Share some of your memories of where teen hangouts were when you were in school, be it the 1940's, 50's, 60's and early 70's, along with any incidents that may have occured or taken place at a teen hangout....and photos if you have them.
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Raymond Elledge, Class of 1963
. . . . . . . . . . .WOW, what memories everyone has brought forth that conjure up my own memories of people, places and incidents during those wonderful times when we were all in Del Rio. However, I have a few that I need help in getting names and places correct.
I remember the football field on Las Vacas and it seems it was named Marci-Martin Field or something similar. Also the High School Gym, I think was called Cody Wardlaw Memorial Gym. Does anyone remember how these facilities got their name and why?
Thanks Beak for remembering the Club Cafe, as I'm sure many of us had breakfast there after a long night in Mexico or just "Partying" on this side of the river. Carl's recollection of the Royal Cafe and Mr. Gallamore's Cadillac brought back memories of Mr. Gallamore's Palomino horse he rode with the silver saddle that he kept at his house behind the restaurant along with the Guinea fowl that wandered all around the restaurant parking lot amongst the cars.
How about the pizza place out toward the Air Base but close to the Gay 90 Drive in. It was a drive/walk up place for pizza only, as I remember, get a pizza and go to the Gay 90 Drive-in for a movie. Also the Hideaway Lounge next to, or just down from the Gay 90 Drive in, where Billy White and Johnny Miller played in various bands that frequented that establishment on weekends. I snuck in the back to listen to the music. Oh yes I did. Ha Ha.
Wayne's remembrance of the Teen Centers left out a couple as I remembered them. How about the one on First Street just off Hwy 90 east, in proximity to Rick’s Lumber. I remember seeing a couple of classmates dance the TWIST to Chubby Checkers rendition, as everyone stood around and watched them dance to it a couple of times before anyone else ventured a try. But who was that couple, does anyone remember? Also the Teen Center at the Air Base where Billy White and Johnny Miller played and sang to the crowds delight.
Moore Park Swimming Pool brings back a flood of memories, as I was a Life Guard there for two summers, working for Mr. and Mrs. James Ballard (Jimmy Ballard's parents). What fun we all had those two summers. Someone mentioned the Thrifty Drug Store on Ave F (next to the Dairy Queen), where some classmates went for lunch from Jr. High on the hill, if they or a friend had transportation. The soda fountain had a good bowl of chili/ Frito pie, grilled cheese, cheeseburger and fries along with fountain drinks. Other spots not noted by anyone so far were the Hamburger/fried chicken places (don't remember the name) across from the Chamber office and next to the Hwy Dept Dist Office on Gibbs St. Also one with the same name on Pecan street close to HEB but on the cross street that ran by the Catholic School on the street going to San Felipe. Ceasar's Steak House - Drive-in was a very good place to get nachos (they called them cincos), fried onion rings, chalupas, cheeseburgers & fries, and a beer if you got the right Car Hop and had nerve enough to ask.
Someone did mention the Ceniza Drive-in just down from the Jr. High on the hill, on the cross street between North Main St and Ave "F", across from Green's Cafe - Drive-up. Yes, I remember the Italian restaurant on Gibbs that Robin Clark mentioned but I don't remember the name either. It was a very nice place to go, usually with your parents or a special date. The owner had a daughter that I believe went to High School with us but maybe to a private school. They lived out in Buena Vista, the first street to the right as you entered from Hwy 90. It was a split-level house that looked like something out of California at that time. I have some incidents I will bring up at another time, as this is a lot for now.
Gay (Brown) Clark, Class of 1965
Del Rio was a great place to grow up back in the day. Sunday afternoons were always so much fun when we would head to Memo's because Billy White, David Carroll and their band were playing. The girls I hung out with (Barbara Murray, Dina Lee Medlock and Dava West) would load up and head for Memo's where we could dance all afternoon. Great memories.
Jonella Pride, Class of '55
The owner of Feliccio's name was Milo Cadena!!! He later built a house on Broadview, I think, or at least lived there for a while. He may have later sold it to the guys from the base. He lived in Del Rio for some time even after he sold the restaurant. Jack Rhone was the man who built Jack's Lounge on Second Street and later built the motel farther up Avenue F, which eventually became the Travel Lodge. He also built the strip center next to the present Pizza Hut and he and his wife lived in the second story apartment there.
