or cheese?
We
stayed the night at Winds Hotel in Park City, which during the Kansas State
Fair was far less expensive than the places in Hutchinson and Newton where
I searched first.
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Dunlap Colored Cemetery
Sacred Red Rock
Bison in The Flint Hills
Gillispie Meats
Philip Anderson, III
Prairie Toy Store
Stromboli
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Saturday,
September 6, 2025: We started our day in Halstead, Kansas at the Halstead
Historical Museum & Depot, where the Pop Up BKRT was beginning with
a presentation and a "The Stump" trivia contest led by Marci Penner of
the Kansas Sampler Foundation. There were about 150 people present as well
as 21 Model A's from the Wichita Model A car club.
We
followed the Stump event with shopping a block and a half away in the downtown,
starting with Troy's True Value Hardware with its surprising selection
of things you might no longer expect to find in a hardware.
Across
the street we purchased house made summer sausage, bratwurst & Mark's
jerky at 41 year old Champ's Market. At the Halstead Market (grocery store)
next door we bought their German rope sausage.
For
lunch, we drove a few miles away to Cy's Hoof and Horn Supper Club in Sedgwick,
Kansas which I had been wanting to try for some time. The steakhouse is
very dark, which made my photography more difficult. The service was extremely
good.
We
had catfish & chicken fried steak. All was good and we were particularly
impressed with the country fried potatoes and green beans.
The
star of the meal was the chicken fried steak. The steak, coating and gravy
combine for a wonderful flavor and mouth feel. And the size! It looks big
in this photo, but is is even bigger than it looks. The platter it is served
on is bigger than the one the catfish came on and was the size of that
platter!
While
we were downtown, I took new photos of the nearby home devoted to the Kansas
City Chiefs with a miniature GEHS Field in the front yard. Also there was
a new mural on the side of the police station.
On
our way back to Halstead, we stopped on the outskirts of town to drive
by and photograph the Hertsler Barns which are having an open house later
in the day which doesn't fit our schedule. Unfortunately they are too obscured
by trees to photograph from the road.
Staying
outside town, we went to Bobbi's Cutters. Bobbie Barton gave an interesting
tour of the operation which creates custom cookie cutters on 3D printers
and demonstrated how they are built. This is a major operation and quite
interesting.
A
couple of other creators were doing demos at Bobbi's Cutters. Isaac Shue
from Gallery Mostaza in Newton spun a case while talking about their business
and Andrea of Andy Kay's Cookies demonstrated cookie decorating.
Back
in Newton, we toured the Halstead Historical Museum & Depot, which
I hadn't been to for several years and enjoyed a slice of watermelon outside.
Our
last stop around Halstead was touring two barns at the Myrla & Kent
Haury farm, which was homesteaded in 1874.
As
we drove back across Kansas, we turned off at Cedar Point, first stopping
to take current photographs of the 1867 Drinkwater & Schriver Flour
Mill on the Cottonwood River. It looks like the structure is deteriorating
and for the second straight year it appears that the restoration has been
halted. Researching after we got home, I learned that yes, work is no longer
being done on the historic building and it is listed for sale.
Passing
south out of town we passed and interesting mulit room school which was
built in 1918 and abandoned about 50 years ago when the school district
consolidated with Cottonwood Falls.
We
were driving to Homestead Cemetery, about 10 miles south of Cedar Point
and Clements, Kansas, where Maud and Gus Wagner are buried. Maud Stevens
was born in Emporia, Kansas and was an acrobat who met Gus at the 1904
Louisiana Purchase Exposition World's Fair in St. Louis. Gus was promoted
as the world's most tattooed man. They eventually married and traveled
with circuses together and she became the first known professional female
tattoo artist in the United States. Their daughter started tattooing at
age 9
Their
original stones are tiny and Maud's says only "M W" while Gus' appears
to have no writing at all. The newer flat stones were placed in 2016 by
fans of tattoos. The graves were pretty much hidden by plants, but we cleared
them enough to photograph and they will be easier for the next visitors
to find.
