Warroad is a city in Roseau County, Minnesota, United States, at the southwest corner of Lake of the Woods. The population was 1,781 at the 2010 census.
Minnesota State Highways 11 and 313 are two of the main arterial routes in the community.
History
The name Warroad seems to come from the practice of Indian tribes using the location, which is now the town, as a route to war upon each other. In the 20th century, the town had a strong commercial fishing industry, which gradually turned to sport fishing and tourism. For many years, commercial boats provided regular service to the islands and to Kenora, Ontario at the north end of Lake of the Woods. One of these ships was the Bert Steele. Several flying services carried sport fishermen and tourists to lodges and fishing camps in Lake of the Woods until economics and increasing regulations drove them out of business. Warroad is known for the great fishing on Lake of the Woods.
Warroad is also noted for its strong hockey tradition which has produced NHL and Olympic players. It is known as "Hockey Town USA" because of the that feat along with a storied high school program which has earned four men's state championship titles ('94, '96, '03, '05) and two women's ('10, '11) in the past 20 years. Another important piece of Warroad hockey history is the Warroad Lakers amateur team that existed from 1957 to 1997.
Father Aulneau
Warroad is the site of St. Mary's Church, also called the Father Aulneau Memorial Church, which commemorates a French Catholic priest who accompanied French explorers and soldiers in their search for the Northwest Passage and was killed along with several other people, presumably by Native Americans. The Aulneau Peninsula in Lake of the Woods is named after Father Aulneau.
Popular culture
In the television show The West Wing, character Donna Moss claims to be from Warroad in the episode Dead Irish Writers. In the episode, she becomes classified as a non US citizen when the Canadian border is moved south such that Warroad is in Canada
Photos of Warroad: http://www.lakesnwoods.com/WarroadGallery.htm
Monday, June 13, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Super 8s and Motel 6s Not Always The Cheapest
I'm driving an elderly relative from Cheyenne, WY to Warroad, MN. She gets tired easily (not bored, although that, too, but physically tired, stiff, from sitting in a car for very long.
So my plan is to drive 350 miles a day, which will get us to Warroad about midday on the third day.
This is why I haven't really planned out this trip as much as you might think an "organized" traveller would do. Since I have no idea how far I'll actually get in a day, I'm loathe to make hotel reservations anywhere. Instead, when I've driven about 6 hours, I look for a place to stop. This way, if she starts complaining, I can stop early if I have to.
That's the reason why I am now in a Motel 6 that cost $78 a night, including tax, instead of at a nearby motel, Welsh's Motel, that also has free wifi (my need) that would have been $64, including tax.
We're in Wall, South Dakota, at the moment (home of the famous Wall Drug.) We're also in "hotel" row, or perhaps I should call it "Motel" row, and not only was this Welsh's motel cheapter, but so was another hotel, and that one is part of a chain. (It's cheaper than Motel 6, but not cheaper than Welsh's Motel.)
I know all this because after checking in to the Motel 6, I left my relative in the room (she is not mobile), and went for a walk around the area, and stopped in at a few hotels surrounding this one.
So think twice before staying at a Motel 6 or Super 8. Since they are a chain, they have to pay royalties to their bosses. Whereas a locally owned hotel or motel doesn't.
So my plan is to drive 350 miles a day, which will get us to Warroad about midday on the third day.
This is why I haven't really planned out this trip as much as you might think an "organized" traveller would do. Since I have no idea how far I'll actually get in a day, I'm loathe to make hotel reservations anywhere. Instead, when I've driven about 6 hours, I look for a place to stop. This way, if she starts complaining, I can stop early if I have to.
That's the reason why I am now in a Motel 6 that cost $78 a night, including tax, instead of at a nearby motel, Welsh's Motel, that also has free wifi (my need) that would have been $64, including tax.
We're in Wall, South Dakota, at the moment (home of the famous Wall Drug.) We're also in "hotel" row, or perhaps I should call it "Motel" row, and not only was this Welsh's motel cheapter, but so was another hotel, and that one is part of a chain. (It's cheaper than Motel 6, but not cheaper than Welsh's Motel.)
