A Bag of Potato Chips - My #2 Favorite Culinary Delight of Alaska!

The plan was for Phil and I to drive 29 miles north of Kenai to Captain Cook State Park where the Swanson River flows in Cook Outlet. We would pick up the Pat, Melissa, Rusty and Ken, Melissa's Dad who had floated the 24 miles of the Swanson River. We arrived at 12:30 p.m. and were to meet them sometime between 12:30 and 2:00 p.m.. We waited and waited. No canoes showed up at the launch sight. We grew increasingly hungry as we had not eaten since breakfast. Finally, at 3:20 we decided to drive eight miles back to the small village of Nikiski to find something to eat. On the way Phil made the comment, "Beings its Sunday afternoon, we will be lucky to find a place to buy any food." "Well," I replied, "maybe we can find a vending machine and share a bag of potato chips."

Nikiski ended up having two "eateries". One looked kind of like a bar/restaurant combo and the other a "Mom and Pop Diner". It was called "What's Cookin?" So we went in to see "What was cookin....." Inside the door was a sign which read,

"All You Can Eat Prime Rib and Seafood $16.50 or 14.29 with a senior
discount"

Phil asked how old you have to be to get the Senior Discount. "Older than me." the proprietor replied.

"Well, how old are ya?"

"Fifty-two".

The seafood buffet contained giant crab legs, scallops the size of golf balls wrapped in bacon, halibut souffle, baked ham, potatoes, salad bar and a table full of your choice of desserts. Oh, yes, and fresh bread! We filled out plates, sat down to pig out and looked at each other and started laughing. "Some bag of potato chips!" We ate until we could eat no more knowing even though there were some adventurers waiting for us at the mouth of the Swanson River.

When we got back the crew asked where the heck we'd been. "Oh, just drove down to Nikiski for some potato chips!"