There
is just one driveway in the cemetery and these graves are near the drive,
1/2 way back on the right side, just past the Mercer family.
Driving
back toward US-50 on G Road, we passed a herd of bison, which looked photogenic
with the wild sunflowers which lined the roadside.
Supper
was at Rolling Hills Bar and Grill in Americus, Kansas, where I had first
dined in August last year. We had a pork chop and chicken fried steak.
The large chop tasted quite good. Though I preferred these mashed potatoes,
I preferred the green beans at lunch and enjoyed the chicken fried steak
at lunch much more. The CFS at lunch was more than twice the size of this
one (and a few dollars more expensive).
My
favorite part of supper was what they call Dutch apple pie and I would
call apple crisp pie.
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The Stump
Hoof and Horn Supper Club
Bobbi's Cutters
Cedar Point School
Gus & Maud Wagner Graves
Bison & Sunflowers
Rolling Hills Bar & Grill
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Thursday,
September 11, 2025: We had lunch at Deano's at Deer Creek, which just
opened on July 18 at 3150 Southeast 21st Street in Topeka, Kansas. This
new restaurant is the creation of Alec Weaver, son of Lon Weaver who had
the much loved Lonnie Q's at the same location, which closed a year ago.
This is a new venture and Alec leases the building.
Because
Lonnie Q's was a BBQ restaurant, some people are assuming this is as well,
but while Alex is honoring some of that tradition with Cheesy Taters, pulled
pork, smoked turkey, and the original coleslaw, He is creating a new restaurant
with a focus on other items.
Just
three people total are staffing Deano's, and Alec is the kitchen staff,
manager, and other roles. Monday's & Tuesdays he is prepping the food
and they are open 7 - 10 AM and 11 AM - 2 PM Wednesday - Saturday. Everything
is made from scratch.
The
menu is limited and we had most of their lunch menu with a pulled pork/Tom's
turkey sandwich, smashburger, Cheesy Taters, and fresh cut fries. The Stampede
Smashburger is unique - a quarter pound patty with pickled jalapenos, American
cheese and smoky slaw on a brioche bun. The combination of flavors worked
well for me and I really enjoyed this burger!
The
staff saw me taking photos and asked what they were for. When I explained
that I blog about my meals I was invited to also try the Cozy Rolls which
are cinnamon rolls made with biscuit dough and a lot of butter. I thought
of it almost as a cinnamon cake. It was served warm and it was very good.
Deano's
has a slightly larger menu for breakfast than for lunch and I am hearing
great things about their house cured bacon.
Look
for the menu to expand, but not necessarily the BBQ options. There will
be chili available as the weather turns cooler.
We
were going to have supper at Terry's Bar & Grill in Topeka, but it
was closed and we had supper at Celtic Fox, instead. Following up on that,
I learned that after two years of operating this bar & grill, Mike
Babb closed Terry's on September 5th and has taken over the restaurant
at Herman's Meat & Smokehouse, now named Babb Boys BBQ at Hermans.
A
few years ago, he had Babb Brothers BBQ at Trinity Groves in Texas.
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Deano's at Deer Creek
Stampede Smashburger
Alec Weaver
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Wednesday,
September 24, 2025: I'm off for an overnight exploration of southeast
Kansas.
The
first stop was Prescott, to photograph a former classic Standard Station
and some interesting old buildings in the small downtown. I also photographed
a former high school that is now the City Hall.
Back
on US-69, I spotted the community of Hammond was near the highway and turned
off to see if there was anything interesting there. The community is just
four block long streets and nothing interesting caught my eye.
My
first stop in Fort Scott, Kansas was the Bourbon County Court House, to
photograph the old district courtroom on the third floor and the WPA mural
at its front. When I arrived, the court was in session, but the guard said
they should be through shortly. After they left, the judge and clerk continued
to work. but the guard spoke to them and they took a brief break and slipped
out so I could take photos. The mural is "Lady Justice" by David Hicks
Overmyer.
