Head to Harrel’s Soda Fountain for nostalgia – and a milkshake for less than $4

Head to Harrel’s Soda Fountain for nostalgia – and a milkshake for less than $4

Harrel's soda fountain

Jimmy Harvey, Marcy Stellfox and Chris LeBlanc enjoy malts at the soda fountain inside Harrel’s Kingsville Pharmacy. Pam LeBlanc photo

I love an old-fashioned soda fountain, and I found a classic, where I could perch on a bar stool and sip a strawberry milkshake, in downtown Kingsville, Texas.

It didn’t hurt that the milkshake I got at Harrel’s Kingsville Pharmacy cost less than $4, either.

My friends and I wandered into the pharmacy after a visit to the King Ranch Saddle Shop last weekend. As we were piling back into our truck, I noticed a sign for the soda fountain in the window of the pharmacy across the street.

The four of us grabbed seats at the bar in Harrel’s Soda Fountain, located at the back of the pharmacy. When we flipped open the menu, we found prices straight out of the 1980s – $3.75 for a milkshake, a little more for a malt, about $5 for a plate of enchiladas, even less for a hamburger. We watched, amazed, as a server whipped up an enormous banana split that cost just $5.

Read more: Ten things to know if you’re planning a trip to the Maldives Islands

And this after the soda fountain raised prices last year. In January 2023, the shop made the local TV news when it bumped the cost a hamburger from $2.75 to $3.75.

Harrel's

This banana split will set you back just $5 at the soda fountain inside Harrel’s Kingsville Pharmacy. Pam LeBlanc photo

We ordered shakes and malts, and twirled on our seats as we took in the old-school ambiance of the place. Nearly every table was full; the metal malt-mixing machine hardly stopped buzzing.

The history of the Kingsville soda fountain

Nick Harrel Sr. opened the business in 1916 and added a soda fountain – which offered curb service – in the 1920s. Originally it seated just 25 people. Today there’s room for 75. The place wasn’t air conditioned until the 1940s.

Harrel’s grandson, pharmacist Nick Harrel III, recognizable for his handlebar mustache and colorful socks (they’re featured on the pharmacy’s page on Facebook regularly), runs the operation today.

Regulars come to Harrel’s, at 204 E. Kleberg Ave., for the cheap prices and local camaraderie. I loved that. But even more, I loved the blast of nostalgia I got with every slurp of my shake.

 

 

 

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I’m running short distances after ACL surgery and I’m thrilled

I’m running short distances after ACL surgery and I’m thrilled

I ran a mile and a half yesterday.
That might not sound like much – it didn’t to me, just a year ago. But that was before I took an ungraceful spill while snow skiing on the Ides of March last year, detaching my ACL and sustaining other assorted bodily damage. Running after ACL surgery is a big deal.

running after ACL surgery

Pam LeBlanc wraps up a 1.5 mile run while visiting a friend’s house in Baffin Bay this weekend. It takes a long time to start running after ACL surgery. Chris LeBlanc photo

I underwent reconstruction surgery in May, spent four months tottering around on crutches, and have been trying to strengthen my quad, which turned into a wimpy, hotdog-like appendage in the interim, ever since.

At first, I couldn’t even straighten my leg. Or bend it all the way. I’d stack sacks of popcorn on it to try to get full extension. And it hurt.

I gradually advanced to doing squats and stepping on and off a low box. And I resumed my four-or five times a week swim practice as soon as I was cleared.

Lately, though, I can sense real progress. Two or three months ago, my physical therapist watched as I lurched down the hallway of the Texas Orthopedics office, in a sad attempt to run. I held onto bars as I hopped delicately up and down, trying to get my leg used to impact.

But soon it didn’t hurt so much. I increased the distance bit by bit. This week, I ran a mile and a half without stopping with hardly any discomfort. Then I did it again the next day.

Can you see that smile on my face?

Running’s not my main sport – swimming holds that honor. But I love to cross train to stay fit, and I appreciate the simplicity of putting on my running shoes and walking out the door to get a workout in when I’m traveling.

