the journey, episode two: Minot.
Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2004, 8:27 AM

Minot was a lovely town, and I was surpised that in 20 years, Spouse never once mentioned that it was not flat! It is a river bluff town, and very hilly. Much like my birthplace in Iowa. Once you leave town and head towards the base, though, it is as flat as I'd imagined.

We got there about noon, and drove around a bit, the went to our hotel and checked in. We were at the top of the bluff, overlooking the whole city and valley. The view was nice, and we were up on four, so we had lovely breezes. (Can you imagine a fourth floor hotel room here with windows that open?!)

We drove a ways out toward the base to have lunch at Ruthville, home of the infamous Hooterville bar. This is a miniscule community where all of the town's owned by one person, and all of the businesses are in one building. They have a restaurant, bar, barbershop, general store, and a Pizza Hut, all sharing the same large pole building. It was once a strip mall, I guess, but burned down shortly after Spouse left.

Anyway, this place wasn't much to look at--kind of seedy and dingy, but I am here to tell you that the bacon cheeseburger with fries I ate there was the best I've ever had. Super-high quality ground beef, thick cut bacon, a toasted homestyle bun, and garnished with fresh lettuce and thick slices of beefsteak tomato and bermuda onion. WOW! And the fries were fresh and crisp and still sizzling when I got my order. Yet another case of "the best food in the greasy spoon" syndrome.

When we went back to the hotel, we decided to hit the pool for a while.

I have to say that God may push me to my limit sometimes, but he always rewards me with what I need and love. This pool was HUGE. With a nine-foot deep end! And, as in Fargo...absolutely deserted. I reveled in it. The jacuzzi was a bit disapointing, but I want to marry that pool. Once I'd finished playing mermaid, we took off again, to drive around town and try to re-familiarize the Spouse with his old stomping grounds. So much had changed in twenty-three years, he felt quite lost. Even the airport, where we stopped to greet all the folks coming in on the afternoon flight, was completely different. But he found his old apartment, and located a few other familiar points. Then we began to decide what to do about dinner. He asked what I thought, and I pointed out that he'd been telling me about The Hacienda in Burlington for three months, and that if he wanted to go there for dinner, Thursday was his only chance. The reunion functions would take up Friday and Saturday's dinners. So we took the short drive out to the tiny community of Burlington, where he was much pleased to see that The Hacienda was still there, and unchanged. Cowboy murals and dark, wood-beam decor, with wagon-wheel chandeliers and heavy wooden chairs, with hobnailed leather seats.

The steak dinners were old-school, as well. Iceberg lettuce salad served in melamine salad bowls.

Top quality steaks served on sizzling platters, with real old-fashioned baked potatoes. The kind with the wonderful aroma and roasted flavor. In keeping with the time-warp, the sour cream had chives in it. Oooh, yeah. And Honking Big Glasses of strong iced tea. Life can be pretty nice, sometimes.

After dinner, we went back to the hotel, and sat outside for awhile. Spouse had a couple of beers, and smoked a cigar. Earlier, he'd seen a car in the lot that he surmised might belong to an old friend, judging from the plates and some stickers on it. As we sat smoking and enjoying the evening, a couple came out and got in it. Spouse had guessed right, it was his old friend and crew chief. Bear-hugs and warm greetings ensued. His wife is from Minot, and they were on their way to visit her folks, so that first reunion was brief. But we got to spend more time with them later in the trip.

And to round off the evening, and put a period at the end of the long day? Yep. Another swim in that enormous, deserted pool.