Ginger (McKinney) McWilliams, Class of 1958
This is like a trip down memory lane! The owner of Felicio's was Milo Cadena. That was the first place I ever had pizza. Another popular hangout was the Bus Station Cafe across the street from the high school. My friend Jerry Walker's mother ran the cafe so we ate lunch there almost everyday. She made the best hamburgers in town, I never remember eating anything else there although I am sure I did. They also had the best jukebox in Del Rio and Mr. Daniels kept it supplied with the most popular rock and roll music of the day. I still enjoy listening to 50's music today and certain songs remind me of Garner Park, Teen Town, the Bus Station Cafe or other "hangouts".
Hank Woodward, Class of ‘56
The Spanish "Texas Theater" was next to Roach's on Main Street. I went there once to see a picture and was politely told that the audio was in Spanish.
In our era we went to the "Picture Show", not the movies.
I do remember the Texas Bar on Main Street in Acuna, a very friendly hole in the wall.
I remember going to Mrs. Crosby's restaurant with my parents when young and seeing Mrs. Crosby dressed in her beautiful evening gowns. Very elegant, I thought. We were there one evening when the governor of Texas was present, Coke Stevenson I believe, late 40's. The band played "The Eyes of Texas" much to the chagrin of any Aggies present. I will always remember "Mrs. Crosby's", and I shudder that the place is now referred to as Ma Crosby's, by most everyone it seems.
Charlene (McLaughlin) Reams Manning, Class of 1962
One of the owners of Felicio's in the late 50's or early 60's was some kin of Jimmy Lou Gates. Her mother maybe? Her grandmother was Mrs. Green of Green's Drive In, I think, so maybe it was the Greens that had it. My sister hung out there some with Jimmy Lou. I don't remember eating pizza there that you guys are all talking about, was only in there a few times. It was too gloomy for me.
John Wayne made a deal to lease Felicio's on the weekends while he was making The Alamo in Brackettville on Happy Shahan's ranch (Alamo Village). That way he kept the cast and crew away from Mexico and they had a private place to unwind and have a good meal. They drank, too, and a couple of times busted the place up pretty good. But The Duke always paid well the damages and the owners had it all fixed again by the next weekend.
I don't know if Jack Rhone ever owned Felicio's, but my Daddy did some remodeling work at his drive-in on Ave F. They hit is off, and in conversation my Daddy asked him if he was a member of the San Felipe Country Club, which my parents had joined when we moved to DR. Jack said no he was not. Daddy asked if Jack would let him sponsor him for membership. Jack said, "Mac, I can't be a member there." Daddy asked him why not. Jack chuckled and said, "It's a restricted club. No Jews allowed." My Daddy was dumbfounded. He came home and told Mama, "We fought the Nazis in WW2, and this is still going on? What is wrong with people in this country?" It was America at its worst right in little ol' Del Rio. After the job was finished Daddy went by to see Jack and chew the fat now and again.
There was a pizza take out place out Hwy 90 near the base gate called Gino's Pizza. This would have been about 1963. The guy who owned it was an Air Force person, don't know if he was still active duty or got out and just stayed in DR. His name was Gino Kelly. I learned later from Navy people that there are enough Irish-Italian mixed bloods in the Boston area to be a whole ethnic group by themselves! Gino made the first pizza I ever ate. I was hanging out with Lyn Holman that day. We sat in her car and ate our pizza and didn't worry a bit about gaining a pound. Those were the good ol' days! Another memory of my friend.
Patricia (Alexander) Leonard, Class of 1954
If memory serves me, and it may not, but some boys from the base opened Felicios (not sure of that spelling either).
I wonder if the man with the slicked back black hair that you are thinking of wasn’t Jack Rhone. He was a Russian or at least that is what I was told. He may have bought Felicios from those airmen who opened it. They, of course, would have moved on. All of this is thing’s I have heard and have no personal knowledge of any of it. Someone else may know these things for sure.
Kay (Harlow) Ochoa, Class of 1966
Here I go again, “remembering” something completely backwards to what it actually was, but I have to put in my two cents: wasn’t that “one-of-the-first-pizza-places-with-the-drippy-candles” restaurant run by the Cadena family?? I think Suzanne was in our class and I always had her associated with it.
Dina (Medlock) Marshall, Class of '65
Hi Ya'll...not sure if someone has remembered already, but the Italian restaurant on Gibbs, by the railroad tracks, was named Feliciano's...great spaghetti, pizza, and wow - the drippy candles, good pizza, dark, dark, dark...for those dating days!!
We still go visit my Mother every few months, and passing by these places brings back such wonderful memories. Wish they were still there! Not a ton of choices for eating out these days but hometown is still hometown!