I know all this because after checking in to the Motel 6, I left my relative in the room (she is not mobile), and went for a walk around the area, and stopped in at a few hotels surrounding this one.
So think twice before staying at a Motel 6 or Super 8. Since they are a chain, they have to pay royalties to their bosses. Whereas a locally owned hotel or motel doesn't.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Restaurant: Whataburger, Sweetwater, Texas
A restaurant, even a fast-food one, is not just a restaurant. It is a study in history.
Is the restaurant in its original building and location, or did it buy out a failed restaurant? Is it a national or local chain, or just a single restaurant? How long has it been in existence? Is the architecture unique to the restaurant? [That's also part of the "original building and location" question. [For example, everyone knows what Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants look like, with the schoolhouse steeple and striped red paintjob. If you see a small building that has that same schoolhouse steeeple, you know it was a failed KFC.
If you are a collector, consider "collecting" restaurants (fast food, sit down, or both). You can either collect just their photographs, or actually eat in the place, and acquire a souvenir menu, knapkin, matchbook (not that there's any need for them to have matchbooks these days, more's the pity) and so on.
Wikipedia has a brief history of the Whataburger chain.
Whataburger is a privately held, regional fast food restaurant specializing in hamburgers. The company, established by Harmon Dobson, opened its first restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas on August 8, 1950. By 1960 the chain had grown to 17 locations in Texas, Tennessee and Florida. Today, Whataburger Restaurants, LP is still owned and operated by the Dobson family and has nearly 700 locations in the United States (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia). Operations in Mexico have currently been suspended. The corporate headquarters was in Corpus Christi, Texas until a move to San Antonio in 2009.
Whataburger is known for its distinctive A-framed, orange-and-white striped roofed buildings (newer buildings are built similar to other fast-food chains, though the roof is built in the orange-and-white triangular shape). The first A-frame restaurant, which is still standing, was built in Odessa, Texas. There are currently over a dozen of these type restaurants still in operation.
Aside from the classic Whataburger, other menu items include the Whataburger Jr. (a smaller version of the Whataburger), the Justaburger (a Whataburger Jr. with only mustard, pickles, and onions), the Whatacatch fish sandwich, the Whatachick'n Chicken Sandwich,and taquitos. Whataburger also has a breakfast menu and serves breakfast sandwiches along with other items. Whataburger's breakfast menu is unique because it is served from 11:00 p.m. through 11:00 a.m. each day, a wider window than most other fast-food restaurants, and all regular menu items are still available during breakfast service.
History
Early years
On August 8, 1950, company founder Harmon Dobson opened his first Whataburger restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas. The small, wooden kiosk sold the enormous 5-inch burgers for 25 cents each, and before the first week was out, lines stretched down the street.
In 1952, Joe Andrews, Sr. brought his family to the newly opened Whataburger in Kingsville, Texas. After one bite, he knew Whataburger was something he wanted to be a part of. Joe was awarded the first franchise location shortly thereafter (the fifth Whataburger restaurant) which opened in Alice, Texas in 1953. The company began expansion outside of Texas in 1959, when Whataburger #21 opened in Pensacola, Florida.
1960s and 70s
By 1960, there were over 17 Whataburger locations in Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. The familiar orange- and white-striped Whataburger A-frame started as a back-of-the-napkin sketch for Harmon Dobson. That sketch led to the opening of the very first A-frame Whataburger at the twenty-fourth Whataburger location in Odessa, Texas in 1961. In 1962, the menu grew with the addition of hot fried pies and French fries.
Whataburger had twenty-four restaurants by 1963, including the first restaurant in Arizona. By 1965, it was estimated that Whataburger sold 15,000 burgers a day in the Texas Coastal Bend area alone. Inside dining rooms were added to the A-frames in 1966 and in 1967, the official company logo, the familiar "Flying W," was commissioned.
In 1967, an airplane crash took the life of company founder Harmon Dobson. Dobson's wife, Grace, took control of the business. By the end of the decade, there would be 60 Whataburgers completely finished and six more under construction. Whataburger doubled its number of restaurants from 1971 to 1979. The first drive-through was installed in 1971, and in 1972 the company opened its 100th restaurant. Soon after, Whataburger was ranked in the top 25 out of 900+ fast-food restaurants. In 1977, the company had 205 restaurants in 12 states with 34 franchisees.
