Lunches and communities
John E. Peterson
Thursday, October 19, 2006
I CONTINUE to get a variety of favorable comments about my columns on communities and luncheon trips, even though I am writing less and less often about them. There are reasons why I am writing fewer columns on these subjects and reasons why there will be even fewer in the future.
Regarding communities, I have pretty well exhausted all I know about our area communities. I did get a recent note from Nelloise Jackson, of here in Emporia. She said that, since I have twice mentioned Agnes City, I should know that she has written a book about it. It is called “Two Agnes Cities” and is in the Lyon County Historical Museum. I shall go see it, if I have my way.
I should also say that Jim Hoy’s new book, “Flint Hills Cowboys,” is just full of things about area communities. If the community subject is of interest to you, do get into Jim’s book.
The luncheon trips are getting fewer. The heat of the summer kept us from going too often. Even more important, though, is the aging knees, backs and feet of the two oldest members of “the four of us.” That, of course, is the Petersons. So it goes. We just do not travel as often and, if we do not go out to lunch, I cannot write about it, now can I?
Even though we are not getting to out-of-town luncheon places as often these days, I still get comments about such possibilities. For example, I was just going into the Legion building for the September’s retired teachers’ luncheon when I met Wayne Ireland there in the hall.
Wayne has long been there at the Legion. He used to live in Madison, but now lives in Emporia. But it was his Hamilton connection he told me about. He told me that the restaurant down on Main Street there in Hamilton is operating. He also told me that he owns it and that we ought to give it a try.
Thank you for the information, Wayne. We had lunch in that restaurant years ago, but it is time to go back there again now that it is yours. We will do that, if I have my way. And so would various of you other folks, if I had my way.
Recently, however, off went the four of us to lunch. The weather was nice, but we were still going to make it a short trip. That was because one of us had a morning activity that lasted close to noon and another of us had a 2:30 activity. So, we did not have a great deal of time for a long, circular trip.
Our decision was to go to the Olpe Chicken House. We all had been there many times before, but none of our visits had been recently. So off we went south on Kansas Highway 99 to Olpe. That is a pleasant little drive, but we Emporians use it so much that we probably do not think much about it.
The Chicken House always has fine food and lots of interesting people. George had a cheeseburger, which he said was one of the best he had ever had. I had a grilled chicken sandwich, which was great. After all, if you are at the famous Chicken House, you ought to have chicken. Mary and Merle did, also, but theirs was in a salad. They were both very pleased with their salads.
Folks are continually coming in and going out at luncheon time at the Chicken House. Great people to see and to sometimes chat with a bit.
We had planned to go to Hartford after lunch and have dessert at the European Bakery there. So out we went from Olpe on the road which becomes Road 80. Not spectacular, but a nice drive. Lots of sunflowers and other plants to see. It goes east through good, flat agricultural land. It ends at the Wildlife Area and we turn left onto Road Z and zing into Hartford.
We immediately learned that the Bakery was not open on Tuesday — only Wednesdays through Saturday. So we went next door to what used to be the Hometown Cafe. Now it is a bar and grill. Peach pie and cherry pie was available. We tried them both. Very good!
Going to Hartford is always fun because it can always be a nice circular jaunt. We had been over one route to get there. We could go out the back of town and take the blacktop zigging and zagging all the way to Road T, Road 130 and K-99. Or we could go north on Kansas Highway130. We did that because we were in a hurry. And we took the big highway home because it was faster, though Road 170 or Road 175 — the old Highway 50s — would have been more fun. Road 170 is rough as heck, of course, but Road 175 is a great drive.
There, then, you have a summary of all of our recent luncheon jaunts. We will keep going, if I have my way.
And if we can.