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Road Trip 2025 - Chicago to Zion National Park

Road Trip 2025 - Chicago to Zion National Park
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  • Road Trip 2025 - Chicago to Zion National Park

    Post #1 - June 9th, 2025, 7:28 pm
    Post #1 - June 9th, 2025, 7:28 pm Post #1 - June 9th, 2025, 7:28 pm
    We're on another mostly camping trip (I've posted on Shopping and Cooking for what we're making ourselves), but there have been a couple restaurant meals so far.

    Clocktower Cafe, Springfield IL
    A rainy morning, we decided to get breakfast before our Dana-Thomas house tour. Great service, tasty food, but to much money to do this sort of thing daily.

    Pere Marquette State Park Lodge, IL
    Same day, raining again. Really good catfish and pork chop. Reasonable prices. Fried chicken is supposed to be very good.

    IHOP, Jonesboro AR
    Another rainy morning (2+ inches!), we couldn't find the cafe that was highly rated by Google, settled for what we saw next. Pretty dull food, indifferent service, awful and loud pop music, charged for milk for the coffee. Even with Senior pricing, cost as much as Clocktower with less food

    Taco Mama, Hot Springs AR
    Supposedly one of the best restaurants in town, was good but nothing that'd get noticed in Chicago. Service was a little spare. I liked the fish taco, and shredded beef burrito with queso and salsa roja. Sue's sope was good but tamale was dry.

    Unless there's bad weather, we're likely to cook for ourselves until we hit Santa Fe.
    Last edited by JoelF on June 11th, 2025, 6:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #2 - June 11th, 2025, 10:25 am
    Post #2 - June 11th, 2025, 10:25 am Post #2 - June 11th, 2025, 10:25 am
    Saw the title, thought it might be a tour of hot dog stands and pizza places from Chicago to Zion IL!
  • Post #3 - June 11th, 2025, 6:15 pm
    Post #3 - June 11th, 2025, 6:15 pm Post #3 - June 11th, 2025, 6:15 pm
    Heh - I updated the title for clarity.

    Only one other data point: Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Market. We stopped at one in Henrietta, Oklahoma but I've seen a couple more since.

    On this trip up until now we've had mediocre to poor IC - what we had in Hot Springs AR was icy and bland.

    Braum's has most of the usual flavors but right now they're featuring Mexican specials. SueF had Sopaipilla Cheesecake, I had Piñon. The former was too sweet for me, the latter was barely sweet, pink in color with lots of roasted pine nuts making it toasty and rich.

    A single scoop in a waffle cone is $1.99. Shakes start at $2.29. generous servings and great prices. They also have burgers, and a small grocery store, including some meat and produce but mostly dairy and ice cream. If Oberweiss had their business model they'd have lines out the door, but maybe flat broke - I don't know how they're so inexpensive.

    I'll stop at another if I get a chance.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #4 - June 13th, 2025, 8:44 am
    Post #4 - June 13th, 2025, 8:44 am Post #4 - June 13th, 2025, 8:44 am
    At Palo Duro Canyon south of Amarillo, SueF bought tickets to a dinner theater package - schlocky Texas:The Musical following a chuck wagon dinner. I can't recommend either.
    The dinner featured a big slice of brisket, sausage, beans, bread, potato salad, slaw, banana pudding, soft drinks and condiments of sauce, sliced onion, pickles and pickled jalapeno.
    Overall everything was bland. No bark on the beef, no snap or spice on the sausage. I'm spoiled I guess by what's in my freezer.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang

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