1980s and 90s
In 1980, the 187th Whataburger store, located in Fort Worth, Texas, set a single-day sales record of $4,816.19. By the end of 1980, the company would open its 300th location. In 1982, three Corpus Christi locations began 24/7 operation. New menu additions soon followed, including the Breakfast on a Bun,the Whatachick'n, and breakfast Taquitos. As Whataburger turned 35 in 1985, it noted that in its Texas Coastal Bend stores alone, it served 10,434,840 customers per year. The company reached the 400-store mark in 1987 and reached 440 by 1989.
Although the chain had extended itself into California in the late 1970s, it pulled out of that market completely by 1987.
As the number of stores jumped to 475 in the early 1990s, significant menu items including Whatameals, cookies, biscuits, chicken strips were added. By mid-decade, the company delivered its first $1 million net Saturday and handed over the reins of President/CEO to Tom Dobson, Harmon's son. Tom oversaw expansion to over 500 units and beyond, making Whataburger the country's eighth largest hamburger chain.
On May 6, 1999, the company's flagship "Whataburger by the Bay" opened on Shoreline Drive in Corpus Christi, Texas. A tribute to founder Harmon Dobson, this flagship store boasts 6,000 square feet (560 m2), water views, and a life-size bronze statue of Mr. Dobson near the entrance at the bay side.
Modern day
On August 8, 2000, Whataburger celebrated its 50th anniversary with 575 units in operation. In 2003, the company hired Austin-based advertising firm McGarrah Jessee which created the gravely-voiced advertising campaign that is still in use. Today, there are nearly 700 locations in 10 states with sales of $1 billion annually. Whataburger relocated its home office to San Antonio in 2009.
Closings
On Tuesday, May 19, 2009, Whataburger announced they would close 14 locations in Central Florida, including the Tampa Bay Area, Orlando, Ocala and Gainesville. About 400 people were to lose their jobs, 130 from five restaurants in the Tampa Bay Area. These restaurants closed at 3 pm on May 31, 2009. Whataburger's presence in Central Florida existed since around 1999, with Whataburger acquiring the locations from a failed franchisee in 2005. After the closings, Whataburger had 694 locations remaining, with 37 Florida locations in the Panhandle and the northern part of the state.
Special products
Whataburger has consistently added promotional and "limited time only" food products to its menu. Most of the limited-time-only products will be served for a set period of time, such as the Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich, the A1 Thick and Hearty Burger, Patty Melt, and the Peppercorn Ranch Whatachick'n.
These products usually return on the menu again for a limited time after a few months. The newest product to be offered is a strawberry pie (as an alternative to the traditional apple pie) and the new Grilled Chicken Melt sandwich. Some of their promotion products have sold so well that they have been added to the menu permanently, namely the "Three Piece Chicken Strips" Whatameal and the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit. Occasionally, Whataburger's famous breakfast taquitos are sold for 99 cents each for limited periods of time, usually from the day after Christmas through January.
Also, the Breakfast on a Bun (also referred to as a BOB) is periodically listed on the menu for 99 cents. In July 2009, Whataburger introduced a new limited-time product called the Chop House Cheddar Burger. In late 2009 when the A-1 Thick and Hearty Burger was the limited-time special, Whataburger announced that it was the last time, and that on December 21, 2009, it would go away forever. It is unknown whether it will ever make a comeback.
Headquarters
"Whataburger – A Texas Treasure" (sign on a Whataburger restaurant in Texas, 2003)Whataburger was originally headquartered in Corpus Christi, Texas. The company had considered moving its headquarters inland before Hurricane Ike hit the Texas coast in 2008. Whataburger had its crisis management system and team set up in San Antonio, Texas, so the company decided to move its headquarters there. The headquarters moved in 2009.
Similar names & logos
Whataburger is not to be confused with "What-A-Burger" (note hyphens), several small groups of family-operated restaurants in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina operating under very similar names, but completely unrelated.
