Favorite places when you were a kid... post up!

[high plains drifter]

Couple of things sparked this idea... the Lowe's thread, the fact that there are some older folks on here, and the feeling that this is a good time to wax nostalgic here on RCC. I'd like y'all to share some stories from your youth... the stores, restaurants, etc that you loved going to... places that no longer exist. Pictures would be great too but no matter.

Here's some of my favorites:

> As a young boy there was something pretty liberating and satisfying about my friend and I riding our bikes up to the local Texaco station and getting a couple shots of free air and a Fanta Orange soda... watching all the cool cars and strange people, before heading back down the road towards home ( couple miles). The train-tracks ran right next to the Texaco station too and that was always exciting to hear one coming.



> In my home town there was a hardware store with an open-air freight elevator to take you to each floor. Regular enclosed elevators were exciting enough so you can imagine how awesome this old time lift was... rattling and creaking as it took you up up and away. One cool thing was that the upper floors were wooden plank and I could always see boots and feel dirt falling thru the cracks as I was looking up. This place was an absolute blast. My dad and I would go there occasionally on Saturday mornings. I'll never forget that place.





> We also had a new TSC that was built in the early 70's. I loved hardware stores anyway but this one was even better because it had toys! Obviously it was mostly ERTL stuff but they had Matchbox's too. I'd save every penny I could in order to get a Matchbox every few weeks. I'd guess they were maybe $.50 at that time. I also remember their "good old days" or something to that effect... Big barrels of peanuts that you could just shell and eat as you shopped. I'll always remember the smell of roasted peanuts, fertilizer, and cigarette smoke when I think of TSC now lol. No pics.

> Another fantastic place that my dad and I would go was to the Delaware Farmer's Exchange. Funny as a poor kid from the sticks, how much fun the most simple and otherwise mundane activities were. I loved being in the truck as my dad drove up onto the scales to be weighed. All the pungent smells and loud sounds and big trucks made this a great place to spend a weekend morning.



> Buns Restaurant & Bakery- Walking into this place was a real treat as a little kid. My sister and I absolutely loved this place although mom didn't allow us to go in very often. Growing up on a farm, we didn't have many "sweet snacks" in the house aside from fresh fruit. But sometimes for good report cards or around the holidays, mom would bring home a couple fresh cookies or cupcakes. If I'm not mistaken, I believe that Buns is still operating although no doubt it's completely changed now.



> Bill Knapps- We had one just south of where we lived. My sister and I would go there with our grandparents... usually on Sunday afternoons. Best damn fried clams and fried chicken in the world ( or at least by the standards of a young farm kid lol). We were rarely allowed to get dessert but I do remember watching them making fresh pies and cakes in there and hoping that one day I'd be able to buy one lol. Good memories.



> Another place that I loved going to was Arthur Treachers Fish & Chips. I'd go there with my grandpa. I guess maybe he was the only one in my family that liked the place. But I loved it and always had a lotta fun with my grandad no matter what we did or where we'd go. I think Arthur Treacher's is where I picked up a fondness for fried fish, malt vinegar, and hush-puppies. I doubt that Long John Silvers ever came close to this place!



> The Kahiki was a place that our family would go for very special occasions and it was just about the coolest damned restaurant that a kid could go to back in the 70's. It was Polynesian themed... and would be considered as cheesy as anything these days. But back then.. it was just overwhelming.... valet parking, macaws, huge tropical plants, tiki torches, towering stone heads, neon lighting, and strange yet delicious food ( for a country boy lol)... I'll never forget this place. It was truly amazing.

[Mike Flea]

Wow, stir up the memories! I love Arthur Treachers for all the same reasons, love malt vinegar on fish more than tartar sauce.

There was the neighborhood hardware store a couple blocks from the house, and I worked as a stockboy there when I was 14.

There were a several of the Tiki type restaurants around, the Kona Kai at the Marriot hotel, the Tiki Bar on River Rd near Triton College, and The Polynesian House on the Fox Lake, in the Village of Fox Lake. The Polynesian House actually resembled the pic you posted, and you could get to it by motor vehicle or boat.