The
guard said there is another mural on the second floor of the post office
across the street and someone might take me up to see it.
The
Postmaster, Jennifer O. Gilpin, interrupted what she was doing to take
me up to the former federal courtroom on the second floor. She said the
post office now owns the entire building and that when she took over the
office, this room was so filled with things that you could hardly walk
through it. Most of that stuff has been removed and she has plans to restore
the space and make it functional.
This
mural is much larger and is captioned: "The Passage of the 'Enabling Act
of Kansas Territory" brought many Settlers through the Border Gateways
- 1854." It was painted in 1929 by David Hicks Overmyer.
I
drove on to Frontinac, Kansas to check out the burgers at Shooters Neighborhood
Grill & Bar, which was recommended as a place for our Kansas
Best Burger List.
I
went with The Goober, which includes bacon, onion rings, peanut butter
and a raspberry glaze. I wasn't sure about all the elements included, but
the flavors combined wonderfully and the bacon & onion rings added
a nice crunch. They are a candidate for my best burger list.
I
really liked the fresh cut chili fries. The chili had nice flavor and no
beans. It would also make a great chili dog.
Service
was a team effort, friendly and very helpful! They even wrote notes on
my container for leftovers. My one complaint is that the men's room was
not very pleasant.
Staying
in Frontinac, I photographed several buildings and the new Miners Park
which was dedicated in June to the victims of the worst mining disaster
in Kansas history. On November 9, 1888, there was an explosion in Pittsburg
and Cherokee Mining Company Shaft Number Two. A total of 44 miners were
killed following the explosion in the coal mine. The miners included immigrants
from 9 countries. Several of them were teenagers, including two 13 year
olds.
Across
the street, is Frontinac's public library which is under construction and
nearing completion. The library includes a history museum and I stopped
in to see if I might have a glimpse. Checking at the library's McKay Street
Coffeehouse, which opened on June 5th, I learned that the museum had a
soft opening at the same time and can be visited when the coffee shop is
open.
Heritage
Hall is relatively small, but is extremely well curated. Parts of Frontinac's
history have been selected and are presented in an interesting and entertaining
way. In addition to more traditional subjects like the schools and churches,
it features subjects like the region's immigrant history, prohibition,
ethnic lodges, coal mining, the largest mining disaster in Kansas history,
the Amazon Army and longtime businesses like 116 year old Pallucca's &
Sons Market and 121 year old Frontenac Bakery.
I
had a great conversation with Seth Nutt, the library and museum director,
who was hired in 2022 to oversee the construction of Frontinac's first
museum & library. They were largely made possible by a $4.5 million
bequest by Richard and Jeanette Tavella, specifically for a public library.
The library appears to be very close to opening.
Continuing
south to Pittsburg, the next stop was Harry Krug Art Gallery on the campus
of Pittsburg State University. I couldn't find visitor parking in that
part of the campus and there were no signs saying where visitor parking
is located, so I decided to chance it and parked in student parking. The
gallery is fairly small and I was able to to see & photograph it and
return to the vehicle without issue.
The
next stop was The Meat Shed, a meat market and deli, where I bought bratwurst,
pickles and pimento cheese spread.
Earlier
in the day, I noticed a neat little building with a sign saying, Sullivan
Book Arts, and that it would be open after 3:30 PM. Returning now, I met
the bookbinder, poet, playwright, and artist Olive Sullivan, who opened
this storefront in June after working from home for many years. Her daughter-in-law,
Angel Abshire, is her partner.
The
front of the shop is a small gallery, displaying and selling lithographs,
prints, and photography by Pittsburg area artists. There are also copies
of two books of Olive's poetry.
The
rest of the building is devoted to custom bookbinding and repair, much
of it done with antique bookmaking equipment and letterpresses. When doing
repair, they can create a woodcut block of a book cover from scans and
use that to impress a new leather cover. Similar work can be done to recreate
end papers. The also create handmade books and journals.
