As I was driving the winding roads from Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, on highway NC 105 NE. and US 321 S., I passed through the quiet little town of Boone, North Carolina. Mel's Diner stood shining in the afternoon sun. It is a 50's diner that gleams of nostalgia along with the chrome exterior. Several vintage cars lined the parking lot. As we passed, I realized that us Baby Boomers were having a massive impact in our communities.

Baby Boomers make up the largest group of people in the country. TV executives are bringing back all the oldies. TV reunions are springing up everywhere. Let's see.... Gilligan's Island, The Brady Bunch Movie, Flipper, Batman, just to name a few. Everywhere the old is becoming new.

As I passed through Lenoir, North Carolina, a second 50's diner flashed by. This time I was hungry, so I stopped. The sign read "Happy Days Too!" It was stucco with a pink 55 Chevy and a Harley painted against the stark whiteness. A green and white 56 Chevy was in the parking lot. We entered a foyer with a bigger than life-size cutout of Elvis hanging on the wall. Classic Coke machines and other collectibles decorated the small room. A working gum machine that looked like an old 40's Texaco gas pump stood proudly in the corner. Rock and Roll music blared from the speakers as we waited for the hostess to seat us.

From our booth in the center of the cafe we could see a graffiti wall where hundreds of signatures decorated the hard surface. We watched as a young boy added his name to the wall of fame near the autograph of John Denver. Large, hand painted cut outs of characters and scenes from The Wizard Of Oz were hung neatly around the room. I could tell that the person who owned this particular cafe was a collector who loved his work.

It brought back memories of other diners I had found on my travels. One in particular caught my eye. It was The Galaxy Diner in Bountiful, Utah. You can see it from the freeway and is nestled near a theatre and shopping mall. It is built of chrome and nostalgia just like others, yet, it has its own flare that sets it apart. As you enter, every effort has been made to make this place authentic, right down to the uniforms. The food was delicious! Well worth stopping. But what really got me were the waitresses. As we were listening to our favorite music, three of them walked to the front of the counter and broke into a dance. It was magic.

Like others, this owner was a collector. He had everything from autographed pictures of all the great stars like John Wayne, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe, Jimmy Stewart, to Beetles memorabilia. It was a fantastic journey into the past. Don't mind the wait for a table, it is well worth it.

There is also a 50's diner in Michigan, (I forget the name). It is on an old road that runs from Novi into New Hudson. It is the same road that takes you to Vic's open air market in Novi, Michigan. (a nationally known gourmet open air market that you must visit if you are in the area). Vic's is on the East, New Hudson on the West.