Doug Newton, Class of 1955
What was the name of the pizza – Italian place on Gibbs Street across from the Highway Dept? Someone said it was Felicios – but was that the spelling? I remember that it was great pizza….and who was the owner with slicked back black hair, an Italian looking guy?
Patricia Alexander Leonard, Class of 1954
Since Dan Cobb and I were in the same class and frequented the same places, I have no new ones to add...only that the drive-inn on the corner of the “Alexander sisters” street was Jack’s Lounge, built and I assume operated by Jack Rhone. It was on the corner of 2nd St. and Ave. F.
The Royal (as we called it) was one block south of there. The movies were shown at Jack’s Lounge. I could sit on my front porch and see them.
Wonderful times and wonderful memories!
Robert Brockwell, Class of 1954
Our class of 1954 was a very special class. Our athletic teams were very successful in several sports. When we went places, we went in groups. No boy/girl from our class married each other. Freddie Brockwell said it would have been like a brother marrying a sister. Even today, when we have a class reunion, there is about 80% participation from those that are still living. It's sad when we hear of classes that haven't had reunions in 20-30 years.
In high school, if someone could borrow the family car, they would get several people together and cruise the town that mainly was Main St. and Hwy 90 W. Everybody would pitch in a quarter so we all had plenty of money for gas.
Whichever church has the best youth director, that is the church we attended. Most of the time it was the Presbyterian Church. During the summer Jack Burk, Hilary Doran, Pat Penney, Sylvia Williams, Freddie Brockwell and myself attended Mo Ranch, a Presbyterian affiliate, and Church camp in Kerrville. It was something we went to every year and really enjoyed it. To this day I stay in touch with some people I met there.
There was Teen Town. It was on Main and it was started while I was in JR Hi. They gave dance lessons there and then had dances every now and then. It was located at several places over the years.
Eddies Drive inn was the main meeting place for all the high school kids. The Dairy Queen on Ave F is where Gerald Leonard, in his Henry J automobile, and I would go after baseball practice and get a chocolate shake with pecans in it.
Not only was there the Gay 90 drive in, but also there was the Ceniza drive in on Hwy 90 W, close to Greens café. Dollar night is when you packed as many as you could in the car. A couple of other people would bring pickups, park them backwards, and we would set up chairs in them. Those in the pickups got in for a quarter each.
Downtown was the Princess and Rita theatres. There was also a theater that showed films in Spanish. Years earlier there was also the Victory theatre.
Mr. and Mrs. Galloway that drove the big Cadillac owned the Royal café. When Jack Rhone put in the drive inn, he had what was called a Flaming Sundae. Danny Cobb said Mr. Rhone claimed to be the King of the Hamburgers.
We had a lot of dances. The sock hops in the gym after the ball games. Several of the people that owned ranches would have western dances at the ranch. Mr. Bob Robertson would clear out his dealership about once a year and there would be western dances there. During my senior year I attended 9 formal dances during the Christmas break. We would have formal dances at the DR Country Club and go to Sonora and Ozona for dances. Several people from those two towns would come to our dances also.
Mexico was a big attraction - Lando's*, Toltec**, Ma Crosby's and La Macarena. The big boys would tell us about some other places called #2 and #8. They said if you drove by Ma Crosby's, your car would automatically turn to the left and head out the highway to those places.
Funny how times have changed. The man selling rings on the corner also had marijuana. We knew he had that, but it was the least of our worries.
Lamar, Hilary, Jim, Gilbert, Pat, and thanks to Pancho and Ruben who are no longer with us, even the basketball trip to Laredo is now a fun thing.
To all my classmates of 1954 and many friends that made DRHS a fun place, THANK YOU.
PS: With all the activities the class of 54 had - everyone graduated.
*For you that don't know, your money spent at Lando's did go to some good use. At least one of Mr. and Mrs. Lando's sons graduated from Texas A & M.
** There was a kid at the Toltec that shinned my shoes. Many years later I was in Acuna and this man stopped me on the street. He asked me if I remember the person that shinned my shoes. I told him yes, but not the name. He was the kid that shinned my shoes and was now a ranch foreman for one of the large ranches in Mexico. At least that kid worked for something.
Mike Deaton '64
I don't have any additional hangout to add but did want to backup what Wayne Calk said about "just hearing about those places." I think we both heard about them while at choir practice on Sunday night. It never entered out minds to check it out for us.
