The Red Horse Drive In is a half mile and 60 years off I-90 in Ellensburg, Washington. The best part of the place is the 1930’s era gas station, which is as spit-shined clean as an army officer’s dress boots.

It’s equal part business and labor of love for owner Bruce Crossett. From I-90, a motorist can easily find the place by exiting the west Ellensburg entrance of Interstate 90 at exit 106. Two minutes later they’re there. Trouble is, not a whole lot of people know about the place except locals, and even they don’t know a lot about it. “The Ellensburg newspaper has never even done a story,” said Crossett, who earns his main paycheck from the used car lot next door and plows back profits into his gas station/cafe.


The cafe offers yummy burgers and other roadside fare. I opted for a Rumble Seat -- the basic burger, at only $4.95. I’d give it B-plus grade for rural cafe burgers -- excellent but not the ultimate. If I were hungrier I may have gone for the “Dead Man’s Curve” for two dollars more. Milk shakes are $3, a bargain these days.

If you want to learn more about the Red Horse Drive-In, call Bruce at 509-925-1764. Or stop by: Ellensburg is on the eastern edge of the Cascade mountains about 100 miles east of Seattle.

A funny song about "forgetting things"

If you've ever misplaced your reading glasses or your car keys, or couldn't find your cell phone when it rang because you forget where it was. . . then you will get a good laugh from this song by folksinger Tom Rush.

Rodent on steroids in the West

Back in the 1800s newspapers in the East wrote about giant creatures in the mysterious American West. One dispatch told of giant salmon that had jumped from a creek into a stage coach, attacking the terrified passengers. Well, maybe there are still big critters in the West -- and for sure there are plenty on postcards, like on this one with a giant bunny. Can you imagine the ride you'd get on this fellow? You'll find this postcard at many tacky roadside trading posts.