[Ogden UT and Ontario OR -- Monday and Tuesday, 7 & 8 July 2008]--This post covers two days. First of all because nothing that happened on the 8th was worth talking about except that Grumpy was able to put almost 600 miles on one tank of gasoline. It took 14.212 gallons, which means he could have easily exceed 600 miles, but the Grand Mother became nervous after an hour or so with the "Low Gas" light on! MPG on that tank? 39.76!!
Overall for the trip (34.862 mpg over 4325 miles). The two lowest MPG numbers were 29 & 32.5, due to in-town driving and a strong headwind, respectively. The two highest were 38-plus and 39-plus. Grumpy is satisfied that the Grand Mother's urgent "suggestion" that, on this trip we be able to count telephone poles as we drive, is an economic benefit.
The highlight of these two days occurred on Day 17, Monday, the 7th of July. We drove the "Fastest Route" from Lander to Ogden where we visited the afternoon with old and dear friends Hap and Gladys. Hap & Gladys were our next-door neighbors when we lived in McLaughlin SD. Their oldest daughter, Sandy, was born 7 June 1952, in the same McLaughlin Community Hospital in which Susan was born four days earlier!
Grumpy had called Gladys a day or so before, warning her that we were coming for a visit and to take them out to dinner; their choice of venue. We joked back and forth about whether it be a cheap place or a fancy place. I told her, "Nice place." And then I joked, "Nothing over $5.00!"
After a few hours of visiting, which included a discussion of how long each of us had been married (They: 59 years in August; We: 60 years in June), we got ready to go have dinner. Gladys suggested the "Market", which is a "nice" restaurant at a truck stop near their home. I opined that, since we were each celebrating our anniversaries, we should go to a "fancy" place. They suggested a few names of places, but one sounded so interesting that Grumpy suggested we go there: Ye Lion's Den. Gladys said that it was "kind of expensive", but Grumpy insisted that he "was hungry for zebra".
Gladys called for reservations and they asked if there was a "special occasion" involved. I told her to tell them that we two couples were celebrating our 119th anniversary.
The Lion's Den was located in a nondescript building in an unlikely neighborhood of mini-strip malls and auto repair shops. Also, it was down stairs, with the front entrance up several steep steps to the "ground level" of the building. We didn't see what occupied the ground level space because, since the Grand Mother could have had exceeding difficulty and pain negotiating those stairs, we entered via the "Disabled Entrance". It was down a long ramp, through a door that reminded Grumpy of the "Knock and say Joe sent me" kind of door. Upon entering the door, we angled through the Lion's Den office and into the dining area. The waitresses were dressed in medieval skirts and blouses.
The food was excellent and priced somewhere between Black Angus and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. The meals however were inclusive of an appetizer, soup or salad, main course and dessert. And then, after we were served with our choices of dessert, the waitress gave each of the two ladies a beautiful red rose with its cut end sealed in a small vial of water. Grumpy did not flinch when the bill was given to him.
Overall for the trip (34.862 mpg over 4325 miles). The two lowest MPG numbers were 29 & 32.5, due to in-town driving and a strong headwind, respectively. The two highest were 38-plus and 39-plus. Grumpy is satisfied that the Grand Mother's urgent "suggestion" that, on this trip we be able to count telephone poles as we drive, is an economic benefit.
The highlight of these two days occurred on Day 17, Monday, the 7th of July. We drove the "Fastest Route" from Lander to Ogden where we visited the afternoon with old and dear friends Hap and Gladys. Hap & Gladys were our next-door neighbors when we lived in McLaughlin SD. Their oldest daughter, Sandy, was born 7 June 1952, in the same McLaughlin Community Hospital in which Susan was born four days earlier!
Grumpy had called Gladys a day or so before, warning her that we were coming for a visit and to take them out to dinner; their choice of venue. We joked back and forth about whether it be a cheap place or a fancy place. I told her, "Nice place." And then I joked, "Nothing over $5.00!"
After a few hours of visiting, which included a discussion of how long each of us had been married (They: 59 years in August; We: 60 years in June), we got ready to go have dinner. Gladys suggested the "Market", which is a "nice" restaurant at a truck stop near their home. I opined that, since we were each celebrating our anniversaries, we should go to a "fancy" place. They suggested a few names of places, but one sounded so interesting that Grumpy suggested we go there: Ye Lion's Den. Gladys said that it was "kind of expensive", but Grumpy insisted that he "was hungry for zebra".
Gladys called for reservations and they asked if there was a "special occasion" involved. I told her to tell them that we two couples were celebrating our 119th anniversary.
The Lion's Den was located in a nondescript building in an unlikely neighborhood of mini-strip malls and auto repair shops. Also, it was down stairs, with the front entrance up several steep steps to the "ground level" of the building. We didn't see what occupied the ground level space because, since the Grand Mother could have had exceeding difficulty and pain negotiating those stairs, we entered via the "Disabled Entrance". It was down a long ramp, through a door that reminded Grumpy of the "Knock and say Joe sent me" kind of door. Upon entering the door, we angled through the Lion's Den office and into the dining area. The waitresses were dressed in medieval skirts and blouses.
The food was excellent and priced somewhere between Black Angus and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. The meals however were inclusive of an appetizer, soup or salad, main course and dessert. And then, after we were served with our choices of dessert, the waitress gave each of the two ladies a beautiful red rose with its cut end sealed in a small vial of water. Grumpy did not flinch when the bill was given to him.
A most pleasant visit and evening with these long-time friends. We promised another visit next time we are near Ogden.
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