Brad Bradley ‘66
Normally I do not post, since a portion of my time is posting others comments, but this thread brought back memories.
Mr. 15 Center: Although there were many occurrences there the one that really comes to mind was during the Viet Nam war when the draft was on. Larry Ahrens, Class of 1964 was huddled with a group when his mother drives up waving a letter and hollering for Larry. Larry opened the letter and the first words were “Greetings” (he was drafted)… first time I recall an upper classman crying. He joined the CB’s and made a go of it.
Remember Adolph Hofner? He used to play at dances in Comstock at the gym. Oh what fun to dance to his music – even if he was drunk. Regardless of age alcohol wasn’t allowed in the gym so people went outside to sip. Remember the DPS Officer Osterdorf (spelling may wrong, but if you were a teen with alcohol you may of met him – I know several that did).
As mentioned by Wayne Calk - the DQ owned by Sam Hill’s grandparents on 8th and Ave. F. And Sam’s neat Model A! And I remember the tragic accident that occurred there, truly an unfortunate accident.
Remember the little horse drawn buggies that parked out in front of Lando’s with almost worn out horses? Can’t remember the product, but do remember seeing it happen. Someone came in from college and brought some kind of pep up legal pour on medicine of some kind. He poured a dab on the back of the horse and that was all it took! First the horse nickered, then he started kind of dancing – you know like the Cha Cha, then it looked like the horse was trying to use a Hoola Hoop, along with the Cha Cha. Talk about come to life, that horse did! When the horse took off he could of won the All American Futurity barreling down Acuna’s main street! The buggy owner on the other hand was fortunate to have had a spring-loaded seat – he reminded me of those pop up toys for kids, the kind you crank and a clown would pop up (no one, including the horse was hurt or any damage done).
Macarena – Bullfights and the Juan Ramos Fan Club, complete with embroidered shirts, a #5 washtub full of screwdrivers, plus a block of ice and a bunch of hollering Gringo’s rooting for Juan Ramos –the man cleaning up after death of the bull or better known as the official pooper scooper! This club was setup by Jimmy Hays (Class of 1964) family and they had plenty of members.
Robin Clark - Class of 1962
I remember going to Mr. 15-Center, Green's, Lando's, etc....but wasn't there also another place called Felicio's (or something like that) down by the railroad tracks? It specialized in Italian food and more particularly, PIZZA! In fact, I think it was one of very few places in town that served authentic pizza back then (?)....and the national teenager/pizza "love affair" was just getting underway. It had great "ambiance" (as opposed to Mr. 15-Center!), in other words....it was DARK! In the evenings the interior was lit by super-drippy candles in wine bottles on each table. The pizza was great, too!
Joe & Lura (Boyd) Bowers, Classes of ’53 & ‘56
The places we hung out - Eddie's, the Royal Cafe and Green's have already been mentioned. Acuna for dancing at Lando's or Macarena and meals at either Mrs. Crosby's or Los Alpes (it was safe to go across the Border then). Garner State Park with the whole class and sunburn delux. Formal dances and the Prom at the Del Rio Country Club. Band trips to Brady and Austin and to play at football games in Uvalde, Hondo, or Eagle Pass. Best part of growing up in a small town - lifelong friendships.
Lura
P.S. Joe's crowd hung out at different places than us humble freshmen.
John Keyes Finegan, Class of 1945
Back in the 40's Stephen Ross had a Drug Store across the street from Del Rio National Bank. It was just a short walk from, yes we actually walked in those days, High School, and course gasoline rationing made that a matter of necessity. I will never forget a little man by the name of Frank, who made the best ham and cheese sandwiches at this teen hangout, after a hot grueling day at old Del Rio Hi they stopped the hunger pains.
Also there was another hangout down on the corner of Main and Strickland at
the the old Honea Hamburger joint that a fellow by the name of Gonzalez made the best
enchiladas inDel Rio, we sometimes would have a yen for a change of diet.
Of course after Eddie and Joyce opened Eddie's place at the end of main they had to put up with all of the Teenagers.
Del Rio was a great place for kids to grow up in. We did not have a drug problem even though it was available we had better things to do, like stealing sugar cane and watermelons. We were being "real bad" but as long as you watched for the red light
on the top of the Del Rio National Bank building you knew nobody had turned
you into the police. Back before the police had radios the police used that as a call back to the station for instructions, so we always had time to get all incriminating evidence eaten or disposed of.
Yep Old Del Rio was a great place to grow up in.