First use of a very similar name
The first Virginia store opened in 1950 by entrepreneur Jack Branch near Newport News, Virginia at Newport News Circle (intersection of Jefferson Avenue and U. S. Route 258) in the former Warwick County (now a portion of the City of Newport News). Branch's' first location predated the first Texas Whataburger restaurant slightly; a move to a location within sight took place after a modernization project involving the traffic circle. That store was continuing business as of May 2010.
Apparently, the Newport News Circle store and other small What-A-Burger operations in the Richmond-Petersburg areas and in North and South Carolina and the Texas Whataburger chain were all unaware of each other's existence several states apart until around 1970, when there was some correspondence. However, no legal actions took place at that time.
Trademark infringement claim: federal lawsuit
It was over 50 years before the matter came before a U.S. Federal court, when a federal lawsuit was filed over alleged trademark infringement. By then, the original founders (Paul W. Branch and Harmon Dobson) were no longer available to shed light on any agreements or understandings they may have had.
Decided in 2004 by an Appeals Court, it was essentially decided that the Texas Whataburger has a legitimate trademark; however, the then-current Virginia operations did not harm the much larger Texas-based chain in any way, nor do they cause any reasonable public confusion.
In part the court said "There is no evidence — nor can we imagine any — that consumers are currently likely to be confused about whether the burgers served by Virginia W-A-B come from Texas or Virginia."
The Concord, North Carolina based What-A-Burger Drive Ins, Inc., was not a party to the lawsuit, but under case law procedures, the use of the name there apparently would fall under the same criteria applied to this case.
The Wichita Wings, a defunct professional indoor soccer franchise based in Wichita, Kansas, had a logo similar to the Whataburger logo.
There is also a small chain of restaurants called Watsonburger, with about 15–20 units located in northern Texas and southern Oklahoma. These restaurants have a menu and overall "look and feel" very similar to that of Whataburger. (See McDowell's.)
In popular culture
--Former WWE Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin, when he did his "WHAT?" routine on WWE RAW or Smackdown!, would often say, "I went to Whataburger for lunch today!" And the crowd responded "WHAT??" Austin would continue, saying he ordered a "Whataburger," "Whatachicken," and continue on with various other fast food items he had ordered.
--The chain also appears frequently in the American animated series King of the Hill.
--In the novel Infinite Jest, Whataburger sponsors a tennis tournament known as the "WhataBurger Southwest Junior Invitational" in Phoeniz, AZ.
--The movie Goodburger is loosely based on the Whataburger franchise.
--There is a scene in the movie 8 Seconds where Lane Frost goes on a date to Whataburger and asks Kelly "How's your Whatachicken?"
Is the restaurant in its original building and location, or did it buy out a failed restaurant? Is it a national or local chain, or just a single restaurant? How long has it been in existence? Is the architecture unique to the restaurant? [That's also part of the "original building and location" question. [For example, everyone knows what Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants look like, with the schoolhouse steeple and striped red paintjob. If you see a small building that has that same schoolhouse steeeple, you know it was a failed KFC.
If you are a collector, consider "collecting" restaurants (fast food, sit down, or both). You can either collect just their photographs, or actually eat in the place, and acquire a souvenir menu, knapkin, matchbook (not that there's any need for them to have matchbooks these days, more's the pity) and so on.
Wikipedia has a brief history of the Whataburger chain.
Whataburger is a privately held, regional fast food restaurant specializing in hamburgers. The company, established by Harmon Dobson, opened its first restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas on August 8, 1950. By 1960 the chain had grown to 17 locations in Texas, Tennessee and Florida. Today, Whataburger Restaurants, LP is still owned and operated by the Dobson family and has nearly 700 locations in the United States (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia). Operations in Mexico have currently been suspended. The corporate headquarters was in Corpus Christi, Texas until a move to San Antonio in 2009.
Whataburger is known for its distinctive A-framed, orange-and-white striped roofed buildings (newer buildings are built similar to other fast-food chains, though the roof is built in the orange-and-white triangular shape). The first A-frame restaurant, which is still standing, was built in Odessa, Texas. There are currently over a dozen of these type restaurants still in operation.
