Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner billboard advertisements on Interstate 15 between Los Angeles, California and Las Vegas, Nevada entice some drivers and passengers to exit for a bite to eat.
Lynn and I decide to stop for a slice of pie and a cup of coffee after all you can’t go wrong with pie at a 1950’s diner.
The moment you walk up to the front entrance of the restaurants there are words surrounding the door reassuring it’s okay to walk inside.
After walking through the double doors, I notice a candy store to my left and the diner to my right…I decide to walk straight ahead to the ladies Powder Room.
There are Hollywood stars of fame painted on the wall inside the bathroom stalls above the toilet. I’m sharing the stall with the late Audrey Hepburn to schedule ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ until I hear Bing Crosby in my head singing “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas….”
I walk out of the stall to wash my hands and I notice a statue of a man using a urinal…I’m sure this is a great icebreaker to start a conversation between a woman and an inquisitive little girl about the facts of life…
There is a sign on the wall to instruct women and little girls how to pee properly while using the toilet “Please Remain Seated for the Entire Performance.”
There is also the famous World War II “We Can Do It!” sign used to encourage women to join the industrial work force to fulfill the labor demands due to the deployment of men overseas on the wall…
Before walking out of the ladies Powder Room are uplifting words from Audrey Hepburn to remind us the love you have inside your heart for self and others reflect beauty on the outside.
There are a lot of pictures on the walls and statues of entertainers pre and post 1950s to include The Blues Brothers from 1978…
We sit down at the table and I pick up a 1934 Remember When booklet to browse through a timeline from January through December, world news, national news and my favorite the cost of living…the average income was $1,601.00 per year, new house was $5,972.00 and gasoline was 10 cents per gallon!
When the waitress finally arrives to our table to take our order, Lynn ask, “What is the Chuck Berry Pie?” The waitress responds with confidence “It’s all of the pies Apple, Cherry, Strawberry, Blueberry and Pecan!” and with that I decide to order a Cherry Pie and glass of water and Lynn orders a Blueberry Pie with hot tea. The waitress asked if we want vanilla ice cream with warm pies and we both agree, before she walks away from our table. Lynn decided to ask another waitress passing by our table, “What is the Chuck Berry Pie?” her response was “I don’t know.”
Lynn decides to dip her Lipton tea bag from the 1800s into a cup of hot water as we both express our disappointment of the waitress’s lack of knowledge of which pie is associated with Chuck Berry an African American singer, songwriter and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music.
Our hot cherry and blueberry pies are served with melting ice cream while we wait for the waitress to bring eating utensils for us to eat our pies.
As we sit, wait and watch our ice cream melt on our pies, we notice a sign on the wall that reads “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone – Regardless of who you are, who you think you are, who your daddy is, or how much money you make!!” We both start laughing….
After we receive our utensils, we finish eating our Cherry and Blueberry Pies with melted ice cream like a bowl of cereal on a plate and walk up to the cashier to pay for our food.
Lynn decides to ask another waitress, “What is the Chuck Berry Pie?” her response “Blueberry is the Chuck Berry Pie.” We both looked at each other, laugh and walk out of the restaurant.
Lynn made the right selection by ordering the Blueberry Pie in honor of the “poet laureate” and “father” of rock and roll music Charles Edward Anderson Berry aka Chuck Berry!
I was reminded by another picture on the wall that life is defined by the journey, not the destination…enjoy and live in the moment!