As a child, Mom would take me with her to pay the monthly mortgage, and afterwards, around the corner was Gladstone Bakery. They made the best Polish pastry and breads there, and like you said, a place to go for holidays and special occasions.

A couple building fronts before you got to the hardware store was a huge Slot Car track, everybody from the neighborhood would hang out there, I think you could race 10 or 12 cars at a time. they also sold RTR's, kits and the controllers, as well as Stromberg track for those that wanted to extend the fun at their houses.

[JatoTheRipper]

Awesome and fun topic! I'm getting happy and excited just thinking about all of the good times at the places I've listed.

The Kahiki looks like an awesome building!

My LHS's were one of my favorite places to go when I was a kid. We had two or three in the area. One remains after all these years which is impressive when you think about it.

Toys R Us - who doesn't know Toys R Us? Toy mecca land.




Kaybee Toys - the second best toy store, but maybe the best for video games. I could look at their wall of Nintendo and Sega games for hours.




ShowBiz Pizza - like Chuck E. Cheese, but better in every way. I had a birthday party here as a kid and it's still one of my all-time best childhood memories.




Sears - they had everything and, most importantly, they had the Wish Book! That was and still remains the best toy catalog ever as far as I am aware. Thankfully we didn't need to run to Target to get toys when we were kids.




Burger King - my favorite fast food restuarant as a kid and still the best fast food burgers IMO. Plus, you got the crown. They had kids meals and the toys inside paled in comparison to McDonald's and Wendy's, but they still had them.




Rax - like Arby's, but better. I must have had dozens of those alligator bottles from the kid's meals.




Bonanza - good food for a kid, but not so good as an adult. Every meal was finished with the ice cream bar, though!

Bonanza Steakhouse by zayre88, on Flickr

[2mtech]

Great thread, hpd! Only...I've been trying to think of places that would fit the topic and realized there weren't too many. We were pretty isolated and didn't really go anywhere. I never had pizza till I was 8 and hadn't even seen a McDonald's until 12. Toys were only at the local mercantile (yeah, that's what it was called...just the Mercantile) and the rare visit to Woolworth.

Agreed that Sears Christmas catalog was awe inspiring! Didn't see a hobby store or Toys-R-Us till I was in the military.

There was one little burger joint called the Hill Top Handout...had these awesome foot long hot dogs that I'd wait months for hoping something would break on the car so we had to go the dealership and get lunch during. I think it's funny now that the concept of a food pass-thru at a restaurant then was so unique they actually had the term "handout" in the name.

Man, what a boring childhood!

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by 2mtech

Great thread, hpd! Only...I've been trying to think of places that would fit the topic and realized there weren't too many. We were pretty isolated and didn't really go anywhere. I never had pizza till I was 8 and hadn't even seen a McDonald's until 12. Toys were only at the local mercantile (yeah, that's what it was called...just the Mercantile) and the rare visit to Woolworth.

Agreed that Sears Christmas catalog was awe inspiring! Didn't see a hobby store or Toys-R-Us till I was in the military.

There was one little burger joint called the Hill Top Handout...had these awesome foot long hot dogs that I'd wait months for hoping something would break on the car so we had to go the dealership and get lunch during. I think it's funny now that the concept of a food pass-thru at a restaurant then was so unique they actually had the term "handout" in the name.

Man, what a boring childhood!

I envy your isolation from suburbia as a child. I'm sure you had fun in other way. But no pizza until you were 8?!?! That's torture!

[2mtech]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

I envy your isolation from suburbia as a child. I'm sure you had fun in other way. But no pizza until you were 8?!?! That's torture!

Ha! I always envied suburban kids on TV shows who had friends next door or in the neighborhood to play with...I had to play with myself.

I actually hated pizza the first time I had it. My German immigrant mother didn't believe in cheese or spices so pizza was a sensory shock. We finally got a pizza place in town when I was in high school that turned into the local hangout, learned to love pizza then. I should've thought of that place for this thread, cuz it was the SPOT.

