About Last Weekend: Beach Music and Billy Smith, Round Lake and Ace Hardware, Little Mexico in Downtown Round Lake

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9

Listening to Jim Morgan on the Surf, 94.9 FM WVCO out of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, via internet, and he did his Spotlight Song on "Hello Stranger" by Barbara Lewis and he said that was Billy Smith's favorite song.  I sure enjoyed listening to Billy Smith both when we were in Myrtle Beach and eventually over the internet.  Sadly, he died, but I still do remember him.  A great Beach Music deejay.

We drove to Round Lake for Liz's hair appointment, got there early and decided to drive around Round Lake some and went to some areas south of town that we had never been to before.  While she was at the appointment, I went to the Ace Hardware there and at one time, maybe still is, was the largest Ace in the country.  Sure did a lot of shopping there when we lived in Round Lake Beach.

After she was done, we had some great Mexican food at Rancho Nuevo in downtown Round Lake.  Probably 50% of the people of the Round Lake area are now Mexican and if you want to go to Mexico without going far, just go to downtown Round Lake.  Lots of businesses catering to them.

--RoadDog

A Long 4th of July-- Part 5: Donovan's and Chain Crawl

JULY 5, THURSDAY

Enjoyed the Drive's Ten at Ten back to 1969, such a great high school-college year for me.  I always make a pick of my favorite song when they do Ten at Ten, but obviously those years had lots of them and it is not an easy pick.  Fortunately they played "Proud Mary."  Whenever they play a Creedence song, that is my pick.

We went to Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes for happy hour and got happy and not so hot as it was air conditioned.

JULY 6, FRIDAY

Liz had a hair appointment in Round Lake, Illinois, and I went along.  While she was inside, I drove over to Ace Hardware in Round Lake, once called the largest Ace Hardware in the U.S.A.,  When we lived in Round Lake Beach, I went here often.  Spent a lot of money there also.  Sadly, the opening of Home Depot and Menard's a few miles away on Rand Road (US-12) has really hurt their business.

When Liz was finished we went over to Burger King and had Whoppers, still one of my favorite fast foods.

On the way home we went to two Chain Crawl spots for passport stamps.  Hilltop Lounge is an older bar on Old Rollins Road.  They have $1.50 Busch Light cans.  Then to one of our favorite dive bars, the Squaw Bar (on Squaw Creek) part of the Chain of Lakes.  Enjoyed their Friday special of $1.50 domestic bottles.

Later, we went to the American Legion on US-12 by the bridge on Nippersink Lake and met up with the Usual Suspects.

--RoadDog

About Last Weekend-- Part 1: A Crown Pain, Hot Dog, Flowers and Suds

THURSDAY, JUNE 23

I had the joy of getting some dental crown (lots of drilling (one of my least favorite things to hear in a dentist office, especially when it is on me) work done in Round Lake Beach.  Thank goodness Dr. Bennett does all the work himself and it did not hurt as much as it might.

Afterwards, I went to Scotty's  Hot Dogs on Cedar Lake Road which has been there since 1966 and had one of their hot dog meals and ate out back at the picnic table.  Scotty's is a RLB institution, bona fide hot dog stand.  I hadn't been to it, though, for many years.

I then went to Ace Hardware in Round Lake, which at one time was billed as the world's largest Ace Hardware and might still hold the distinction. They were selling flats of flowers (48) for $4 as they get rid of supplies.  I bought a flat, of course.

Came home, did some planting, cut the grass then went to Sunnyside Tap in Johnsburg for their $1.25 pints.

--RoadDog

Back to Ace

Friday, while waiting for Liz while she was at the hairdressers in Round Lake, I drove over to the Ace Hardware on Il-134 (Railroad Avenue as it runs alongside the old Milwaukee Line, now Metra).

I don't know how long it has been there, but it was already at site when we moved into Round Lake Beach in 1975.  At one time the place was billed as the World's Largest Ace Hardware. It may still be as it is the same size.   And in the 70s and 80s it was quite the bustling place.  Just about everybody went  there, even to pay utilities.

And, then, it really got crowded come spring when the plants would arrive.  I spent a lot of time and money there (even though a flat of annuals cost $4.99-$5.99).

Of course, with the coming of Wal-Mart and especially Home Depot and Menard's (down Il-134 at US-12), customers have fallen off tremendously.  Even me.  I rarely go unless waiting for Liz at the hairdresser.

I looked at the flowers outside and walked through the well-stocked store before breaking down and buying a flat of annuals for $12.99 and geranium for 99 cents.

It Was Like Going Back to Old Times.  --RoadDog


YOGI-ISMS:  "It's  deja vu over again."