Shorter and Sweeter: Arkalon Park

Shorter and Sweeter                                                                 By Rachel

  Our run in Liberal, Kansas, was the shortest yet. Coincidentally, it was also the most scenic. While most of the runs we take in Eat & Run are through towns and parks in residential areas, this one was secluded in a semiarid part of southwestern Kansas near Liberal. It was like a desert out there. The two of us were dropped off on a dirt road that wound through hills covered in cacti and yucca plants. Of course, for authenticity's sake, there were almost no signs of civilization anywhere. So we ran steadily downhill through the dusty bluffs for a whopping distance of less than a mile. In our defense, it was midday and the heat was characteristically oppressive.
  This small run wasn't even unbroken. Unsurprisingly, Mom stopped to take pictures. Her phonetography is coming along nicely. While she did interrupt our run, it's thanks to her that the trip was so well documented. As much as I despise singing the praises of someone who has the audacity to make me clean my room, the following photos were all taken by her. Here's a little taste of the wasteland we were stranded in.

 

This railroad bridge is known at the "Samson of the Cimarron." 

Arkalon Park is 10 miles northeast of Liberal, Kansas on US Highway 54.

That's mighty Liberal of you: La Hacienda

It seems like a dream now, but we actually lived in Liberal, Kansas from the fall of 1994 through the summer of 1996. And while we hadn't originally set our sites on living in southwestern Kansas, there were some things we enjoyed. One of them was this really good Mexican joint called El Amigo Chavez. I was pregnant for a substantial amount of the time that we lived there, and let's just say there were some cravings going on that brought us there on a regular basis.

So on our way out to a camping/lake trip, we decided to take a side trip into Liberal, show Erin where she was born and revisit our old haunt. However, fate was not on our side as this object of our affection was closed on Mondays. Dan was bummed and so I quickly scanned the internet for a consolation choice and came across La Hacienda. It had some positive online buzz, so away we went.

I am regretting that I didn't get an exterior photo because it was located in an old drive-in restaurant and honestly looked a bit sketchy. But we were starving and nothing but Mexican food was going to do. Upon entering, we were relieved to find the interior clean and attractive. We were having a late lunch at around 2 p.m. so we almost had the place to ourselves.

The menu was pretty extensive and cheap. Lots of combo-type platters for $8.95. They even had a special for $5.95, a smothered burrito with red or green chili sauce. The menu also featured a lot of seafood choices including a fish soup which I was really tempted to try. The seafood entrees were priced in the $14 range. The menu featured breakfast items, as well.

We snacked on chips and salsa during the short wait for our meals. The chips were crispy and kind of unusual in that they were strips. The salsa had a good flavor and a pretty good kick to it. The service was quick and efficient.

My meal was a chicken enchilada, a tamale, a guacamole tostada, rice and beans. Did I mention I gained 4 pounds this week?

Dan got the special, a smothered burrito with red chili sauce plus rice and beans. 

Who orders pancakes at a Mexican food place? This one.

Valerie got some really crispy looking flautas and Erin opted for chicken quesadillas. Everyone was really happy with their meals. I especially enjoyed my tamale as they are a favorite of mine. Then it happened. Someone pointed out that sopapillas were only 50 cents each. So we threw caution to the wind and did a rare thing--ordered dessert. I have to say that my children are still rhapsodizing about those things, They were large, hot, fluffy, cinnamon-sugared heaven. I am pretty sure we would take another four hour drive to Liberal for the sole purpose of eating them again.

Oh honey!

La Hacienda is located at 339 E. Pancake Blvd. in Liberal, Kansas. If you find yourself in Southwestern Kansas, it's worth checking out.

Bite Me!

Today we set forth with a particular restaurant for our lunch destination, only to find that they were closed while the owners are on vacation.  Undaunted, we quickly chose another spot in the same vicinity.  Our choice?  Bite Me BBQ in Wichita, 132 N. St. Francis.

The restaurant was pretty busy, but we were quickly seated.  There are ample tables, several that will seat groups of 6-10, plus seating available at the bar.  The walls held a multitude of TVs, showing various Saturday afternoon sports ranging from baseball to auto racing to cheerleading.  And of course, World Cup soccer!

The menu features fairly standard BBQ fare, available on sandwiches or dinner entrees.  Sandwiches come with one side, dinners with two sides and bread.  They also have a variety of appetizers, sides, and a few other entree items like chicken fried steak and beer-battered fish.  Deep fried lobster is available as an appetizer or an entree.

Our server was friendly and quick, and we didn't have to wait long to order.  Nor did we have to wait long for the food to arrive.  Susan got the pulled pork sandwich and sweet potato fries.  I got a 3 meat combo with pulled pork, sliced brisket, and ribs.  I chose potato salad and cole slaw for my sides.

We both enjoyed our meals.  All the meats were very tender.  The brisket had the best stand alone flavor.  The pork and ribs, while good, really needed the sauce to go with them.  Two sauces are available on the table, Wimpy and Spicy.  The Wimpy was a little more sweet.  The Spicy wasn't too spicy, leaving just a little heat as an afterthought.

A small condiment bar is available free of charge, and includes pickles, sliced cucumbers, and a few other veggies.  It also includes some other sauces such as a Carolina vinegar sauce, and a Hot Mustard sauce.

