I walked into the small diner and was seated in a booth toward the back.  I peeled off my riding jacket and loosened my boots, it felt so good to be unbundled.  I laid my gear in a nearby chair then settled in for a light meal and a little rest.

A glance at the faded Budweiser clock on the wall read 2:17 p.m.  It was 6:35 a.m. when I left the hotel parking lot which meant I had been on the road a little over seven and a half hours with approximately four more hours of saddle time ahead of me.  Just then a leather skinned waitress removed the pencil from the knot of her graying hair as she asked “what will it be sweetie?”  I smiled and replied, “I bet you say that to all the guys” as I winked and chose soup of the day and a water.

I checked my phone for messages then leaned back against the wall and close my eyes.  As my mind began to relax amid the rhythm of clanging dishes and silverware, pictures of the morning ride passed before my eyes as if they were being shown on giant movie screen.  The lushness of the mountain scenery, the trees dressed in autumns finest colors, the rich red and brown tones of the soil.  I remembered the herd of 12 to 15 deer feeding nervously in the freshly gleaned cornfield, and could feel the coolness of the air as I passed through the shadows of the whispering pines.  I was startled out of my deep trance by the gruff voice of my server setting my lunch on the coffee stained place mat in front of me. “Enjoy sweetie!” she said, as she refilled my water glass, then turned back toward the kitchen.

I love to eat at small diners like this when I am traveling.  It’s like being transported back in time because most of them have not experienced any changes since the late 50’s if ever.  But, it’s a good bet the food will be great and you always get the true flavor of the people who make up the community you are in.  This small eatery was no exception!   I would loved to have stayed here just a little longer, but daylight was burning it was time to get back on the road.

I grabbed my gear, settled the bill, and said good bye to my server, then headed out of town.  It is the small pleasures like eating in a little diner such as this one, that makes motorcycle travel so rewarding to me, and just one of the many reasons I am always looking forward to the next adventure.

Tags: small diners

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 at 8:13 am and is filed under ride report. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.