Olive
stressed that they do repair, not do restoration.
Staying
in a somewhat similar vein, the next stop was The Literary Cat Co. bookstore
and a cat lounge.
There
is no fee to spend time with the cats. This is a bookstore that just also
happens to be a foster home for cats. There are three shop cats, plus on
this day there were 7 foster cats from SEK Animal Advocates. A typical
adoption is about $80, including neutering, current shots and testing for
diseases.
A
very affectionate 2 year old kitty named Nina, found me shortly after I
entered, followed me though the store, and rubbed my ankle whenever I stopped
for any length of time.
In
the 2 and a half years since the shop opened, 56 cats have found homes
new homes. A wall called the New Chapter has a display of their photos.
I
Had supper at two restaurants in Frontinac. The first was at Farmhouse
Cafe, which I almost didn't recognize. It was recently repainted from bright
red and yellow (Pitt State colors) to more neutral colors.
A
recent review had said that the fried chicken was the best in Crawford
County, so I gave it a try, ordering a two piece dark dinner, which in
$10.99 with two sides. The menu is as long as a New Jersey Diner, and there
are 12 different combinations of fried chicken pieces which can be chosen
between.
The
chicken wing & thigh, were small, but the flavor and texture was comparable
to the better known Crawford County fried chicken places. The beans and
French fries (which are large like steak fries) were fine.
I
decided to also try one of the better known (but not the most famous) fried
chicken restaurants and went a couple of miles away to Barto's Idle Hour
Steakhouse & Lounge, which was founded by the late Ray Barto in 1951.
In addition to other dishes, Barto's has 19 different combinations of fried
chicken pieces which can be chosen between, plus gizzards, livers and chicken
strips.
I
feel that the biggest attraction of the Crawford County fried chicken restaurants
is their low prices, which can mean a lot to a family dining out. Many
of the dinner are under $10. Planning to just sample a dark piece and take
the rest to go, I ordered 1/2 Mixed (5 pc ) (breast, leg, thigh, wing,
back) with two sides for $11 75.
The
chicken had an unusual batter and I didn't care quite as much for it as
the chicken at Farmhouse. The apple sauce was good. I appreciated that
the fries were fresh cut, but would have liked them to have been cooked
much more.
Before
leaving Frontinac, I stopped at Granny's Chip Chocolate Ice Cream, which
had not been open earlier in the day. They serve premium ice cream from
Florida, made with 18% butterfat. The parlor's name honors their grandma/great
grandma, “Granny” who passed away in 2019 at age 102.
I
got a single scoop of Salted Caramel Brownie, which is described as salty
caramel ice cream with salty caramel ribbon and fudge brownie pieces. Though
I thoroughly enjoyed it, after the other food I'd had, I did not finish
it. I was amused to see they have a different variation on Mackinac Island
Fudge than I have seen before - Butter pecan ice cream with roasted pecans
and Mackinac classic butter pecan fudge swirl.
Driving
back south the length of Pittsburg, I arrived at Pittsburg State University
a little after the Hispanic Music Festival event in McCray Hall started.
There were four musicians performing works from various South American
countries, with some of them playing indigenous instruments. Ayllu, from
Kansas City was providing the music as well as the history of the music
and instruments. They were joined by three women who danced to one number
from Peru.
I
stayed overnight at the Comfort Inn in Pittsburg.
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Lady Justice
Enabling Act of Kansas Territory
The Goober
Miners Park
Heritage Hall
Sullivan Book Arts
The Literary Cat Co
Farmhouse CafeFarmhouse Cafe
Barto's Idle Hour Steakhouse & Lounge
McCray Hall
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Thursday,
September 24, 2025: The Comfort Inn provides a free breakfast, but
I try to visit as many restaurants as possible and selected one known for
breakfast, Harry's Cafe. This restaurant with its classic old sign has
always caught my eye, because a friend (Lawrence Watt-Evans) wrote a Hugo
Award winning short story titled, "Why I Left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers."
