Steph: Café Exposé

Apache, Oklahoma – There’s something about finishing up harvest at a stop and just as the back wheels of the combine touch the combine trailer, a light drizzle of rain starts across the area. It’s almost like Mother Nature saying, “Hey, here’s to a job well done.” It’s the perfect ending and an even more perfect sendoff, because traveling in the rain is easy on the tires. 

We have now moved to our next stop on the harvest trail — Apache, Oklahoma. John has had a couple guys from this area work for him before, so it’s nice to have some locals to help us out. For example, the first night we got to town, it was later in the day. The campground was seemingly empty and dark with no signs of phone numbers to change that status. Well, it may have appeared that way to a passerby; but when you know a local, he can phone the owner because he’s obviously a friend of his. Everyone knows everyone in small towns, and it’s a beautiful thing.

The rains that sent us off in Gilliland followed us up the trail and stuck around for a couple days, so we haven’t been able to get a taste for the wheat crop around Apache. We did some hobnobbing up around Alva/Cherokee/Carmen the last couple days to try fill in the gaps between Apache and our next stop out in western Kansas, which won’t be ready till around June 20th.

I have to rewind a bit and take us back to Seymour, TX. On our last day, we went and had breakfast at one of the local cafés in town, the Rock Inn Café. One of the best things about the harvest trail is that we get a true taste for small-town America. There is nothing like some southern hospitality, complete with the perfect sweet tea and a “thanks y’all” to boot. Upon arriving in Apache, we ate at an equally notable café, Lucky’s. There was chicken friend chicken and fried okra for days, people.

Quote of the Day – “You just took 5 years off your life eating that burger.”

Stuff Harvesters Do – Meet up at the local café to settle up bills and bushels.

A view of the inside.

A view of the inside of the Rock Inn Café in Seymour, TX.

The front of the Rock Inn.

The front of the Rock Inn.

Decor.

Decor inside the Rock Inn.

I loved this little cartoon-version of the town.

I loved this little cartoon-version of the town. I feel like one day, I will have an entire room dedicated to harvest-related decor such as this.

Nothin' like a great café.

An outside view — don’t pass by this place without stopping in!

The door to the Rock Inn. Classic.

Even the door is awesome.

Lucky's in Apache, Okla.

Lucky’s in Apache, Oklahoma.

The "Can You Handle It" burger at Lucky's Café in Apache. Matt ate the entire thing so, turns out he can handle it.

The “Can You Handle It” burger at Lucky’s Café in Apache. Matt ate the entire thing, so it turns out it can be handled.

Neon signs are the best.

Neon signs are the best.

The Lucky's menu.

The Lucky’s menu.

This was Farmer Glen's wife, Shana's, paper towel holder. I tried to buy it from her but she wouldn't budge.

This was Farmer Glen’s wife, Shana’s, paper towel holder. I tried to buy it from her, but she wouldn’t budge… ha ha!

B&W windmills.

A real windmill to wrap it all up. It was spotted alongside the road near Carmen, Oklahoma.

All Aboard Wheat Harvest is sponsored by High Plains Journal and John Deere. You can contact Steph at stephanie@allaboardharvest.com.

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