Aside from the classic Whataburger, other menu items include the Whataburger Jr. (a smaller version of the Whataburger), the Justaburger (a Whataburger Jr. with only mustard, pickles, and onions), the Whatacatch fish sandwich, the Whatachick'n Chicken Sandwich,and taquitos. Whataburger also has a breakfast menu and serves breakfast sandwiches along with other items. Whataburger's breakfast menu is unique because it is served from 11:00 p.m. through 11:00 a.m. each day, a wider window than most other fast-food restaurants, and all regular menu items are still available during breakfast service.
History
Early years
On August 8, 1950, company founder Harmon Dobson opened his first Whataburger restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas. The small, wooden kiosk sold the enormous 5-inch burgers for 25 cents each, and before the first week was out, lines stretched down the street.
In 1952, Joe Andrews, Sr. brought his family to the newly opened Whataburger in Kingsville, Texas. After one bite, he knew Whataburger was something he wanted to be a part of. Joe was awarded the first franchise location shortly thereafter (the fifth Whataburger restaurant) which opened in Alice, Texas in 1953. The company began expansion outside of Texas in 1959, when Whataburger #21 opened in Pensacola, Florida.
1960s and 70s
By 1960, there were over 17 Whataburger locations in Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. The familiar orange- and white-striped Whataburger A-frame started as a back-of-the-napkin sketch for Harmon Dobson. That sketch led to the opening of the very first A-frame Whataburger at the twenty-fourth Whataburger location in Odessa, Texas in 1961. In 1962, the menu grew with the addition of hot fried pies and French fries.
Whataburger had twenty-four restaurants by 1963, including the first restaurant in Arizona. By 1965, it was estimated that Whataburger sold 15,000 burgers a day in the Texas Coastal Bend area alone. Inside dining rooms were added to the A-frames in 1966 and in 1967, the official company logo, the familiar "Flying W," was commissioned.
In 1967, an airplane crash took the life of company founder Harmon Dobson. Dobson's wife, Grace, took control of the business. By the end of the decade, there would be 60 Whataburgers completely finished and six more under construction. Whataburger doubled its number of restaurants from 1971 to 1979. The first drive-through was installed in 1971, and in 1972 the company opened its 100th restaurant. Soon after, Whataburger was ranked in the top 25 out of 900+ fast-food restaurants. In 1977, the company had 205 restaurants in 12 states with 34 franchisees.
1980s and 90s
In 1980, the 187th Whataburger store, located in Fort Worth, Texas, set a single-day sales record of $4,816.19. By the end of 1980, the company would open its 300th location. In 1982, three Corpus Christi locations began 24/7 operation. New menu additions soon followed, including the Breakfast on a Bun,the Whatachick'n, and breakfast Taquitos. As Whataburger turned 35 in 1985, it noted that in its Texas Coastal Bend stores alone, it served 10,434,840 customers per year. The company reached the 400-store mark in 1987 and reached 440 by 1989.
Although the chain had extended itself into California in the late 1970s, it pulled out of that market completely by 1987.
As the number of stores jumped to 475 in the early 1990s, significant menu items including Whatameals, cookies, biscuits, chicken strips were added. By mid-decade, the company delivered its first $1 million net Saturday and handed over the reins of President/CEO to Tom Dobson, Harmon's son. Tom oversaw expansion to over 500 units and beyond, making Whataburger the country's eighth largest hamburger chain.
On May 6, 1999, the company's flagship "Whataburger by the Bay" opened on Shoreline Drive in Corpus Christi, Texas. A tribute to founder Harmon Dobson, this flagship store boasts 6,000 square feet (560 m2), water views, and a life-size bronze statue of Mr. Dobson near the entrance at the bay side.
Modern day
On August 8, 2000, Whataburger celebrated its 50th anniversary with 575 units in operation. In 2003, the company hired Austin-based advertising firm McGarrah Jessee which created the gravely-voiced advertising campaign that is still in use. Today, there are nearly 700 locations in 10 states with sales of $1 billion annually. Whataburger relocated its home office to San Antonio in 2009.
Closings
On Tuesday, May 19, 2009, Whataburger announced they would close 14 locations in Central Florida, including the Tampa Bay Area, Orlando, Ocala and Gainesville. About 400 people were to lose their jobs, 130 from five restaurants in the Tampa Bay Area. These restaurants closed at 3 pm on May 31, 2009. Whataburger's presence in Central Florida existed since around 1999, with Whataburger acquiring the locations from a failed franchisee in 2005. After the closings, Whataburger had 694 locations remaining, with 37 Florida locations in the Panhandle and the northern part of the state.
