Heading north in heavy rain, we pulled into Shallow Water, Kansas and photographed the Shallow Water School from our car, then continued to Scott City, to Percival Packing, where we bought some house made bratwurst.

Lunch was at Act II at the Majestic, a fine restaurant in an attractive historic theater. We have dined there several times before, but never at lunch, when there is a different menu. We had a small grilled chicken salad with house made blue cheese dressing and a prime rib sandwich. Both were very good and I was quite happy with our meal.

The combination of heavy rain and oversized loads turned the drives very slow.

In Oakley, the rain started to let up and it wasn't too bad as we stopped by the Oakley Past & Present Murals and the Palace Community Theatre.

Just east of Oakley, we stopped to look for the Beamer Barn at Exit 79. It is listed on the National Historic Register and I had searched for it unsuccessfully on Google Street View. In person, it was possible to identify it, but the roof has collapsed.

A half mile north, we did find a couple of small stone barns at the intersection of Old Highway 40 and Gove 18.

A few miles farther east, we stopped at Grinnell Locker in Grinnell, Kansas, where the retail sales is from some refridgerators in the corner of a busy cutting room where at 6 butchers were hard at work. The prices seemed very reasonable. We purchased a large package of Polish sausage (which we've already cooked an enjoyed) and some sweet beef stix.

We photographed many of the old buildings in Collyer (north of Castle Rocks) and would have loved to have seen the interior of St. Michael Catholic Church, which was built in 1909. On the way back onto the highway, we also photographed the 1917 Lipp Barn, which is on the National Historic Register.

Gibson Health Mart Pharmacy has been serving downtown WaKeeney, Kansas since 1892. At the old style soda fountain we enjoyed a hand dipped chocolate chip shake and a root beer cooler as well as the conversations with other customers, the lady working behind the counter (who is a retired banker), and the president and manager, Bernita Augustine. Bernita began working at the pharmacy in 1975.

The store carries a wide variety of products and before leaving, we purchased greeting cards, snacks, a top and a yard ornament.

We had already visited two meat markets today and might have skipped Moeder's Meats, up the street, but they were recommended at Gibson Pharmacy. Moeder's had the nicest retail presentation of the three and I purchased some brats which we haven't tried yet.

We were ready for some down time and checked checked in to Prairie Rose Inn, which opened in December 2023 in a former nursing home. It is many things and while I bet some people really love it, it fell flat for me. It is a boutique hotel, bar, breakfast cafe, museum and RV park with glamping. 

If you are staying there, they send you codes to open the doors and unless you go to the restaurants you never meet anyone who works there. I miss that contact and welcoming connection to the business. 

The suites are nice sized and I liked being able to get away from the bed when one is up and the other is sleeping. The bathroom door is across from the foot of the bed, with the light switch on the outside, so that if you go to the bathroom in the night, the light faces someone in the bed and must be turned on before you go in. It is also impossible to shower without disturbing someone trying to sleep.

This won't matter to many people, but did to us. There is no ice machine!

Going back out, we went to the new Trego Sky View Drive In Movie Theater, just of I-70. Right now there is just a field with a screen, small projection booth and admission booth, but they are now showing movies on a limited schedule.

The Trego Skyview Foundation is still raising money for a better projector. rest rooms and a fence,  It is great seeing a new drive in come to Kansas! 

After photographing a few historic buildings, we had supper at Western Kansas Saloon & Grill. I've dined here a couple of times before, but it had been about 5 years since the last time. We had steaks before and wanted to change things up, so we had the Southwest Chicken and The Works Burger. The chicken is small bits of grilled chicken with peppers smothered in cheese. 

The chicken was good and the baked potato was cooked well. We did wish that they served it with butter instead of whipped spread. The burger tasted good though it was well done, rather than the medium rare requested. the house cut fries were good.

The burger is loaded with sautéed onions & mushrooms, bacon strips and Swiss & American cheese.

Back at the hotel, we checked out the one room museum called Rosie’s Ready Room featuring former F-14 Tomcat pilot and TOPGUN instructor "Heater" Heatley.

We also stopped by the bar before it closed at 9 PM. They had an interesting drink menu and we ordered a couple o house specialty drinks. I don't know if the bartender was new, but she was totally baffled by the drinks, spending a lot of time on her phone trying to figure them out. The Prairie Sunset is described on the menu as Golden tequila layered with citrus and a deep red sunset finish, while the American Airstrike is described as layered crisp apple vodka, tart lemonade and electric blue curacao. I had to point out that she hadn't put any vodka in the drink.

We sat at the bar hoping to talk to one or more of the employees, which we had zero contact with otherwise, but the bartender wasn't interested in talking.
 

Act II at the Majestic
 

Beamer Barn
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Gibson Health Mart Pharmacy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Trego Sky View Drive In