1 day, 23 hours, 49 minutes in Abilene . . .
- 11 hours ago
- 8 min read
Kansas that is. It's important for the reader to know that I'm not referring to Abilene . . . Texas, the home of the eponymous zoo and philharmonic. And if that's a dealbreaker, I completely understand.
Abilene . . . Kansas was on my before I sell my home and blow out of Kansas City for good list. Stick around and you'll see why.
Wednesday
10:41 a.m.
Exited I-70 and after heading south on N. Buckeye Ave immediately noticed that an American flag was flying on every utility pole, which confirmed I was on my way to the Library, Museum and Boyhood Home for the 34th president or a rally for the 45th.
10:45 a.m.
Abilene is really a two coffee shop town, it's either Genny 2.0 or Amanda's Bakery & Bistro.¹ I knew the later was going to work out fine when my barista said “be careful this coffee is very hot.”
11:33 a.m.
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home offered a veteran's discount though the Missus was not included. I have to believe that General Eisenhower was not consulted on admissions pricing.
An excellent museum that includes his formative years in the "Queen of the Cowtowns" to his retirement in Gettysburg, PA. Possibly a little too hagiographic for my tastes but then so is every other presidential library/museum/boyhood home. The only thing missing was a reproduction of the Oval Office, which I thought was required by law. I guess some men are bigger than their office, though I have feeling the next time this place is renovated it will be in the offing.
The Boyhood Home tour was excellent. It was interesting that none of the six Eisenhower boys were allowed to linger in the living room as it was strictly for company. It made me realize that the Dwight and I had something very much in common, except of course that I was never appointed the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force. The tour ended on a high note, for me at least, when I stumped the guide by asking “Did Eisenhower's mother hang a Blue Star Service Banner from the front window of the house during World War II?²
4:05 p.m.
Somebody along the way mentioned that La Fiesta could make for some good vittles and a cold one. I had my doubts, as Abilene doesn't exactly scream "good Mexican food." Though when I arrived had to agree with the recommendation . . . it was half price beer Wednesday.
This place is authentic if judged by the cold Dos Equis amber draft, tasty guacamole, colorful decor and no hablas English.
6:33 p.m.
Inspected The "Little Ike" statue in the eponymous downtown park. IAW the statue statute, the Sun was in the wrong position for the photo. Then down the street to the biggest "I Like Ike" button in the world.
6:30 p.m.
I had wanted to dine at an establishment called Ike’s Place in an effort to partake in all things Eisenhower, but it was permanently closed. Our hotelier recommended only one restaurant, Fuji Asian Kitchen, and I thought “nothin’ says Abilene like a place called Fuji Asian Kitchen." She had a menu from the place "as it can be difficult to read a 20-page menu off your phone.” Now, I don’t know about you but I normally find the length of the menu is in indirect proportion to the quality of the food but the fact that it shared a kitchen with a sister restaurant called Abilene Wings N Grill, made me realize that I'd at least have options. Later when I figured out it was located in the building that used to house Ike’s Place I knew it was fate (運命).
It appears the new owner had ordered an Asian Restaurant in a box on Amazon.jp: wall paper with photos of geishas and cherry blossoms, bamboo skirting for the bar, matching ninja black shirts for the staff and Chinese lanterns. They did though leave a large photo of Dwight and Mamie by the front door which was a nice touch.
The bartender had "left sick early" (I wish our server would worded it better), and therefore an Island Mango Mai-Thai wasn’t an option (which might have been for the best), nor was the draft beer as the staff was too young to pour it, though they could thankfully open me a bottle of Asahi Super Dry. Our youthful server wasn’t much help either with an entree recommendation as "I've never eaten here," and the hostess's recommendation of Crab Rangoon, had me asking Mrs. AAR "Should we make a break for it?" We didn't. Btw: the food was excellent.
8:11 p.m.
A pleasant sunset tour of Eisenhower Park to inspect a beautiful and verdant rose garden while we walked off the red curry, Tonkotsu ramen and seaweed salad. The World's Largest Belt Buckle was a bonus.
Thursday
9:00 a.m.
“Gourmet Breakfast” that came with our lodgings. The best part being the peach French toast and conversations with fellow boarders.
10:03 a.m.
Back to the museum to review Eisenhower presidency and post presidency. Not sure if we were allowed to use our Wednesday ticket on Thursday but I let Mrs. AAR use some of her Eisenhowerian resolve to gain us access (an iron fist inside a velvet glove).
12:01 p.m.
A lunch and learn at the Library Building Indoor Courtyard, titled "President Eisenhower, Japan, and the Enduring Alliance." While the speaker went over his 60 minute time contract, which I found irksome, I was mollified by the free roast beef sandwich. Even more importantly, I now fully understand the Eisenhower Administration's Japan policy.
1:21 p.m.
