(Part eight of an eight-part series.)

We were extremely late for a wedding reception in Bethany, MO, still at least a ninety minute drive away.   We were flying down Iowa-92, when suddenly my friend’s arm flew across my chest to point at something out the window.

“WHAT’S THAT?!?” he exclaimed.

Why, it was the glow of neon lights signaling the presence of a Bonus Bar.

What’s a Bonus Bar? One that we didn’t know existed. Though we had passed one a short time earlier in Indianola, this one was so unexpected we decided we just had to stop.

#17 (#752): Roadside Inn

325 N Highway 28
Martensdale, IA 50160
(641) 764-2667

[map] [web]

Most of the place was a restaurant, which was now closed, but there was a smaller sports bar to the right. We settled down at the bar.

We told our bartender, Kelsi, of our predicament — that we had to stop in but were incredibly late for a wedding reception and needed to get in and out fast.

She recommended some Apple Pie shots, as she had them already made up. I actually don’t like the taste of apple, but we were on a mission so I did what I needed to do. :)

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With that quick stop out of the way, we reached I-35 and began the long stretch to Bethany. Time flew, though, and after a necessary pit stop in a corn field, we reached Bethany, MO around 11pm. 3-1/2 hours after the the start of the reception.

But that didn’t matter, it turned out the party was still going strong!

Now, this reception was at a bar we had been to before.   And we wondered both why and how, and this place was tiny, rickety, and run down.

But it turns out that since we last visited a new owner poured a lot of money into the place, doubling its size and making it somewhat classy!

#18 (Repeat of #491): Long Creek Saloon

205 S 16th St
Bethany, MO 64424
(660) 425-8650

[map]

From my 2008 visit:

We had this down on our list as the “Double D Saloon” so it must have changed hands in the recent past. This place was pretty busy, filled with rough-and-tough looking dudes ranging in age from their late 20s to late 60s. One older guy near the door in this small room chatted loudly on his phone with some people who had apparently gone to the wrong bar while others shot him annoyed glances as they tried to pay attention to the episode of “Gunsmoke” playing on the TV.

From my 2010 visit:

Wow, what a difference! This place has really re-invented itself. The new owner has somehow made it twice the size it used to be even through the exterior change is very subtle. It’s also been fixed up a lot on the inside. The bar itself is new, curved, and seats a lot more people. It’s almost what you’d call a classy joint! :) The crowd seems younger than what I remember from the past, and the additional space means Long Creek can now host live music.

Turns out 11pm wasn’t a bad time to get here after all!   The band was playing (a cover band that was actually very good) and the people were friendly.   It was good for my friend to get to catch up.   We had a few beers, did a celebratory shot of vodka with the bride and groom, and hung out until after midnight.

Finally, it was time to head on home…

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We gassed up and got on the road. One more emergency pit stop would be needed, but after that we were good for the duration. We reached the Kansas City area around 2:30am.

This ended up being a really good day.    Never did I imagine that when my buddy asked me a few days earlier to come with him that this would turn into the best single-day road trip we’d ever taken.   I can’t wait for the next one!