Special products
Whataburger has consistently added promotional and "limited time only" food products to its menu. Most of the limited-time-only products will be served for a set period of time, such as the Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich, the A1 Thick and Hearty Burger, Patty Melt, and the Peppercorn Ranch Whatachick'n.
These products usually return on the menu again for a limited time after a few months. The newest product to be offered is a strawberry pie (as an alternative to the traditional apple pie) and the new Grilled Chicken Melt sandwich. Some of their promotion products have sold so well that they have been added to the menu permanently, namely the "Three Piece Chicken Strips" Whatameal and the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit. Occasionally, Whataburger's famous breakfast taquitos are sold for 99 cents each for limited periods of time, usually from the day after Christmas through January.
Also, the Breakfast on a Bun (also referred to as a BOB) is periodically listed on the menu for 99 cents. In July 2009, Whataburger introduced a new limited-time product called the Chop House Cheddar Burger. In late 2009 when the A-1 Thick and Hearty Burger was the limited-time special, Whataburger announced that it was the last time, and that on December 21, 2009, it would go away forever. It is unknown whether it will ever make a comeback.
Headquarters
"Whataburger – A Texas Treasure" (sign on a Whataburger restaurant in Texas, 2003)Whataburger was originally headquartered in Corpus Christi, Texas. The company had considered moving its headquarters inland before Hurricane Ike hit the Texas coast in 2008. Whataburger had its crisis management system and team set up in San Antonio, Texas, so the company decided to move its headquarters there. The headquarters moved in 2009.
Similar names & logos
Whataburger is not to be confused with "What-A-Burger" (note hyphens), several small groups of family-operated restaurants in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina operating under very similar names, but completely unrelated.
First use of a very similar name
The first Virginia store opened in 1950 by entrepreneur Jack Branch near Newport News, Virginia at Newport News Circle (intersection of Jefferson Avenue and U. S. Route 258) in the former Warwick County (now a portion of the City of Newport News). Branch's' first location predated the first Texas Whataburger restaurant slightly; a move to a location within sight took place after a modernization project involving the traffic circle. That store was continuing business as of May 2010.
Apparently, the Newport News Circle store and other small What-A-Burger operations in the Richmond-Petersburg areas and in North and South Carolina and the Texas Whataburger chain were all unaware of each other's existence several states apart until around 1970, when there was some correspondence. However, no legal actions took place at that time.
Trademark infringement claim: federal lawsuit
It was over 50 years before the matter came before a U.S. Federal court, when a federal lawsuit was filed over alleged trademark infringement. By then, the original founders (Paul W. Branch and Harmon Dobson) were no longer available to shed light on any agreements or understandings they may have had.
Decided in 2004 by an Appeals Court, it was essentially decided that the Texas Whataburger has a legitimate trademark; however, the then-current Virginia operations did not harm the much larger Texas-based chain in any way, nor do they cause any reasonable public confusion.
In part the court said "There is no evidence — nor can we imagine any — that consumers are currently likely to be confused about whether the burgers served by Virginia W-A-B come from Texas or Virginia."
The Concord, North Carolina based What-A-Burger Drive Ins, Inc., was not a party to the lawsuit, but under case law procedures, the use of the name there apparently would fall under the same criteria applied to this case.
The Wichita Wings, a defunct professional indoor soccer franchise based in Wichita, Kansas, had a logo similar to the Whataburger logo.
There is also a small chain of restaurants called Watsonburger, with about 15–20 units located in northern Texas and southern Oklahoma. These restaurants have a menu and overall "look and feel" very similar to that of Whataburger. (See McDowell's.)
In popular culture
--Former WWE Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin, when he did his "WHAT?" routine on WWE RAW or Smackdown!, would often say, "I went to Whataburger for lunch today!" And the crowd responded "WHAT??" Austin would continue, saying he ordered a "Whataburger," "Whatachicken," and continue on with various other fast food items he had ordered.
