HP SPECIAL REPORT: Back In Business In Beaver Dam

This is an HP Special Report ... the old "Arby's Island" Beaver Dam rest area along the Western Kentucky Parkway has reopened as a Huck's, and it's fantastic!

My wife and daughter and I stopped through there on our way back from Louisville this evening.

One of the things that really impressed us was the huge array of drink machines--a whole assortment of coffees and soft drinks, slushy drinks and hot chocolates, etc. I do really appreciate that Huck's offers the flavor additives you can spurt into your fountain sodas. I almost always at least throw a couple of vanilla squirts in with whatever I'm drinking.

In the old Arby's area, they've opened a large hot-food bar, with a strong emphasis on fried chicken and Godfather's Pizza, which, as reported way back in 1969, is huge in convenience stores across Kentucky.

Huck's is based in Illinois, and one of the oddities about the Beaver Dam store was that Illinois (but not Kentucky) gazetteers were available at the store in Beaver Dam.

Overhead, the store played what it called "Huck's Radio," and we heard a couple of oldies but goodies.

The restrooms were delightfully clean, and I, for one, support the old-school handles and push buttons on the fixtures (as opposed to the sensor triggers to get soap, water and towels, which always seem to frustrate me).

I thought about picking up an Ohio County Times-News to check out that Bill Monroe story, but I didn't.

My wife thought about picking up some Harper's Country Ham, but she didn't.

We didn't really much consider getting donuts, though I am sure they would've been delicious.

And we didn't get any too serious about purchasing any Kentucky (but not Illinois) souvenir shot glasses, coffee mugs or Christmas ornaments.

But my daughter did get a cereal bar, for which we would've gladly paid the posted $1.29. But, alas, the gentleman at the counter remembered that the store was offering some 20-cents off coupons on that product and took it upon himself to go find one and apply it to my daughter's order. It was a good opportunity for us to all talk about the everythings of our lives and being creative and bold to do to others what we would have them do to us, and that turned out to be the very best part of a wholly satisfying visit to the new Beaver Dam Huck's Island.