Road Trip

At the end of the summer season, it is a family tradition to go on a "road trip". Actually, we just drive 50 miles up to the cabin to close it down for the winter. The participants this year were me and Paul and my brother John and my dad. It is always tricky to decided when to close up the cabin. We don't want to do it too soon and admit that summer if over for another year but then again we don't want to wait too late and get caught by a sudden change in the weather and end up with frozen water pipes and snow covered picnic tables. Since it did snow in the higher mountain areas last weekend and this weekend it is forcasted for a much stronger winter storm, we had to face the facts and "put it to bed for the winter". Following our family motto of "first we work, then we play", that was the work portion.

This was the play portion!

Our cabin is 5 miles outside the town of Oakley, Utah. Oakley is a very small, farming town known for it's world famous Oakley Rodeo held during the 4th of July. But there is a new novelty in town and we have been anxious to give it a try. For the past year we have been watching this diner being renovated and have been anticipating checking it out.

Back in May of 2007 a man named Keith Walker decided to follow his passion and move this authentic 1939 roadside diner all the way from Middletown, Rhode Island out west to Oakley, Utah. Mr. Walker decided to use a play on words for it's name, "Road Island Diner" so as to reflect where it came from - Rhode Island - but also to reflect where it has been relocated to on the "island of a road" here. So far he has spent $1 million rennovating it. He has done an amazing job. It is completely authentic (except for the 2 flat screen TV he added for his 21st century customers). The menu is huge and contains everything you would hope and expect to get at a diner. All the staff are dressed in retro outfits and there are jukeboxes at every booth. There are about 10 or 12 booths and a counter with at least a dozen stools.

It had it's Grand Opening during the Oakley Rodeo this past 4th of July weekend and there were crowds of people lined up waiting to get in. Ever since then, every time we have driven past we have been amazed at the continued popularity and disappointed that the line was still too long for us to stop in. But this time we lucked out. I guess 4 pm on a Wednesday afternoon is a slower time. If you are ever passing by on any of your Road Trips, I highly recommend you stopping in for a real treat and a piece of history!