[$uicide $hift]

Originally Posted by 2mtech

I had to play with myself.

Some things never change huh?

[B-MOW71]

Wow Drifter, you brought back memories that I completely forgot about! I now remember going to The Kahiki! I think it might have been the early to mid 70's when I was 4 or 5. I can remember my grandparents taking my family and I. I don't remember to much, but I do remember the big stone heads and some of the cool decorations inside. It's too bad that it is no longer there. I would love to go revisit it to see what other memories that may come back to me.

Aurthur Treachers was another that I loved to go to when I was growing up. There was one just down the road from my childhood home. They did have the best fish and hushpuppies! I was sad when they closed it in (I think) the early 90's. Now an O'Reilys auto parts store sits where it once stood!

Agree with Jato on the Sears Wishbook! Another wonderful childhood memory!

One of my favorite restaurants growing up was Burger Chef. I'm not sure if it was just a local burger place or if it was nationwide, but we had, I believe 3 of them in my town. They were great and had some pretty cool toys too!

Rax was also a great place to go. I always got the BBC sandwich. It's to bad these had to close down. I'm Ok with Arby's, but Rax was king back in the day!

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by 2mtech

Ha! I always envied suburban kids on TV shows who had friends next door or in the neighborhood to play with...I had to play with myself.

I actually hated pizza the first time I had it. My German immigrant mother didn't believe in cheese or spices so pizza was a sensory shock. We finally got a pizza place in town when I was in high school that turned into the local hangout, learned to love pizza then. I should've thought of that place for this thread, cuz it was the SPOT.

No cheese?! OMG. I can't imagine it. LOL At least you changed your ways and loved the best food on Earth - pizza.

Originally Posted by $uicide $hift

Some things never change huh?

those photos aren't rated for this site!

Originally Posted by B-MOW71

One of my favorite restaurants growing up was Burger Chef. I'm not sure if it was just a local burger place or if it was nationwide, but we had, I believe 3 of them in my town. They were great and had some pretty cool toys too!

Rax was also a great place to go. I always got the BBC sandwich. It's to bad these had to close down. I'm Ok with Arby's, but Rax was king back in the day!

We had a Burger Chef for a short time when I was a child. I have one memory of it it was being in the parking lot for some reason. I remember everybody loving the food, but no idea what it tasted like.

Apparently some Rax restaurants are still open in your area. Or did the few remaining stores close?

LOCATIONS | Rax Roast Beef* | I'd Rather Rax. Wouldn't You?

[Panther6834]

Oops...wrong thread...deleted...sorry.

~ More peace, love, laughter & kindness would make the world a MUCH better place

[Levi]

Great topic for sure. For me as a kid I lived in a small town. One of thoses towns most dont know about unless you lived in the general area. Long family story but I lived with my mom and we lived at grandpa and grandmas place. So we never made much for trips or anything.

I do remember my grandpa taking us to his favorite camping spot with the old ford truck and trailer. Camping, fishing and hanging out around the fire at night. Loved it. It's still one of my favorite places to go camping.

Another memory riding with my mom to the local gas station and getting a pepsi, hot dog and sometimes some treat to go with it.

My friends and me riding our bikes to the hills in town and riding the trails that were meant for four wheelers. We would spend countless hours riding. When my friends brother was as work we would steal his trek bike and take it to hills and take turns riding it. It was the best bike any of us kids had ever seen at the time. This is also where my love of riding mtn bikes came from and to this day still ride. Feeling lucky to live a few minutes away from a bike park.

As I kid pizza hut use to have a reading program with the schools. Dont remember the details, but you read a book or so many hours reading and you would get a personal sized pizza. After getting my ticket for a personal sized pizza couldnt wait to go 30 minutes into the next town to get it.

[high plains drifter]

Speaking of reading programs, Levi... I'll always begrudgingly remember the SRA reading box. I believe that we had that shoved down our throats for several years... maybe 3rd or 4th grade thru 6th-7th grade. It was horrible b/c I never had any interest in the stories and subsequently never did well on the tests. Not sure if anyone else had to do these?



