Monday, February 2, 2009

DID YOU LOSE SOMETHIN?

A couple of weeks ago CD and I took a little drive east on the old Route 66. We decided to check out the old Munger Moss Sandwich Shop, which is now a bar and eatery called Elbow Inn. It is located outside the old town of Devil's Elbow. We had passed by last summer and the place looked packed with people, and it looked like it was mostly bikers. I don't know if you are aware of this or not but anyplace bikers like to hang out and eat is usually a good sign of a great place to git some good vittles. So we'd been wantin' to go back and try out some of their grub.

I took my camera in with me because I figured a place this old would probably have somethin' interestin' to snap some shot's at. Little did I know.

As we walked in the door out of the bright sunlight I was a little blinded, I still had my sunglasses
on and it was very dark inside. Which brings me to a question that has puzzled me for years. Why are bars so dark on the inside? I've always wondered that. Is it because if they git you in there and if you don't know when it gets dark out you just might spend the night?
But back to my story. As I walk in, I take off the glasses but I stop immediately in the doorway because I still can't see any thing and CD is comin' in behind me and bumps into me and then he's tryin' to get me on in through the door and by now my eyes are adjustin' and I'm startin' to be able to see and I stop. Dead in my tracks. My mouth drops to the floor and then I start laughin'. Loudly.

This is what I saw.













Bras. Bras hangin' from the ceilin'. Lot's of Bras hangin' from the ceilin'.

Evidently this is the thing to do if you are a biker chick. And I mean no disrespect, honestly. It's just somethin' that got started and I guess they can't stop. I mean, there are a lot of bras hangin' in this bar. Maybe 200 plus. Seriously.

I didn't get very good pictures, sorry about that, so you can't tell but each bra has a name on it and the date she pulled it off and they hung 'er up there, the bra not the chick.

There were itty bitty bras and bras with a cup size to be envied and then there were some honkin' big breasted bras. Now, I don't know about you but I think that would have to be mighty uncomfortable, sittin' on the back of a bike, bouncin' down the road with no support when you're a cup size EEE. But I guess they were proud to add their contribution to the cause.

Anywho, the place was great, and the food was delicious. I mean really good. We had the ribs that were prepared with a dry rub and smoked and then you had barbecue sauce you could put on 'em and it was really good. The meal came with fries, coleslaw, beans and Texas toast. We were stuffed.

There were so many neat things to look at besides the bras. I took some pictures while we were waitin' for our food.
This rattlesnake skin was above the juke box. I forgot to ask the waitress if it was locally killed. Good thing I know rattlesnakes don't have ribs or I woulda been worried.

This is a picture of a picture hangin' on the wall. The Munger Moss Sandwich Shop was built around 1929 on the bank of the Big Piney River, it was a favorite stop for motorists travelin' on Route 66. When the highway was realigned through the Hooker cut, in 1946, the Munger Moss moved to Lebanon, MO. The new owners renamed the old buildin', Elbow Inn.


Not a very good picture because of age, but you can kinda see what it looked like way back when.

This must have been when it was operatin' as Munger Moss.

And this is what it looks like now days.



You can see the old steel truss bridge in the background that goes across the Big Piney River and on into Devil's Elbow.

They had the flag hangin' across the road.

This is a beautiful old bridge and I hope you get to come to the Ozarks to see it some day.
Just be sure to stop and check out the sites at the Elbow Inn Bra, I mean Bar, and maybe you'll even want to make a contribution to the cause.
And before you ask, NO I did not make a contribution.
Rebel

18 comments:

The Blonde Duck said...

Saying hi from SITS!

Unknown said...

Bras as decor ... classy. Funny, though.

Darlene said...

You answered my question before I could ask it. I can't believe all those bras....that is funny! The meal sounds delicious!

Beki - TheRustedChain said...

Bahaha!!

Gosh, I love the midwest.

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

LOL Rebel ... great pics. That bridge would scare the bejesus outta me! There is no way I would cross that thing!!

Believe it or not we have a few of those bra hangin' bars down here too. They are all joint that are also mostly associated with bikers - the most famous one is called The Broke Spoke over in Kiln, Mississippi, right near the Louisiana border, where Brett Favre grew up. The bar became a folk legend when Brett went pro and became famous and people from all over up north made pilgrimages down here just to see this little dump.

The original building was quite a dump indeed, but it burned down. They did rebuild and I hear it's much nicer than the old bar was, and, from what I heard, the tradition of the hanging bras still lives on! Isn't that hilarious? I would never "donate" a bra to a bar - mine are too dang expensive first off!!

Jan Holt said...

Rebel,

Welcome back! I've been missing your wonderful posts and this one did NOT disappoint! I love the bra bar. I'll have to get there myself someday to make a contribution. I have lots of bras left over from my pre-cancer and pre-mastectomy days and I'd love to see them turn into hanging art decorations!

Thanks so much for sharing,

Jan

Anonymous said...

It felt like I was gone a month instead of a week! There was so much goin' on last week, I was plannin' a Super Bowl party and then the weather took a turn. We had to put in a new holdin' tank for the well and there was the thing that we might not get it finished in time and we'd have no water for the party. I had to brave the icy roads and go into the big city one day to get my shoppin' for the party finished. The interstate was clear but it was the only road not covered in ice and packed snow. I almost thought that the holidays were here again, the week was so hectic! But now maybe things will get back to normal. Glad to be back.

Bo said...

What a sight to see...I've been in a place where they had 1/2 of a man's necktie hanging all over the walls, because they would cut it off of any man that wore one in...but this takes the cake...LOL
;-) Bo

muddywaters said...

You're inspiring me to plan a Route 66 road trip. When spring rolls around, I might hit the portion that runs through SE Kansas. I could hit Joplin, MO. and Baxter Springs, KS.

My wife and daughter love road trips.

Thanks for the great post.

Hccm said...

So that's where I left my bra. Thanks for finding it for me!

Hugs and Mocha,
Stesha

Anonymous said...

Hilarious. Do you think I should do this in my winery tasting room?

Unknown said...

I love bridges like that. You take really great photos.

Peggy said...

I was going to ask if you left a signed bra there>>>>LOL

Grace said...

Bras! BRas! ha-ha-ha!
I really eenjoyed treading and looking at those picutes. The one that I like the most is the old wooden bridge.

Tiffany said...

Stopping by from SITS. That is a strange custom that place has. I wonder what the story is on the first bra to hang from that ceiling.

Housesitter said...

Oh my...here in SP we have one that does the bottoms...hmmm...have to go see if I can find a pic! :)
nice post! :)

Liz Harrell said...

Aghgh! I laughed so hard at those bras. Gotta love the Ozarks. And I say that with love since I grew up there. :)

Tina said...

I love it!!! Hilarious, absolutely hilarious. Thanks for sharing.