Jerry Stone, Class of 1944
I am sure you young-uns will not remember what I do. Most of you were not even born when I graduated in 1944. But we had FUN. There are not a whole lot of us old folks left to remember anything now.
I remember Mr. Honea's hamburger joint on the corner of South Main and Strickland Street. You could get a hamburger for .20 and a coke for a nickel. I don't think I have ever had a hamburger as good since then. Tim Cobb, Jr. and Newsome Stool and my sister, Norma McDonald Lowry, and I would walk to Mr. Honea's and buy our lunch and take it home and climb up in our tree house to eat it. We all lived on Strickland St.
On Saturday afternoons we would go to the Strand Theater and see the latest cowboy movie plus the current episode of a serial that was running at the time. We would stop by Qualia's bakery (later it was Seegar's bakery) and each would get a piece of bubble gum. The Strand Theater was torn down to make room for the new Rita Theater. Then one night about one o'clock the Rita burned and brought out the whole town. It burned to the ground. But it was re-built better than ever. Now it is where "The Upstagers" have their plays.
We used to have dances out at the Del Rio Country Club periodically and we hired Cucas orchestra to play for them. They were pretty good. We thought they were great! We also had dances at the old Elk's Hall on the corner of Losoya and Pecan across from the courthouse. There was no such thing as air conditioning at that time so we would go out on the balcony between dances to cool off----and maybe sneak a kiss or two. Those were the "good ole' days" and we were so young and innocent. Nobody had a car so our parents had to take us to the dances. Later a few kids had a car of their own---like Johnny Boy Brinkley and Pat Ryan and a couple more that I can't remember. I could write a whole lot more but I think this enough for now.
Gary (Beak) Humphreys, Class of 1964
Wayne pretty well got most, but I remember the Club Café at the RR tracks, it was always good for a weee hours after Mexico breakfast. Always ran into the Railroaders Durby Calk, Mr. Gabbert, Sid Humphreys, Easy Mills, Manuel Calk, Bonnie Vineyard , Mr. Edge, Joe Bailey, Louis Simmons, to name a few. Then across the street was the Manhattan Café, next to the pool Hall.
And don’t forget our pre-teen years on North Main, Four Roses where the cokes were cold after a good football game at Star Park. I Remember going to Beatles Drug store on South Main with Leon. It was between the News Herald and Houghton’s. Then during the summer Blue Hole and the Creek.
Now back to the after school hangouts, the ones I remember going to were the Royal Café , Dairy King by the High hat, Dairy Queen/ Taco House, Mr. 15, Mrs. Greens. DK store at 9th and F was a quick stop for a coke to go and potty.
Those were the days.
PS I’m not that old, I had older Sisters and a brother that I tagged along with.
Wayne Calk - Class of 1964
Boy, you other folks have a good memory and yours certainly brings back
memories of the past.
I certainly remember and not necessarily in the order of frequency: Lando's ...everyone knows where that was. The Acapulco across the street from Lando's, The Shangra La also across the street from Lando's.
The Youth Center on the highway to Acuna right before you got to the Jarret's house. The youth center that used to be in the old Baptist Church which now is sort of across from Beak's Gun Shop.
Greens Cafe out at the end of Ave F, Royal Cafe down on the other end of Ave. F, Dairy Queen owned by Sam Hill's grandparents, the La Frances' in the middle of Ave. F, The Steak house at the end of South Main, The Dairy Princess on South Main, The Dairy King out close to the High Hat on the way to the base.
The High Hat Cafe where I was Johnny Horton performing "Oh I'm a Honky Tonk Man" on the back of a flat bed trailer.
And of course Mr. 15 Center also up on Ave. F.
Oh, and don't forget all the time we hung out at the 4-H Club down close to the high
school, The Rita Theater on Sunday afternoon, and the Gay 90 on Saturday night.
There were some others in Acuna also...Las Alpas. That may not be the correct spelling but they had really good food and of course Ma Crosby's, and don't forget Las Carlos next to Lando's where you could get an order of tacos for $ .35.
There were some others that used to be on the way to La Alpas and you turned to the
right and went down a dirt road.....now what were there names.....B29, Derby, and the Shamrock, #8 of course I heard about them 
(yeah right). What were some of the other places? This is about all I can remember.
Carl Chambers, Class of 62
Of some of the memories already mentioned,,here are some more information of them:
Royal Drive In was the Royal Café. The owner drove a big Cadilac. My favorites there was the homemade cinnamon rolls with butter on them and the homemade potato chips that came with their hamburgers. And the Royal Drive Inn was not where they had the movie shorts. It was Jack’s Lounge another block up from the Royal Café. When we were kids,,my sister, Patty Winn, and my brother, Tommy would always walk over there and watch the movie shorts. We lived only two blocks from there.
