Brad and I developed a plan to make our way to Utah by camping at least two nights in one spot. This provided a recovery night from driving. Then the next morning was a motorcycle ride to explore the surrounding area. The second morning was labeled a “move morning” where we packed up the motorcycles and RV and plotted our next stop as we traveled westward. This “move morning” and “ride morning” formula worked really well for us.
Just before we arrived at Carlyle Reservoir, Brad spotted the Swamp Town sign advertising Gator Bites and Crawfish. We were in Illinois. I didn’t know where the gator bites were going to be sourced from. The next morning was a “ride morning.” We went for our motorcycle ride around the large Carlyle Reservoir and stopped at Swamp Town for lunch.
Swamp Town Cajun Kitchen & Cocktails was featured on the show Bar Rescue. The sign and some interior enhancements like an indoor pond with a footbridge and fog machines were a result of the show. The pond had replica alligators and coy fish. It was pretty neat. The staff indicated they wished that the show remodeled the kitchen or bar service area instead of installing the fog machines and making new signs. It was neat to hear about the Bar Rescue Show because a couple of years before Brad and I met, former owners of a bar in Austin, Texas, that was rebranded by the show.
Brad enjoyed the gator bites at the bar. There was a silver-haired woman who had downed her second Michelob Ultra during the time it took us to place our order. Brad was telling the bartender about our ride around the reservoir. We had passed a number of small utility sheds. The type that a homeowner would use to store a lawn mower and other tools inside. These sheds along the route had signs labeling them as a “Hot Spot”. We were not familiar with what these “Hot Spots” were. Brad asked about the Hot Spot sheds. The silver-haired lady piped up, expressing serious displeasure with the sheds and other establishments with hot spots. She stated that they are gambling places that are addicting. They take advantage of people with no money to lose. They are positions in small neighborhoods making it easy to hook players and take their money. This lady was animate that the laws allowing the small “hot spots” are wrong and are hurting the communities. She was visibly upset. We changed the topic. This woman transitioned into telling us stories about her past. Once upon a time, she dated a man with a motorcycle. She said he was a moron but she liked riding his motorcycle. She told us about some of her rides. I think she had just as many stories as Brad. It was a fun lunch break experience!
