Wow there’s… just not much east of Denver and west of Kansas City is there? Why did I think I could make a blog out of this? Okay well… let’s break it down by the numbers and then we’ll talk about tomorrow and try this again!
I just finished eating dinner here at my hotel after taking a to-go order from a restaurant recommended by a friend, and thought it would be the perfect time for a blog post before I consider heading down to the Marriott bistro for a nightcap of some kind. But to go back to the beginning of the day I started off the day just how I planned with plenty of time to get up and around. I had a lot of little “pre-trip” things to do and did all those, and left my house around 9:30 in the morning for a six/seven-ish hour drive to Salina. I stopped for gas, stopped for coffee (oh Starbucks… I still don’t understand why you don’t limit the number of drinks someone can order in the drive-through), and then got on the road.
Lining up for Starbucks this morning…
And then… most of the drive passed in a blur. I called a few of you, I passed a lot of semis, I generally tried not to fall asleep! The drive was amazingly boring – with very few defining factors save for the Kansas border where I actually missed the crossing itself because I was arguing with my car trying to get it to point me to the next closest boba shop! I got one picture quickly of the “Welcome to Kansas” sign – you ready? Here it is! (Maybe next time I bring a co-pilot…)
[ Well, looks like the photo never seen saved – so yeah – now accepting applications for co-pilot next trip officially! ]
As you might imagine… I struggled to find boba anywhere near my route into Salina. When I did finally think I found one… it was 100 miles beyond Salina to the East – so needless to say that won’t make the list today but shows promise for tomorrow if not somewhere in Missouri. So that’s one goal failed on Day #1 – but I still tried to do my best.
I even stopped at a gas station for lunch. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve such that I don’t have to poison myself too badly over the coming days here but… at least one day I wanted the authentic experience so I pulled off of I-70 heading eastwards about an hour shy of the Colorado border and grabbed lunch at a gas station. After walking in… I walked up to the counter and the lady working there asked me what I needed. I asked her what the ‘best food’ they sold was – and she sort of waived her hand at the “hot food’ section and said “Oh, people get stuff all the time.”
“Sure,” I said, convinced I could pull out a miracle here, “but what are your most popular sellers?”
My lunch? two chicken taquitos – warmed on a hot dog warmer, and a bag of popcorn which comes free with a gas fill-up – hence it is also a “top seller”. It wasn’t bad, exactly… but I don’t think this stop is going to make my list of recommendations to friends who are driving east in the future for sure!
My lunch “restaurant”
Which leads me to my next failure today – roadside attractions. Now… I remember when I was younger that these seemed to be everywhere. Maybe it was just the way it was sold in movies and TV-shows, but I feel like every few miles there was some piece of Americana on the side of the highway! Come see the biggest ball of yarn! The largest rocking chair! All of those things! Well… I spent most of today looking and I have to say that beyond a petting zoo east of Salina – I really didn’t see anywhere to stop for a tourist trap. And don’t get me wrong – there are LOADS of places that are nice to stop at – I plan to even show you some maybe in Kansas City and beyond, but what I really want on this trip is tourist traps, Americana, that old… Route-66 vibe where you see something and thing “wow that’s chinsey and I’d never stop there!” I know! I am – so you don’t have to!
But no – there was none of that today – which also means there were no statues or selfies today – and it makes me just a little bit sad. I’ll try again tomorrow, I’ll do some research in the morning. There’s going to be something out there and I’m going to do better about bringing it to you guys!
Luckily – though – my day did end on a high note. A friend online, when asked about where I should find boba in Salina, redirected me to a dinner suggestion for a burger-joint that has been server hamburgers in Salina for 103 years – and they serve them “by the sack”. The Cozy Inn.
Yep, they’re sliders, I’m going to say sort of “white castle” in nature (don’t hurt me!) because they’re cooked with onions and there is NO CHEESE as is pointed out all over the place at the restaurant – but the burgers were delicious. I can see why for the past six years they’ve been listed as the “best in Salina”. Thank you very much Jason for the suggestion, I was extremely pleased with my six-pack!
And now I’m off to find one a drink to cap off the night here, I’m back on the road tomorrow early with hopes of spending some time in Kansas City and then continue heading eastward. We’ll see how things go and thanks for following along!
Here’s the official wrap-up for Day #1:
Find the best cup of boba tea on the route between here and Tennessee (Find one daily)
FAIL – In my defense I did find one place… but it’s closed on weekends
Stop at every reasonable roadside attraction (Max 4 a Day)
FAIL – This apparently needs more planning ahead… or eastern CO is just boring and never got the memo.
Eat breakfast at Tupelo Honey Cafe in Knoxville (at least once)
PASS – Oh this will happen, guess I’ll remove this from the daily goals – but I got approval that we’re doing this.
Gas Station Food – Lunch each day is the “best” food from a gas station, as defined by the owners/workers/customers during road days
PASS – And it was just as bad as you’d think it was
Interact with, and photograph, any life-sized statues that I come in direct-contact with (i.e. I won’t stop for them, but if they’re at a stop… I’m required to interact)
FAIL – No statues today… at all.