The Drug store on eighth was the Trifty Drug Store.
The convenience store was the Short Stop owned by George Whitehead. He also had one on Ave F & 3rd. They were Managed by Donnie Mills.
Has anyone mentioned Ceasar’s Steak House on the end of South Main. Great Chalupas,,,if you don’t believe me,,ask Bobby Paul.
And another great hang out at night on the weekends was the Texas Bar in Acuna. The Texas Bar has many stories,,but probably should not be told. Each year the graduating seniors would will their bar stools to the Juniors becoming seniors.
Dan Decker, Class of 1964
Well, let's see. Hangouts that haven't been mentioned yet. I remember the pool hall across from McFarland's just south of the railroad tracks on Main Street. There were two or three pool halls right there together. There was a drug store where I used to hang out between 8th Street and 9th Street on Avenue F. The Dairy King on 8th and Avenue F. The swimming pool during the summer. I was such a stupid kid, got pulled out of that pool twice by lifeguards, once by Pinky Thomas. Came as close to drowning as possible. The County Library during the summer, ahhhhh, air conditioning!!
Can't forget the bowling alley, Northside Lanes? I recall being on the Del Rio Bowling Team for the Saturday morning TABY League with Richard Schwalbe, Carlos Gutierrez, Sonya Gutierrez, and Carl Fricke. I think Carl was the 5th bowler? We bowled in one TABY Tournament in San Antonio and got our butts handed to us on a platter.
Okay, someone else's turn.
Lawrence Seeger, Class of 1945
Hangouts I remember: Little Brock's at South Main and Nicholson; Mrs. Crosby's in Villa Acuna; Eagle Pass Hill In the roadside park (dancing on the concrete tabletops).
Dan Cobb, Class of '54
Here are the ones I remember:
Early 1950’s: Eddie's Place on South Main at Nicholson (it was also a hangout in the decade before mine, along with the Hi-Hat on East Gibbs).
Green's Drive-In at Ave. F and 17th. Royal Drive-In (it showed old movie shorts) on Ave. F at about 2nd Street (just around the corner from the Alexander sister's house).
Lake Walk. In Acuna, Lando's Hideaway and La Macarena.
Guillermina (Bosquez) Stover, Class of 1971
Does anyone remember Green's, the convenience store on the corner of 17th Street and Avenue F? A lot of my classmates skipped class to hang out there. But for myself and my friends, who were "good kids", well, we just wouldn't dream of it! Skip class? Horrors. Face it--we were nerds! But we all dreamed of buying Cokes and snacks at Green's during class. So sometime during our senior year (1970-1971) we decided we were worth it! A group of us, Blanca Gomez, Rosalinda De La Rosa, Cristina Arranaga, and I don't remember who else, planned the escapade.
But the beauty of our plan, get this, are you ready for the drum roll? We included our parents in the plan. Yes, that's right, we were such wonderfully refreshing nerds that we actually told our parents. None of us had EVER skipped out of class. (Well, at least that's how I remember it. Maybe a couple of us had, but I don't remember exactly who.) So we had our parents' permission and their tacit blessing.
We left sometime after lunch, walking from Del Rio High School, past Memorial Junior High on Main Street, heading northeast on 17th Street, and finally crossing the busy intersection of 15th and Avenue F. We talked, laughed, nervously, I might add, and planned. What would we buy when we got there? Who would we see? Oh, the adventure!
And finally, finally, after several blocks of walking, huffing and puffing, we arrived. At Green's. I vaguely remember the sense of accomplishment, the relief of finally getting there. Someone told me they especially liked Corn Nuts with Coke, so that's what I bought! A package of Corn Nuts that I nervously ripped open and put in my glass bottle of Coke. I'd never had that snack. It was...nice, nice, not thrilling, but nice. We giggled, gossiped and stared at the counters. I had never been there before; my parents didn't own a car, and so we didn't venture very far from home--and home was located in the Chihuahua neighborhood. I was disappointed. It was just a convenience store. Nothing out of the ordinary. But what an exotic way of arriving--by playing hooky...
Then we had something more exotic to look forward to. We had to walk back to school!
And as many of you know, that building was converted to Hunter's Restaurant, then to Exprezzo, and for a long time it stood vacant. It was just demolished recently. But what memories...!