Daddy called it "Local Flavor," the Mom and Pop places that hide away in small towns along your trip. The one's that you might drive right by and miss out on a life experience if you judge the book by it's cover. I heard him say it over and over throughout my childhood. We visited many places just like the Main Street Cafe as we traveled to and from my Grandparents in another state.
Aunt B. and Uncle George had just such a place in mind to take us to when we visited last week. The town of Hackett, Arkansas had so much to offer that it's going to be a week of blogs! We got there early, just a few minutes before noon. The hometown hangout had a few tables taken, the choice tables were near the window air unit that was struggling in the River Valley heat. It was near 100 that day and we were glad to be inside with our head in the shade!
I started taking pictures and it wasn't long until a nice young man struck up a conversation. Come to find out he had just moved back to Hackett from Rogers, our stomping grounds. He had worked up here for a while and missed home.
Rural Hackett is farms and stone quarries, Fort Smith and Van Buren are close-by if you need to run to Target. It's not the middle of the boondocks, in fact it's only a few miles from "civilization." But for those who choose to live there, it's all about lifestyle. These are the people who choose to march to a different drum.
They go to high school ball games and church potlucks. They bake cakes and cookies to raise money for the senior class trip and they carry covered dishes when someone loses a loved one.
Hugs and Biscuits, the local convenience store sets right across the street from the cafe and if you live in Hackett, it's where you fill your tank and get your morning sausage biscuit. It's where you talk politics and no one gets their nose out of joint cause you're friends, in some cases you're lifetime friends. All those "Local Flavor" experiences taught me a valuable lesson in life. It taught me to never pass by the small places, or miss out on the simple pleasures in life. He didn't know that he taught me to never judge a book by it's cover, whether it was a place or a person.
You sure had that right, when you said local flavor! Seems every little bump in the road, has a flavor all it's own and it's very good. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love "local flavor", great saying your dad had. I love stopping in places like that.
ReplyDeleteSuch a cool place. I love the "flavor" these places have. The cartoon drawing is so cute.
ReplyDeleteThose are just the kinds of places we like too.
ReplyDeletegreat post. gave me warm fuzzy feelings...
ReplyDeleteOne of the great lessons in life. We even know that lesson up here in the frozen tundra!!
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Joyce, Oh those look like such neat places to visit. Love the little Mom and Pop places. So sad that there are so few of them now a days. Years ago I would guess 20 or so, we use to stop on our way on vacation to such a place. My daughter was in grammer school. Recently I was blessed to take a trip with them and was so surprised when we got close to this little spot in the road, she remembered the place and recalled us having lunch there many times on our trips. So sad it was no longer there but so sweet that such a place she could recall even at that young age. Not a McDonald's or other fast food place. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteAngela
I love seeing these pictures of Hackett. I have friends that live just outside of Hackett so we go through there quite often but I have never tried that little cafe. Definitely going to have try it now.
ReplyDeleteJoycee
ReplyDeleteThis definitely looks like my kind of place! I always try to find the restaurant where the locals eat.
It's fun to listen to their conversations and it usually has the best food too.
Hackett sounds like a warm and friendly place to live, for sure.
Another great post. Love that local flavor....and Hugs & Bisquits!
ReplyDeleteVery cool place to eat, i like the car through the wall. Richard from Amish Stories.
ReplyDeleteI remember the long trips to Carolina, when I was young. Dad always preferred to stop at the truck stop diners. We never ventured far from the main road. We missed out on a lot of the local flavor, that I'm quite sure was lurking a little further off the highway.
ReplyDeleteNothing better than local flavor and I'd like some RIGHT NOW!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like where I live! I love the name: Hugs and Biscuits!
ReplyDeleteWe enjoyed this one! I always call my husband in for the "travel" ones.
ReplyDeleteHe used to work Arkansas and Van Buren was one he knew, but he had never been south to Hackett.
We are feeling an urge for a day trip soon.