Blue Bell Creameries
This is why a lot people come to the small town of Brenham. They give tours at the ice cream factory.
Brenham Airport
But last week Don and I needed lunch as we headed through Brenham. So we headed for the airport. Most small town airports might have vending machines for hungry pilots, but we had heard the tiny Brenham Airport had an actual restaurant.
Finding It
There were no signs to guide tourists to the airport. We almost missed this old road that took us up to the entrance.
Nice Building
The building was surprisingly new. It reminded me more of a train station than an airport.
Watching the Planes
There were a few parked planes nearby and there was a screened in porch off the café, if you wanted to sit outside in hopes of seeing a plane come or go.
In the Diner
But we ate inside where there were about 7 girls in poodle skirts delivering plates to diners seated at retro tables and booths. I don't think there were any pilots eating. It was Sunday and most of the crowd looked like they had strolled in after church.
Planes and Poodle Skirts
There was plenty to look at as I wandered around the café. There was a nice bit of Budweiser neon and some interesting etching on the window glass. There was even a gift shop selling poodle skirts. A strange combination of airplane theme and poodle skirts... hmmm? There were also a lot of little signs here and there. Reminders to keep kids under control since it is an airport. Signs telling us the water coolers were for the servers only and signs to keep kids from using the juke box.
Food
We ordered typical diner food. Don had a burger and I went for grilled cheese. Lauren, our very pleasant server was pushing for the chicken fried chicken sandwich, but I wasn't that hungry.
My expression (top) makes one think there was a bug crawling towards my plate. I'm not sure what that expression was for...but the main reason for the 2 grilled cheese photos was to show the busy poodle girls behind me. And to maybe show how well my shirt color coordinated with my meal!
More Poodle Girls
Like I said, the poodle skirt gets a lot of attention at Southern Flyer. The picture on the left shows a framed photograph of 15 Poodle Girls posing with a plane.
My shot wasn't quite as dramatic, but Lauren was a good sport and posed for me with a juke box. I'm not sure how big Brenham high school is, but I imagine a high percentage of the girls who graduate, have all had jobs at Southern Flyer at one time or another.
A Plane Takes Off!
As we headed out we saw a few folks lingering in hopes of seeing a plane take off. I chatted with the gentleman in the suspenders and he admitted it was his first visit. (We'd seen him dining alone) He acted like he wasn't leaving until he saw some plane action. Sure enough a small plane finally began to rumble like a motor boat. Like a toy, it sort of sputtered down the runway and lifted into the sky.
Don and I laughed as we got in the car. Our airport dining adventure left us a little baffled for some reason. The playful '50's theme kind of clashed with the serious airport rules. It was sure worth the visit, but I might have to revisit and see how it feels on another day.
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