2013 Balltown Road Trip

October is my favorite month of the year. Our anniversary is in October -- and my parents got married in October.  Both my mother and John's mother had October birthdays. AND Ross was also born in October. So it is always a month full of happy reminders and celebrations -- past and present.

And the changing of the seasons is in full swing. Who doesn't love October?

John and I always enjoy an October road trip -- and our destination is usually Balltown, Iowa.

Balltown is north of us -- near Dubuque -- and the drive up there is beautiful.

But the VIEW from the little town of Balltown is breathtaking.

Besides natures most captivating VISTA -- Balltown also boasts Iowa's oldest restaurant!! Believe me -- Breitbach's is REASON ENOUGH to take a day trip!!

This is their new sign.

On the weekends, when the leaves are at their peak -- you might have to wait for two hours to get a table...

On a Monday afternoon, the restaurant was busy -- but we got a table right away.

The hall is full of articles about when the original restaurant burned down.

It was sad -- but the family rebuilt --

Then, ten months later -- the brand new building burned completely to the ground! TWO fires in less than a year...

BUT the family decided to rebuild ONCE AGAIN. 

They have an extensive menu

But are best known for their LARGE buffet. Fried chicken, catfish, polish sausage...and a GREAT salad bar

Liver pate, ham salad, cheese spread, three-bean salad -- many Midwest Classics...

I was too busy EATING to take pictures of our food...

By the time I remembered, there was only this HALF of my coconut cream pie (I was taking it home).

Alton Brown, from the Food Network, came to Breitbach's in 2009, after their second rebuilding. He went to the kitchen because he'd heard they make their pies from scratch every morning (80 pies a day on the weekends). Mrs. Breitbach scolded him because nobody is allowed in her kitchen. As it turns out, she was too busy actually COOKING to watch television shows about cooking...so he was completely unknown to her. His ego was a little bruised, I think...

They installed the fence a few years ago. It's not the Grand Canyon -- but there is quite a drop off. On a clear day -- you can see all the way to the Mississippi River.

Thanks, October. Once again -- you did not disappoint....and I miss you already...