Top notch

For me, making an afternoon's journey to get ice cream is old hat. And not just any ordinary ice cream but Original Rainbow Cone. A medley of flavors stacked sky high had me drive 30 minutes south and wait 15 minutes in 30 degrees to get it. Luckily Mr. Max Wastler came along to humor me. I now regret his suggestion of taking home a tub of the Palmer House (cherry vanilla with walnuts.) Afterwards, we stopped by Optimo Hats ("Life's better in a great hat.") The interior, lined with magnificent hats, had a sultry vibe much like a speakeasy would. On the way out of town and on a whim, Max and I stopped into Top Notch, a diner serving up savory beefburgers since 1942 and the best diner fries I've ever had. The recent Rainbow Cone had yet to be forgotten so we split a meal and called it a day, but not before Max could pick up some memorabilia to wear home.