Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The hostess came over. She was chewing gum and didn't look overfriendly. “Help you?”
she said.
“I'd like a table for one, please.”
She clicked her chewing gum in an unattractive fashion. “We're closed.”
I was taken aback once more. “You look pretty open to me.” “It's a private party. They've
reserved the restaurant for the evening.”
I sighed. “I'm a stranger in town. Can you tell me where else I can get something to eat?”
She grinned, clearly pleased to be able to give me some bad news. “We're the only restaur-
ant in Sundance,” she said. Some beaming Shriners at a nearby table watched my unfold-
ing dis comfort with simple-minded merriment. “You might try the gas station down the
street,” the lady added.
“The gas station serves food?” I responded in a tone of quiet amazement.
“No, but they've got potato chips and candy bars.” “I don't believe this is happening,” I
muttered.
“Or else you can go about a mile out of town on Highway 24 and you'll come to a Tastee-
Freez drive-in.”
Thiswasgreat.Thiswasjusttoooutstandingforwords.Thewomanwastellingmethaton
a Saturday night in Sundance, Wyoming, all I could have for dinner was potato chips and
ice cream.
“What about another town?” I asked.
“You can try Spearfish. That's thirty-one miles down Route 14 over the state line in South
Dakota. But you won't find much there either.” She grinned again, and clicked her gum, as
if proud to be living in such a turdy place.
“Well, thank you so much for your help,” I said with elaborate insincerity and departed.
And there you have the difference between the Midwest and the West, ladies and gentle-
men. People in the Midwest are nice. In the Midwest the hostess would have felt bad about
mygoinghungry.Shewouldhavefoundmeatableatthebackoftheroomoratleastfixed
me up with a couple of roast beef sandwiches and a slab of apple pie to take back to the
