This.

If you do travel highway 24, between Manhattan and Clay Center is a town called Leonardville. Jordy Nelson is from there. His folks run a restaurant called Nelson's Landing. About a half of a block north of highway 24 on the west side of the street. Good eating!

If you travel highway 36, near Jewell is a town called Mankato. The Buffalo Roam used to be a great place to eat. Haven't eaten there in years though. Marysville has a place called The Wagon Wheel. It's a block south of highway 36 on the west side of town. Good food. 6 miles east of Marysville is Home City. Bar called Haps. It's also a block south of highway 36. Good eating too!

There's a big hayfield up near Buxton...One in particular. It's got a long rock wall, a big oak tree at the north end. It's like something out of a Robert Frost poem. It's where I asked my wife to marry me. We went there for a picnic and made love under that oak and I asked and she said yes. Promise me, George. If you ever get out of Aggieville, find that spot. In the base of that wall, you'll find a rock that has no earthly business in a Kansas hayfield. A piece of black, volcanic glass. There's something buried under it I want you to have.

Fine he can go to Lebanon KS, the geographical center of the lower 48. And yes Leonardville Landing would be a great place to eat. I also used to frequent Riley Cafe, not sure if it is still around.

I graduated high school in Mankato. The Buffalo Roam isn't near what it used to be. Pretty epic about 25 years ago though, it would draw an impressive crowd. Especially the first Saturday of the month which was seafood buffet night. Pretty good seafood for BFE, KS.

Agree on The Wagon Wheel in Marysville though. I've eaten there many times, good stuff.

Interesting. I graduated from Scandia. Before Pike Valley existed.

Yeah, we played Pike Valley quite a bit in high school. Kicked their ass repeatedly in football during my playing time. :D Well after the Scandia/Courtland consolidation.

Funny tangent on that, check out the whiskey mug I'm drinking out of at this very moment. How about that... circa Courtland Fun Day 1999...

https://i.imgur.com/xrt6uKX.jpg

Courtland Fun Day! Those were good times! Had a pretty good collection of mugs myself at one time. I don't think I even have one around anymore. Haven't been over to it in years either. Priorities change I guess.

My employee and I stopped in Little Apple Brewing Company for lunch a couple of years ago. I didn't get to try the beer as I was driving but he is a craft beer enthusiast like myself and he said it was good. Food was decent from what I remember.

If it's $500 and a Trailways Bus ticket to Ft. Hancock, TX, I'm so there!

Thanks for all the wonderful advice fellas. I think I'll skip the giant ball of twine, that's a little out of my way. I'll probably go the fast way on the way out: I-70, then up to Manhattan then across west to Jewel. On the way back I may take 36 back to St. Joe then down I-29 just for a change of scenery. I have to leave around 5AM to make a 10AM funeral start at the church in Jewel. Then I think what I'll do is hang out until around 4pm with Doggity's family, then head back on US 36. The sun will be behind me, and as long as I get home sometime Saturday night, it's all good. I understand not wanting to drive in oppressive heat. Should be tolerable in the morning, but it's gonna be hella-HOT on the drive home until sundown, so not much working around that. Understand not speeding through little towns. My wife's family is from a town Northeast of Manhattan called Frankfort that's on Kansas 99 and about 10 miles south of US 36. I've been to Maryville a few times. Seen the black squirrels! US 36 is the first leg west of the Pony Express route out of St. Joe. Pretty cool history, if you're into that kind of thing. I'm going to start putting together some road music for the trip. What songs would you say are essential to doing a funeral roadie across rural Kansas?

He's a Raider. Don't think I'll be stopping there.

Ride on - AC/DC

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