Road trips aren’t for everyone. I get that. Personally I love them and one of the reasons is planning where to spend the night when you’ve just had enough driving for one day. That place is neither home nor your desired destination. It’s the in-between. The there, but not “there” yet.
During our Flagstaff road trip we spent a day in Phoenix, which meant that getting home that night would likely stretch us beyond our safest limits, so we planned a layover before completing the rest of the drive home the following day. It was while arriving at our hotel in Yuma, Arizona, that we noticed a 24-hour diner within walking distance. Oh, yeah. Our agenda for the next morning just became clear: experience “Penny’s Diner.”
From the exterior it appeared to be the quintessential “greasy spoon.” Sadly, such places are often overlooked and under appreciated, but I find the charm of an inexpensive diner undeniable. Hold the pretense and just hit me with some comfort food and a side of friendly service!
The first things you’ll notice when you enter Penny’s are the carefully curated 50’s music playing, the associated time period memorabilia, and the sizzling of the grill. Ah, ambiance!
Inspired by this experience I’ve decided that if I ever run for city council my campaign platform will include a resolution that all “greasy spoons” located within city limits be required to serve hash browns with every meal. Order of eggs? Your side of hash browns are part of the package. How about oatmeal, a bran muffin, or bowl of cereal? Yep, they all come with a crispy friend.
I may need a little help squeezing my campaign slogan onto the yard signs though.
“Hash browns with every meal. That’s not just common sense…it’s the law!” 😉
And that’s…Henry’s Take.
Penny’s Diner
1731 S. Sunridge Drive
Yuma, Arizona
(928) 539-9000
www.pennysdiner.com