Sadly, neither of us saved room for dessert (peach cobbler was suggested by our server!)  All in all, we enjoyed our visit very much! - Dan Gray, guest blogger, usual navigator, financial backer, part-time photographer.

No place like home: running around Sedgwick County park and zoo.

My mom sometimes says someone has a champagne appetite on a beer budget. In the case of Eat & Run, we have a beer appetite on a water budget. And we're not talking Perrier; we're talking tap water. So while Rachel and I had some good aspirations, we haven't exactly been able to do everything we'd like. But we hope to do more. Still, circumstances as they are, I found myself spending the last two Saturdays running my usual route here in northwest Wichita.

This run starts in the 13th street (Windmill Road) parking lot of Sedgwick County Park.

Beginning of the trail and handy calf-stretching posts.

The path heads east to Zoo Boulevard. Then you head north to 21st street. You head east along 21st and the path ducks into the park a bit and then takes you to the Sedgwick County extension office at 21st and Ridge. From there you head south past a meadow, some soccer fields, softball fields and baseball fields. At the corner of 13th and Ridge you head east again. The path winds up back in the park and eventually comes back to the parking lot. The whole loop is four miles. It's almost completely flat, but there are some really open areas where you will definitely feel the wind and the sun.

Anyway, while I was kind of bummed not to travel somewhere, the usual route really caught my attention last weekend. It takes you past several large fields, and I am accustomed to large swaths of dead brown grass from my winter of half marathon training here. But when I looked around, the place was teaming with wildflowers. Everything was so beautiful that when the run was through, I walked the route so I could get some photos for the blog. Once again, this is "phonetography" but I hope the photos will at least give you a general idea.

I guess the takeaway from this is that sometimes you just need to stop and pay attention to the amazing things that are around you every day. Granted, this is not a startling or profound observation, but for some reason, I must be reminded of this continually. To conclude, here's a link to a video of the still shots I took that day. They follow the run from beginning to end, assuming I didn't inadvertently mix a few up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJrOBF2Z02k

Help us decide!

Where should we eat and run next? Some suggestions we've had are Lindsborg (but we don't know what restaurant), Perry Lake and the Lake Bound Cafe, Hiawatha and the Country Cabin, Americus and the New Breck Cafe, Greensburg and the Green Bean Coffee Company, Wamego and the Friendship House, Abilene and the Brookville Hotel, Lucas so we can see that crazy Garden of Eden thing (but we don't know where to eat), Cottonwood Falls and the Emma Chase Cafe, Williamsburg and Guy and Mae's (yeah, we've been here already, but it'd be a good excuse to go again), Fort Scott and Peaches BBQ, Manhattan--we'd run the Konza Prairie and then eat somewhere--so many choices. Dan wants to go to Beaumont where the restaurant off the landing strip is with the cool wooden water tower.

If you've got a suggestion for any of the above or an entirely new idea, please leave a comment. We hope to eventually make it more than one county away, God willing and gas money appearing.

Thanks!

Penny's Diner in Wellington

I was holding off on the restaurant review for Rachel, but as she is off to camp, you are stuck with me. We actually chose to go to Wellington largely because of Penny's Diner. It had good reviews on the internet and more importantly is open 24 hours, seven days a week. Since we had to go on a Sunday, we really struggled to find someone open. Penny's hours cater to the railroad workers, but we saw all kinds of folks in the place.

Penny's resembles Walt's Diner on Tyler Road in Wichita with its shiny, modular exterior. The inside was clean and bright with black and white tile and old timey ads liberally scattered across the walls. The menus are laminated and feature breakfast, sandwiches, hamburgers and typical diner fare, even a blue plate special. I ordered the "Hearty Breakfast" to refuel after my strenuous big one mile run: pancakes, hash browns, two strips of bacon and one egg over medium. Rachel, quite unexpectedly, decided against breakfast and ordered what turned out to be a fairly large hot dog and some tater tots. Dan opted for a chicken fried steak sandwich with a side of homemade potato chips. Our family looked like a cardiologist's new Porsche in the making.

Everybody was pretty happy with the food. Rachel was surprised at the size of the hot dog and praised the "fluffy bun" and her crispy tater tots. My breakfast was yummy, but then it's pretty hard to mess up pancakes (although I've seen it happen). The real show stopper though was Dan's chicken fried steak; ridiculously large (as they are wont to be) this thing was nevertheless, really light and crispy, not that sodden slab of greasy breaded meat that you sometime get.

This is one reason to run.

Dan's light little sandwich

Rachel's dramatic hot dog consumption

After the meal, we waddled out to check out a few more of the sights and sounds of Wellington. Lots of railroad history and current railroad activity, so my train fanatic husband approved of the town. Here are a few more pictures from the day. 

Railroad Museum

Wellington photos

Here are some more photos I took while we were in Woods Park in Wellington, Kansas. Forgot my camera card for the SLR today, so it's all "phonetography." (Word coined by Dan; all right reserved--lol!)

These old limestone street signs were lining the road in Woods Park.

Deer track

Rachel and Dan discuss a fossil she found.

This looks like the beginning of a hike, but not really. It only went back a few yards.

View from the end of "the trail."

Gnarly!

Shroom! It was pretty damp out there.

Pretty awesome to call your tiny pond a "bay," but oh so much better when it's Donut Bay!