After
87 year's Harry's Cafe closed in January of this year, but a grandson of
the couple who had owned the restaurant since 1991 stepped in to buy the
building and in March Harry's reopened with many of the same staff, including
the manager.
So
I had breakfast there this morning. I think I was the only person in the
restaurant who wasn't greeted by name. After going through the long list
of breakfast items, I selected a Pecan Waffle with Bacon, which came to
only $7.99 before tax. I drank only water as I usually drink diet cola
and the only diet pop on hand was Dr. Pepper.
Butter,
peanut butter and warm syrup came on the side. I enjoyed the waffle a lot.
The
restaurant is open Thursday through Monday from 6 AM - 2 PM. Breakfast
is served whenever they are open.
Continuing
on toward Historic Route 66, the fist stop was just south of the Mother
Road, where I took a video of the water flowing over the enormously long
dam at 400 acre Lake Lowell. It looks different every time I am there.
At the Lake I also found a flock of Black Vultures and multiple flocks
of White Pelicans.
Heading
east on Route 66 into Galena, I took photos of the Galena United Methodist
Church (beautiful stained lass windows, multiple new signs, the new drive
through shield, and Hotrod Hangout Speed Shop. The former Valentine Diner
next to Hotrod Hangout is just an empty shell which need an enormous amount
of work.
I
also revisited both Cars on the Route and Gearhead Curios to get new photos
and catch up with their owners.
On
the way back through Riverton, passing Eisler Brothers Old Riverton Store,
I spotted a name change. It is now Nelson's Old Riverton Store. Inside,
there were no obvious changes. Researching since then, the inside shouldn't
be changed. the name on the sign changed in 2012.
Lunch
was at Bushel & a Peck in Girard, Kansas, which had been highly recommend
yesterday by the lady working at The Literary Cat Co. in Pittsburg. By
an extraordinary coincidence, I was waited on by a woman whom I met earlier
yesterday at Sullivan Book Arts.
The
restaurant opened in 2024, but moved to this larger location of June of
this year and the community is very proud of it. I went with a daily special,
Steak Frites, which was described as Hertzog ribeye, thrice cooked fries
and green peppercorn mayo. I enjoyed all of it and had a nice piece of
steak to take home as leftovers. I'm not sure how to present this restaurant
on Facebook as I'm afraid that the $40 charge ar a small town restaurant
may generate a lot of harsh replies.
After
a few photos around town and at the courthouse square, the next stop was
at the Gordon Parks Museum in Fort Scott. I was there shortly after it
first opened and the photos were badly out of date, but it seemed like
the museum has been closed whenever I have been in town and tried to go.
Things were a little torn up as the prepare for the annual Gordon Parks
Celebration on October 3rd.
There
were several more brief stops around town and at the National Cemetery
for photos, then at The Butcher Block to purchase some brats.
After
a brief dive through Pleasanton, Kansas for more photos, it was time for
supper at The Wagon Wheel Steakhouse & Lounge in La Cygne. The restaurant
is recommended for smoked baked potato, ribeye, chicken fried steak, fresh
cut fries & curly fries and prime rib, so I had lots of choices. I
went with chicken fried steak, which came with mashed potatoes & choice
of white or brown gravy, choice of vegetable and a roll for $17.99
It
was delicious. I've had several good chicken fry lately, so I won't say
this was the best, but it was right up there. The coating had good flavor
and a nice crunch, while still tender enough to cut with a fork. The corn
and mashed potatoes were also good. There was a LOT of gravy, but I used
it all. One warning, if you don't like black pepper, you won't like the
white gravy.
There
was enough food for two meals from the leftovers, but that left me enough
room to have desert and I had warmed caramel, apple, pecan cake with caramel
ice cream. It was heavenly!
More
to come...
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Harry's Cafe
White Pelicans
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