I’m so sick of going to physical therapy. I’m tired of having a knee that doesn’t feel strong or stable. I want to ski again.

But my doctor told me last week that the graft is solid as a rock. He’s confident I’ll be back to all my usual antics before long. And if this week’s runs are any indication, I believe him.

 

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I got sick while traveling in the Maldives – and got great care

I got sick while traveling in the Maldives – and got great care

sick while traveling

Pam LeBlanc got sick while traveling in the Maldives Islands and wound up in a clinic getting three units of fluids. Chris LeBlanc photo

Fact: It sucks to get sick while traveling, especially if you’re in a foreign country.

But it happens. And in the last year, it’s happened to me a lot, from a torn ACL while skiing in Idaho to a bout of gastrointestinal distress in Bangkok, vomiting in the Marshall Islands and Covid in Alaska.

This time, I found myself in the fetal position on the bathroom floor while traveling in the Maldives Islands. After two bouts of vomiting and some serious diarrhea, I was dehydrated and weak.

Luckily, the resort where I was staying, Siyam World, had a staff doctor. They sent him over to check on me. The doctor called a tiny ambulance, which transported me to the island’s medical clinic.

Read more: Ten things to know before you plan a trip to the Maldives Islands

There, I received two units of fluids and some anti-nausea medication. After a few hours, I headed back to my room.

I woke once more that night, sick yet again – and that earned me another trip to the clinic and another IV of fluids the next morning.

In all, I lost about two days of action – then passed it to my husband Chris, who got a less intense version of my bug. But without the IV fluids, my recovery likely would have taken longer.

My advice? If you get sick when you’re at an island resort (or anywhere, really) reach out to the front desk. There might be a doctor on staff. If there’s not, they’ll probably be able to tell you where to find medical help.

You spent money to take the trip – it’s worth a doctor’s visit to make sure you’re able to enjoy it.

 

 

 

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You thought folded towels were fancy? Check out this palm frond artwork…

You thought folded towels were fancy? Check out this palm frond artwork…

Sun Siyam Resorts

The staff at Sun Siyam Resorts found out I love sharks, and created this artwork on my bed covers one night. Pam LeBlanc photo

Forget bath towels folded into animal shapes. The Sun Siyam Resorts where I stayed in the Maldives Islands went a step farther. They used palm fronds to create works of art on top of my bed at night.

Read more: Ten things to know before you book a trip to the Maldives Islands

I spent nearly two weeks in the Maldives in January, visiting three different resorts. When I arrived at each new hotel, someone had used fresh green fronds to spell out the words “Welcome Home” on my duvet.

Sun Siyam Resorts

Staff artists use palm fronds to create artwork on the bed covers. Pam LeBlanc photo

The hotels – Siyam World, Sun Siyam Olhuveli and Sun Siyam Iru Veli – were all part of the same group of properties, operated by Sun Siyam Resorts.

But at Iru Veli, things got even more impressive. One night, I discovered a snaggle-toothed shark and a “good night” message on my bed. “We knew you liked sharks,” the head housekeeper told me.

Sun Siyam Resorts

A manta ray and sea turtle glided across my bed covers the final night of my stay at Sun Siyam Iru Veli. Pam LeBlanc photo

And on my last night, I found a manta ray and a sea turtle gliding across my bed covers, along with the message “See you soon.”

The designs were delicate and beautiful, perfectly formed. Someone put a lot of effort into making them.

Now I want to try it at home. Somehow, though, I don’t think bits of cedar bark and handfuls of Texas leaves won’t look quite as good as tropical foliage.

 

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In the Maldives, float planes are the way to go

In the Maldives, float planes are the way to go

float plane

In the Maldives Islands, float planes deliver passengers to resorts – and serve up spectacular views along the way. Pam LeBlanc photo

I felt like a character in a James Bond movie last week when I flew in a float plane to reach Sun Siyam’s Iru Veli resort in the Maldives Islands.

After a 45-minute flight in the small plane, which soared over a string of tiny islands set against a turquoise backdrop, the pilot made a steep descent toward a platform bobbing in a lagoon. I found it disconcerting at first –no runway beneath us, just open ocean and rippling waves.

