Sunday, Nov 19, 2017

We packed up early and got the hell outta dodge. Off we went through Maryland, West Virginia and into Kentucky – a long day in the car. We went from 50 degrees to 32, with sleet and snow along the way. Not enough to stick, just enough to make it white and pretty.

Had breakfast in another Waffle House, mostly because we couldn’t find any place else. High end brunch joints or happy meals in a fast food drive-throughs were our other options. Our waitress, Linda, was just tall enough to greet us eye to eye while we were sitting down. She knew how to sling it – had 7 plates stacked on her arm and none of the food was touching the bottom of the other plates.

Sirus radio is our friend. We found Willie’s Roadhouse and sang along with all the “classic” western tunes while we drove for 8 hours.

Outside the city limits, Maryland and WV are wide open rolling hills, covered in yellows and golds of fallen leaves. There is no litter – all is very clean. (I'm driving so no pictures again, sorry)  

Kentucky is storybook land. Big ole brick houses, long driveways, through rolling hills of green, surrounded by miles of horse fencing – how do they keep it all mowed? It was truly picturesque. At the end of the day, we got off the interstate, onto a State highway and ended up in Paris, KY for the night.

The Best Western hotel in Paris has finally convinced us it’s time for a change of rewards program. This place was the pits. Tired, old, dated – they might have been trying but it fell far short of what we’ve been used to. This place still had the 2’ high toilets of olden days.   

BUT – we found our roadside diner. Jerry’s of Paris, celebrating its 56^th year, was everything one could ask for in a family joint. Seat yourself, no booze, and 10 ways to serve potatoes as a side dish, not including various additional gravy, chili or cheese covered options. I have to list them: baked, mashed, with brown gravy, with white gravy, boiled with butter, scalloped, fries, steak fries, hash browns, tots. Other sides: mac & cheese, broccoli, green beans, carrots, corn, corn pudding, coleslaw, sliced tomatoes, applesauce, dinner rolls, cornbread, sour dough bread, garlic bread and texas toast. All the dinners were served on one plate, two sides on two more plates, and bread on its own plate, with butter flavored spread. 

I ordered a side salad; iceberg lettuce, 3 cherry tomatoes and a couple of croutons in a cereal sized bowl with two full ramekins of ranch dressing. My chicken strips were moist and tasty; I confess I ordered mac & cheese – just had to – and the coleslaw was crisp and oh-so sweet. Jim had chicken fried steak, (last night’s baked potato sliced into quarters and deep fried) steak fries and also oh-so sweet corn pudding. It was much better than it sounds; we’re just spoiled with the food we eat at home, so this seems odd. The blackberry cobbler for dessert was excellent.

The family next to us, four generations of grandma, mom, daughter and baby, with husbands – the ladies ordered spaghetti. Grandma got spaghetti, sauce on the side; mom got spaghetti with meat sauce, daughter got 4 meatballs the size of tangerines, with spaghetti and a side of mashed potatoes with white gravy. Daughter’s husband (think Goober in a John Deere ball cap) got a double cheese burger with a side of cheese fries. Everyone had sweet tea. Good stuff.

Place was packed. $25 bucks covered it all. Loved it.