Bellevue Drive In

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Cost: <$10

Before Sonic became popular, there was the Bellevue Drive In. They draw traffic from all the nearby towns, and the Drive In is always busy on warm summer evenings. They have great ice cream, and boast a wide variety of menu options. The Drive In is known for their Onion Rings, and their Root Beer Floats. They also have some more unusual menu items like Ostrich Burgers and Fried Pickles. The food is always good, and the root beer comes out to the car in frosted steins. It is a popular spot in town, especially during baseball season, when the Little League teams go for ice cream after their games. You can stay in your car or sit at the picnic tables. The Drive In is open from March – October.

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Lowry’s Books – Best bookstore ever? I think so.

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Cost: $2.50+

Lowry’s Books is a locally owned, independent bookstore. The owner, Tom, is usually behind the counter, either running the register or dealing with new acquisitions. The store runs along four different store fronts, and has a basement as well. The attached cafe, Boundary Waters, was added during the recent renovation/expansion. Inside the bookstore is a maze of bookcases that run ceiling to floor. The bookcases are stuffed, and frequently stacked two levels deep. Every time you think that you’ve been through the whole store, you turn the corner and there is yet another room. It is amazing.

Most of the store is used books, but it also has a small new book section, an antique/collectible book section, and one of the coolest children’s departments that I’ve seen. Lowry’s has a large selection of really cool toys, from science experiment kits, to model rockets, to marionettes.

The best way to go looking for books in this place is to have either a genre or an author in mind. Because it is a used bookstore, going in for a specific title is not the best way to explore, because the stock is continually changing. Lowry’s will, however, order/search for anything that you want, even if it’s out of print or hard to find. They even offer digital books via their website.

One of the best things about this place? I usually leave with 4-5 books, and spend about $10.

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