Bites in Abilene, KS

As you pedal into Abilene, it looks like many of the towns we have been cycling through...a car parts shop, some grain lot, and this time a pack and ship store. But this town is different. The streets are lined with homes and old Victorian mansions that still are loved and welcoming. There's the hardware store with the colorful Andirondack chairs lined up ready to go, the antique shops with curiosities lining the entryways, and the quilt shop called Material Girls. Too bad I have a luggage weight limit, and only two wheels to transport anything. I can't go in those shops.

Where we do go in, is a cafe called Daylight Donuts. Apparently this is a franchised chain of coffee and lunch shops. Nothing about this one is "chain" or "franchised". The owner of this shop is the former owner of The Kirby House, a well known and loved local restaurant.

We arrived there yesterday at the end of a 62 mile ride, hot and hungry. We ordered the special of the day, Chicken Sliders and homemade potato salad. When I say "homemade", I mean HOMEmade. For a cafe to turn out a meal that tastes like your grandmother is in the back room with her secret recipes, creamy mayonnaise, and freshly roasted chicken is amazing. I had chased it with a lowfat iced chai that was as decadent as a milkshake. We pedaled to our new hotel with full bellies.

After nine days of pedaling, we finally got our rest day today. So, what did we do? We went back "home" for lunch at Daylight Donuts. Today we had the roasted turkey sandwich, and Jeff had the broccoli bisque as well. The turkey was the kind of slices you get the day after Thanksgiving, thick and flavorful. Jeff's bisque was light and buttery, with meaty mushroom chunks, and fresh brocolli. He finished his meal, with a warm fresh apple turnover, with two scoops of vanilla ice cream...and two spoons.

Besides the food, there is a young woman who served us both days. It was as if we were guests in her home, as she warmly chatted us up, and shared a bit of herself, and the pride and history of her town.
It was then back onto the bike, pedaled to the hotel, and ready ourselves for our upcoming double century week.

I don't know when, but there will be sometime this week when I will revisit Daylight Donuts in Abilene in my memory stream...and it will carry me.

If you come to Abilene, stop by for a glass of apricot iced tea...unsweetened and wonderful.

Happy feet - thanks peeps!