Ken Mellons~ Rural Route

If you like country combined with bluegrass then you'll love this album from Ken Mellons. Here's a link to the title track "Rural Route".

Rural Route by Ken Mellons

Peppermint Rainbow - Will You Being Staying After Sunday [Best quality /...

The Peppermint Rainbow were an American sunshine pop group from Baltimore, Maryland. They formed in 1967 under the name New York Times, and played local gigs in the mid-Atlantic states before changing their name to the Peppermint Rainbow in 1968. They were signed to Decca Records at the behest of Cass Elliot, who saw them play and sang with them on-stage when they performed a medley of The Mamas & the Papas tunes

BRIAN AUGER'S OBLIVION EXPRESS

Discovered this band my first year at Kent State in 1973. 

My first taste of jazz-infused rock. 

In Search of the Perfect Burger

Recently my cousin Rich asked on Facebook.... "Who has the best burger in Akron, Ohio?" Many of the responses were the usual local drive-ins. Swensons, Skyway, and Dillys being the most popular. Now I've partaken in some great burgers in my travels. From Ohio to California to the deep South there have been some pretty good burgers eaten. Some places I remember were....Macados in Charlottesville Va, Cocos in Newport Beach Ca, Max and Erma's in German Village in Columbus,Oh, Whitey's Burgers and Booze in Richfield,Ohio,Whataburger in  Texas, and countless others that I can't remember.

Yesterday, I had what was, in my opinion,  the best burger I've ever eaten. Right here in Akron at the corner of Tallmadge Ave. and Glenwood is Louie's Bar and Grille. I had heard of this place over the years as being a great burger joint but I had never made it there to enjoy the experience. I had a 1/2 pound burger with mushrooms and onions and mozzarella cheese. This burger is huge..a true 1/2 pound after cooking. The burger meat is excellent. It came with a huge order of fresh cut fries for $8.49. Every bite of this burger was pure heaven. Louie's has a number of burgers to choose from. I had this as a carry-out order and everything was hot when I got home. The only place that could possibly come close to this burger is Whitey's.

So for now, at least I know I can get a great burger close to home. I anxiously await a better experience down the road. Possibly Littons in Knoxville,Tn?

What's with me and these diners?

I recently made a trip down to Virginia to visit my friend Sandy in Rural Retreat. When I'm down there, one of my favorite places to eat is at the Sugar Grove Diner in Marion. Originally located in Sugar Grove, they moved to the big town of Marion(home of the PBS series Song of the Mountains) because of a water problem in Sugar Grove.

The diner itself is located in a hotel now but is easily accessible. The staff there is very friendly and courteous. The food is down home cooking and is about as close to what your mom made when you were growing up.I usually have the fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn. It takes a while to cook this meal but it is worth the wait. I've never left there hungry. It's just really good home cooking. Here's a pic of the old location in Sugar Grove.

So if you're ever in the Marion Virginia area on a Saturday night, stop by the Sugar Grove Diner and catch a bluegrass show at the Lincoln Theater in downtown Marion.

Bluegrassin' In Galax Virginia with Blue Highway

Last Saturday night, my friend Sandy Hanshew and myself took a trip from Rural Retreat Virginia to Galax Virginia to see one of the top bluegrass groups in the country.Blue Highway was formed 17 years ago by Tim Stafford from Kingsport, TN. Today they are comprised of the same members from 17 years ago. The members are: Jason Burleson(Vocals, Banjo), Shawn Lane(Vocals, Mandolin, Fiddle, Guitar),Wayne Taylor(Vocals, Bass), Tim Stafford(Guitar and vocals), and Rob Ikes(dobro and vocals).

The show was held at the Fairview Ruritan Club outside of Galax. Tickets were 20 dollars a person which was the most I've ever paid for a single performance. But it was worth every penny. The show started off with a large group of young pickers from the Galax Appalachian Junior Musicians Association. They played 3 songs and showed off their new experiences in bluegrass. Next was an all girl group called Loose Strings. They started out playing the Doobie Brothers song "Listen to the Music". Their songs were all very up tempo and good toe tappers. Blue Highway did two sets and 2 encore songs. Some of the highlights were Rob Ikes solo dobro performance of "The Old Rugged Cross" and Tim Stafford's Ralph Stanley impressions. They started the set off with "Marbletown".


Here are two videos from the show. The first is "Life Of a Traveling Man". and the second is"I'd Rather Be a Lonesome Pine" 

Blue Highway

Jason Burleson and Shawn Lane

Tim Stafford and Rob Ikes

Jason,Shawn, and Wayne Taylor

Acapella

Blue Highway

Blue Highway

Loose Strings

Diner Life

Over the past 2 years, I have enjoyed finding new old time diners in my travels. This past year I found one in Grafton, Ohio that has really good food and is a trip back in time. Nancy's Main Street Diner is located on State Rt. 57 north in Grafton. It is an old dining car connected to a dining room. When you pull in to the parking area, the first thing you'll see is a traffic light near the entrance. Upon entering, you'll be greeted by one of the friendly servers or the owner herself. One thing I noticed is how clean the restaurant is. There is a long counter for counter seating or booths in the diner car. In back is a dining area with tables. The food here is simple but delicious. I've had the St. Louis style ribs here and they are very tender and meaty. But the crown jewels of this fine diner are the milkshakes and the desserts. They use the old fashion milk shake mixers and all the pies here are home made. The peanut butter pie is to die for! The home made soup of the day is very good also. They serve breakfast all day and are open Mon-Sat from 6:30am-8 and Sunday from 6:30am-2pm. Credit cards are accepted.