Gary Roberson was eleven years old when he first explored a cave and became hooked. I was about the same age when I first toured a cave and was captivated with the magical world beneath the ground. Today I visit caves whenever I get the chance, as a tourist. Gary, on the other hand, made a career of exploring, developing and owning caves. Read more
We expected to see the National Route 66 Museum, But we visited these three other museums in the same complex—for one admission fee.
I believe in the “never say never” mantra. However, there are exceptions—like jumping out of an airplane. I can say with 99.9% certainty that I will never jump out of a plane, possibly even if my life depended on it. I did get a chance, though, to experience the exhilaration of freefalling, without the fear of crashing smack dab onto the ground, with the iFLY Chicago indoor skydiving experience. Read more
If not for the sign out front, you might think you were pulling up to someone’s home. Actually, you are. The family dog may greet you and escort you to the door of the manufactured home set on a hill overlooking a lush pine valley.
Inside, you may be seated next to the fireplace in the dining room. Family photos fill the walls, including photos of Nicolas Black Elk, medicine man and warrior of the Native American Oglala Lakota tribe, who was restaurant owner Betty O’Rourke’s great-grandfather.
Bette’s Kitchen’s menu includes fare like fried chicken, burgers, BLTs, chef’s salad and soup. However, for our group that Betty hosted, she put out a huge spread of chicken, beef, chicken noodle soup, salads, baked beans, fresh watermelon and cupcakes frosted in vivid colors, punctuated with colorful sprinkles. The meal was served buffet style with paper plates from a folding table in Betty’s kitchen, an experience much like a family picnic.
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In fact, you can savor your meal picnic-style while enjoying the beauty of the South Dakota scenery in the tented outdoor seating area if you prefer.
Betty’s cooking is like that of your aunt or grandmother, down-home deliciousness. The soup was chock full of thick noodles, the chicken crispy and juicy, the beef tender and flavorful. It’s no wonder that Betty served over 2,000 people last summer. Besides local regulars, it isn’t uncommon for Betty to serve busloads that stop in for lunch in the remote location.
Bette’s Kitchen is located at 111 Black Elk Road, one mile north of Manderson in western South Dakota. Phone (605) 867-1739.
Disclosure: My visit to Bette’s Kitchen was hosted by the South Dakota Department of Tourism and Bette’s Kitchen. However, all opinions in this article are my own.
Thank you for reading Midwest Wanderer. Don’t miss a post. Enter your e-mail address below and click Subscribe to be notified whenever I publish another post. Subscription is FREE. After subscribing, be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm. – Connie
Fresh rolled butter. Peach fritters the size of softballs. Peanuts ground into cappuccino peanut butter. Salads made from generations-old Amish recipes. The aroma of hickory smoked ribs and chicken. It’s no wonder that Yoder’s Country Market in Centreville, Michigan, has had to expand three times in its ten-year existence—and the market is bursting at the seams again. Read more
I am a scarf person. Not the silky kind of scarf that you wear to dress up an outfit, but rather, the knitted kind that puts a barrier between arctic winter temperatures and my skin. The problem is that most scarves are too bulky for comfort under a coat, and when worn on the outside of a coat, they get tangled in my purse handles or the camera strap that I often have around my neck. When I go in and out of buildings, as I often do while traveling, and I take off my coat, I have to stuff the scarf in a coat sleeve. I recently received a NEKZTM, an alternative to a scarf, to try out, and I haven’t worn my scarf much since. The NEKZ keeps my neck warm but eliminates the scarf’s bulkiness.
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Just 21 inches long, the fleece or faux-fur NECZ wraps around the neck and fastens with a hook-and-loop type fastener. Designer Raquel Graham Crayton originally created the NEKZ for her children, who had the same scarf complaints as I did. When other moms saw the NEKZ, they wanted them for their children and for themselves, as well.
Available in fashionable designs and colors to match your coat or outfit, when you remove your coat, you can leave the NEKZ on, if you’d like. Otherwise, it folds compact enough to easily fit into a pocket or a purse.
Nekz designs are available for men, as well, in solid colors, handsome plaids and camouflage.
Nekz, made in Chicago, are reasonably priced from $16 to $35. Check the web site to view available colors and patterns or to order.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary Nekz. However, all opinions are my own.
Thank you for reading Midwest Wanderer. Don’t miss a post. Enter your e-mail address below and click Subscribe to be notified whenever I publish another post. Subscription is FREE. After subscribing, be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm. – Connie
