I second that suggestion!! NM
Anteater lives!
At least he was alive in the fall. Yep Ely is Gwens grandson, she still hangs out at P.K.'s early in the day getting stuff done. She had their 50 year anniversery a couple years back. Ely told me she was the first pizza place in southern Illinois, bringing Chicago style down to thye masses. No more pizza… or bikers, just mostly locals and hippie kids. ‘Tawl Paul’ still draws my butt in, and he still looks pretty much the same, albiet a few years older! All the bars are smoke free as of Jan. 1, so I’ve been back a couple times lately. Realizing the smoke covered up the smell of the pissers in most bars! I believe Spud Nuts and Moo and Cackle were both still here a short while when I arrived for college back in '72.
Chockstone & the Island
I am getting all weepy for the nostalgia.
I had forgotten all about Chockstone. I had all kinds of excess cash in 73-74 from a “gardening project” :-o and I spent a ton there. John Denver said to get Rock Mtn High, so I had to gear up. My first vibram soled boots came from there.
I can’t remember the name, but I think there was a head shop on the island? I used to have the owner order me cases (1200) N2O whipits. Whipits? Seemed fitting with the Saluki thing and all. I was just trying to show spirit :-o
Man, I grieve for my youth, and I was lucky to have survived it.
Carbondale . . .
an easy place to fall into and never get out. (Kind of like the tar pitts.)
As is attested to by jboyd and Stickman continuing presence.
Nice talking to you.
Dave
Uhmmnnn… Dave
You make it sound like that’s a bad thing
Be sure to visit the Root Beer Saloon
in Alto Pass while you’re in the neighborhood.
http://rootbeersaloon.com/
A variety of good root beers and creme sodas on tap and a very eclectic menu and great chocolates made in southern IL.
The owners are very interesting people and fun to talk to also.
Alto Vineyards is nearby also.
Only a bad thing
if your one of those who never out grew the “hippy freek” stage of student life. You guys,however, have seem to combined the best of both worlds.
Mary Lou’s “Pretty Leg” Special will continue to be my homing beacon when in the area.
Dave
There is something about
Alto Pass and the “Williamson County Wars” (Bloody Williamson) but it has been so long I have forgotten exactly what the connection was.
The Tap 
The Tap left us several years ago. Torn down.
We were drinking pitchers in the Tap while we were still in high school.
Lowenbrau pitchers were $1.75
Remember the bathrooms that were down in the basement. They had the “pointers” and “setters” on the doors. Hard to figure out when wasted. Dark as heck and when it rained, they backed up. But youth was a great mask for all of those things that today would be unacceptable. Heck, back then they were part of the charm.