Stopped by the The Place of Meditation, a non-denominational chapel where I paid my last respects to Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower. I then meditated on the general’s thoughts on leadership: “Leadership consists of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your subordinates credit for everything that goes well.”
2:00 p.m.
The Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad is a non-profit railway that allowed me to experience some heritage train travel to nearby Enterprise, KS. There I spoke with a spry and sharp 90-year old miller who operates the Hoffman Grist Mill that makes heritage wheat and corn flour. He was so spry and sharp, that I'm seriously thinking about inhaling wheat and corn dust on a regular basis ("no smoking" though).
Just before departure Mrs. AAR had to exit the train to use the facilities. I then stationed myself in between the cars just in case the train took off without her and she need to make a run for it. Though she can run pretty fast, I figured I'd be ready just in case to grab her arm and pull her aboard.
4:44 p.m.
I had thought that I’d gotten heritage railroading out of my blood until Mrs. AAR heard that the Big Boy No. 4014 would be passing through Abilene that day. For those of you not in the Big Boy know, it was one of 25 locomotives built by Union Pacific in 1941 to haul freight over the Wasatch mountains and now is the world's largest operational locomotive, known quite simply as the Big Boy.
Had to wait about 40 minutes at the Abilene railroad station. The first 15 minutes weren't so bad but all the railfans seemed to be attracted to Mrs. AAR (like crazy moths to sane flame) and after hearing about "don't stand in the gauge," "switchers" and "consist," it was all starting to become a little too much (one guy even had some sort of rail walkie talkie, that enabled him to hear what sounded like to me like loud bursts of rail static every two minutes) until the Big Boy barreled down the track at 17.2 mph. All I can say is, "Impressive!"
5:01 p.m.
A Big Boy celebratory Beer O’clock at The Hickok Spirits & Eats: Shiner Bock draft and Busch in a can. Wild Bill was the marshal in Abilene in 1872 and is now the city's second favorite son. The menu's in keeping with the name: burgers, ribs and a Cowboy Salad for those not wanting to eat like Bill. I had some succulent wings and the best damn blue cheese accompaniment I ever dipped a drumette in. If you think that naming the place Hickock was an obvious choice you would be incorrect as the place was established in 2024, in a location previously called the "Dizzy Donkey Saloon."
Friday
10:03 a.m.
Took care of some housekeeping while heading out of town. The Abilene Post Office to mail a vintage Eisenhower postcard to a lucky Subscriber, then the Ike Wins Mural followed by locating the end of the Chisholm Trail just down the street.
Epilog: As with most historic towns there's an historic mansion that offers a glimpse into what life was like 100 years ago. In Abilene's case, Ike's Boyhood Home more than covers this back in the day effect. There is also the Greyhound Hall of Fame which I regretfully skipped as much like the Big Boy there's a weirdness that might have made for some interesting copy.
Lodgings
Abilene's Victorian Inn Bed & Breakfast isn't listed on Booking, Expedia or any of the travel sites. Now I don't know how they get a away with it but I gotta respect them not kowtowing to the man. The booking process is similarly unique: You book via their website but are not asked for a credit card, then someone calls you two hours later asking you to "call me as soon as possible so we can confirm with credit card number." Now I don't know about you but after I conduct my extensive hotel analysis, when I click the "Book" button, I just want it to be all over (and would sooner not have to whisper my credit card number to some lady I've never met before over the phone.
I guy I met along the Abilene way mentioned the place as being fine to stay if you're white and not gay, which made me relieved as I am most definitely am. But after Mrs. AAR expressed her misgivings, I of course most definitely agreed with hers, except I had already confirmed my reservation and the place had my credit card. This was all confirmed by the website mentioning that their "mission is to serve and meet the needs of our guests by God's provision and grace" and all the red, white and blue bunting on the front porch.
Like all B&Bs that include word "Victorian" in their name, the place is time machine of peeling wallpaper, steep stairs, extension cords and eccentric owners who give you a (long) tour that ends with an extensive VHS library.
We stayed in the unsettling named Mamie's Honeymoon Suite which was decorated per the eponymous first lady's tastes: pink carpeting, a pink rug around the toilet, no hot water in the sink, exceedingly busy wallpaper and thankfully an en-suite bathroom.
When I mentioned that I was impressed by the sign on the front door that stated “Newsweek's 3rd Best B&B in the US," Mrs. AAR offhandedly replied "It's a lie." After which I wasn't sure which one of us was the New Yorker
Endnotes: I wanted to provide some very specific details that, while vaguely interesting, did not contribute to the overall narrative. Perhaps just wait until the end to enjoy.
¹ I purposely did not including Scooter's, as it's not so much a coffee shop but a coffee delivery device.
² It is unknown if Ida Eisenhower flew a Blue Star Service Banner during WWII.
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