But we plopped onto the water with a gentle sploosh, and when I climbed out of the plane onto the platform the size of a single-car garage, a sign proclaimed the spot “Iru Veli International Airport.” I could have swum to shore, but a boat zipped out to pick me up and deliver me and my suitcase to a dock a few hundred yards away.

Read more: Ten things to know when planning a trip to the Maldives Islands

If you’re planning to visit a resort in the Maldives Islands, chances are you’ll be making a similar trip. Boats carry passengers to destinations nearest to Velana International Airport in Malé, but float planes transport them to farther flung islands where many of the resorts are located.

The Maldives are made up of nearly 1,200 islands in all, scattered along an underwater ridge near the equator in the Indian Ocean. They’re like tiny jewels ringed with white sand and flying over them is a memorable experience. Getting there is part of the fun.

Some of the resorts have their own planes, but Trans Maldivian Airways operates commercial service that delivers passengers where they need to go. It operates out of Noonvilu Seaplane Terminal, which is adjacent to the main airport where commercial flights disgorge thousands of tourists every day. Shuttle buses transport passengers between the two facilities.

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Ten things to know if you’re planning a trip to the Maldives Islands

Ten things to know if you’re planning a trip to the Maldives Islands

Maldives Islands

The sun sets behind a row of over-the-water bungalows in the Maldives Islands. Pam LeBlanc photo

Ten things to know about the Maldives Islands before you book a trip…

  1. About 1,200 islands scattered across an underwater ridge in the Indian Ocean make up the Maldives Islands.
  2. It takes a long time to get to there from Texas. I flew Austin to New York City to Doha, Qatar (which has a fabulous airport) and on to Malé, the capital. From there I took float planes and boats to the three islands I visited. In all, it took me about 34 hours door to door.
  3. Over-the-water rooms are over-rated. Some “water villas” are crowded together like tract homes and offer little privacy. Most have small pools; some have water slides, which adds a contrived, Disneyland feel. Opt for a beach bungalow tucked in the greenery along shore.

4. The outdoor bathrooms at the Sun Siyam resorts I visited were amazing. I’m a sucker for an outdoor shower, and when I discovered my bungalow had an entire outdoor bathroom, complete with shower, daybed, toilet, sink and bathtub, I swooned.

5. The Maldives are part of the seventh largest reef system in the world, and a great place for scuba diving. The islands are famous for manta rays and whale sharks, but you’ll also find plenty of other sea life and coral. The reefs are generally healthy, but they’re threatened by climate change, over tourism and coastal development.

Maldives Islands

A honeycomb moray peers out from beneath a coral head in the Maldives Islands. Chris LeBlanc photo

6. Beware of day excursions, like one I took to swim with nurse sharks. Hordes of boats congregate in some areas, and not everyone respects the wildlife. I saw people chasing sharks and turtles just to snap photographs. I watched tourists take turns posing in the water while guides tossed chunks of fish around them and a drone flew overhead, snapping pictures. Nurse sharks generally are non-aggressive, but I’m opposed to feeding and harassing wildlife.

7.Look up! Huge reddish-brown, football-shaped fruit bats, sometimes called flying foxes, are everywhere in the islands. While fruit bats are considered nocturnal, we saw them out during the day, too, soaring from tree to tree and hanging upside down from branches. They eat nectar, pollen, leaves, and sap.

Guests and employees make their way along a path at the island resort of Sun Siyam Ohluveli. Photo by Pam LeBlanc

8. You’ll probably take a float plane to get to your resort. Trans Maldivian Airways operates one of the largest fleets of float planes in the world, and flying to the islands is an experience all its own.

9. Traditional Maldivian food is based on fish, coconut, and starches. Expect to find fish curry and rice dishes on the menu.

10. The Republic of the Maldives is Muslim. You can buy alcohol on resort islands, but not on the local ones. And while bikinis are allowed at resorts, women should dress modestly (no bikinis, covered shoulders) when visiting local islands.

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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