A & Why root beer in Wymore?

Headed south from Beatrice, Nebraska on Highway 77 a strange, powerful, and mysterious force took over. I was still in control of my vehicle, but all I could think about was A&W root beer. Did that ever happen to you???

It's been years since I even had a root beer float. What was going on? By the Gage County town of Wymore I thought I might die if I didn't have an A&W.

Thank heaven Wymore has a local convenience store selling bottles of root beer, along with other more essential items. Wymore was a hub for Welsh immigrants who arrived in Nebraska to build railroads in the 1880s.

A & W was a drive-in with car-hops in the 1960s. I'm not sure, but I think the Lincoln A & W was on south 48th Street. In 1963 A & W drive-ins welcomed the arrival of the Burger Family. Papa Burger, Mama Burger, Teen Burger with bacon and cheese, and Baby Burger arrived on the tray hooked onto your car window. Root beers and floats arrived in heavy glass mugs or strange conical waxed paper containers.

For only a summer or two the A & W drive-in was our family spot. Moving up from a Baby Burger to a Teen or Mama Burger was a sign of maturity. Being able to resist the rare siren song of a root beer on a road trip would be superhuman.

© 2008 Nancy L. Ruder