--The chain also appears frequently in the American animated series King of the Hill.
--In the novel Infinite Jest, Whataburger sponsors a tennis tournament known as the "WhataBurger Southwest Junior Invitational" in Phoeniz, AZ.
--The movie Goodburger is loosely based on the Whataburger franchise.
--There is a scene in the movie 8 Seconds where Lane Frost goes on a date to Whataburger and asks Kelly "How's your Whatachicken?"
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Verify Your Route on a Map Before You Leave
When I travel, I print out driving directions from Mapquest. I put in where I'm starting from, and where I'm going to, and then I follow those directions. I've only been let down a couple of times. Once, a road had disappeared that they had said to follow, on another occasion it was a left exit onto a highway instead of a right exit, and since I was on a road that was heavy with traffic, I had to speed up and put on my turn signal and do some pretty aggressive driving to get over in time, which had my little heart all aflutter.
But 99% of the time Mapquest has served me well.
A few days ago, I was planning a trip to Sweetwater, Texas. I have relatives in Burleson, Texas, so my plan was to go to Burleson first, leaving on a Thursday, spending that night in a hotel, arriving at my relatives on Friday and spending a night there, then going to Sweetwater early the next morning.
So I printed out directions from Cheyenne (where I live) to Burleson (where I was going.) The route took me down a certain highway, through Fort Worth on 35W S, and below that to Burleson.
Then a storm front moved in on Thursday, and I decided to postpone my trip a day. So I changed my plans. I would drive toward Sweetwater on Friday, spending one night in a hotel, and get up early enough the next morning to reach Sweetwater by noon, when the event I wanted to attend was to take place.
So I printed out directions from Cheyenne to Sweetwater.
But I didn't print out directions from Sweetwater to Burleson. [I had driven from Burleson to Sweetwater, and back, once before, and knew that Highway 20 would take me there.]
So on Saturday I arrived at Sweetwater, on 20E. And when the event was over and it was time to drive to Burleson, I got back on 20E instead of heading on 20W, which is what I should have done.
Now, truth to tell, I really should have known I was heading in the wrong direction. And of course if I'd printed out directions from Sweetwater to Burleson, I wouldn't have had the problem, either.
More than that...I did have a map in the car. I just didn't look at it.
For some reason I had it stuck in my head that since I'd come to Sweetwater via 20E, I had to continue on 20E to get to Burleson.
To cut a long story short, I drove for two hours the wrong way. I knew I was supposed to be going past Abiliene and heading in the direction of Fort Worth, but I was so busy daydreaming on certain subjects and listening to an audio book that the fact that I hadn't seen any signs for Abilene or Fort Worth did't register.
Fortunately, just outside Odessa, Texas there was a meteor crater museum. I decided to stop there before cottinuing on to my relatives. After an hour of looking around, I got back in my car, and just out of curiosity, looked at the map. And to my horror and embarrasment, discovered what I'd done.
I headed back in the proper direction at 80 mph for the entire stretch - which wasted a lot of gas, but I'd wasted so much time and my relatives go to bed early and I didn't want them to have to stay up too late....
All this could have been avoided if I'd:
1. just printed out the directions from Sweetwater to Burleson. But, because I had the directions from Cheyenne to Burleson, which had me going to Fort Worth, I figured I'd just take 20 E (which of course should have been west!) into Fort Worth, find 35W S, and then follow the directions from there. And of course if I'd printed out the appropriate directions, I could have avoided going into Fort Worth, with heavy traffic at pitch black 9 pm at night, altogether.
2. looked at the map and verified my route, and realized that I wanted 20E instead of W. I still dont' know how I came to make that mistake, but I had a lot of stuff on my mind and for some reason it had just become an idee fixe there that I needed to take 20E, so I didn't even look at the map. So of course I learned my lesson the hard way.
Of course there's always a silver lining. If I hadn't driven two hours out of my way, I'd have never have known there was a meteor crater in Odessa, Texas. Now, of course, I have a reason to return there.
Manifesto
With travel costs higher than ever, it is imperative that you arrange your travel - boht for pleasure and for business - as efficiently as possible.
This blog will help you accomplish that feat!
This blog will help you accomplish that feat!
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