Also... bikes were everything to us. My first 2-wheeled bike had SOLID rubber tires ( no joke). It was horrible and to make matters worse, the tires were squared off/ no rounded shoulder. It was hell but I loved simply having a "real" bike. I later acquired a Schwinn Stingray that came from a garage sale... had some issues with the shifter and was pretty beat but I loved it! Then at some point came my most favorite bike ( as a kid)... a Schwinn Scrambler. Man, I babied that bike...polished each and every spoke throughout the summers... lubed the chain, and absolutely rode the wheels off of that thing. I saved and saved to be able to finally be able to replace the rims with Tuff I mags. Probably the most favorite bike I've ever owned.



Like 2mtech... I also envied the suburb-kids and their ultra-cool lifestyles... manicured yards, backyard in-ground pools, friends next door/ across the street, MTV, etc. My closest friends were at least one river and three fields away lol. Thankfully, we loved riding bikes and were able to get together that way but it was absolutely different than what the "rich" suburban kids had at their disposal.

And here's an "after dark" confession... The first woman's private parts that I ever saw, came from a discarded and heavily water damaged ( hopefully mostly water) porno-mag that I found beside the side of the road one day while riding my bike. I stashed it in a culvert and would occasionally go back to gaze in wonder, excitement, and confusion at all the fascinating pictures... carefully trying to peel the pages apart with a minimum amount of tearing. Not my proudest moment as a young boy but growing up in the sticks... finding anything on the road-side or along the river-bank was quite a treasure lol. Thankfully for everyone... no pictures!

Speaking of "after dark" type stuff... this one is kinda funny. On High Street ( actually Rt 23N at that location) was a place called the North High Drive In. I remember going there when I was really young ( maybe 4-5) and watching "The Life & Times of Grizzly Adams" ( 1974). It was SO cold... winter in Ohio, at night, and snowing! And on top of all that, we had to have the window rolled down for the speaker box. But I remember being wrapped up in a heavy woolen horse blanket completely mesmerized by all the action, animals, etc. Moon Pies too... what a treat!

Fast forward a few years and the place turned into a drive in xxx theater lol. I remember this because whenever we drove by ( still kids), my sister and I were told to "look at all the pretty new cars" across the street at the car dealership lmao. You couldn't see the screen from the road but my parents didn't want us to read the risque titles on the marque out front!



Brian, That's really cool that you also vaguely remember the Kahiki. I'll also never forget Northland Mall... the Sears entrance more specifically.



Jato's pics of the KayBee brought back memories too although if I recall, Christmas was about the only time that I'd actually be able to buy anything there ( Christmas money). Never went to a Toy's-R-Us till I was a teenager and even then... maybe just once or twice. It was just too far away and I couldn't afford anything too nice or new. Most my toys came from yard-sales, Goodwill, Western Auto, or TSC. Even the cheap little plastic toys that we got from the treasure chest at the shoe store were a big deal to us.

And I definitely remember Rax in Worthington. Went there just shortly after they opened. I remember those soft warm cornmeal buns and the milkshakes... delicious. Also Rax was where I had my very first curly-type fries. I remember thinking that they were amazing lol!



And here's one that some may remember as well... Chi-Chi's Mexican Restaurants... this was before Taco Bell came in and took over. I probably only went there a couple times... maybe cause it was pretty far from home or maybe too expensive i dunno.



Really surprised to hear Jato mention Burger Chef. We had one where I lived too and IIRC I loved it. I still to this day remember the logo and the kids-meal boxes. At that time ( as I was still pretty young) I had not yet even stepped foot into a McDonald's. My first McD's experience was after selling candy bars for little-league baseball and winning a coupon for a free Big Mac. That was probably in 5th or 6th grade. Never had been there before that but I really loved that Big Mac!



Brian... If that Arthur Treacher's was on High St. south of Worthington/ north of OSU then that's the one that I remember. Also... remember Jerry's?