Dairy Queen - Photo and Story - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II

09/13/2004 11:37:41 PM · #1

Dairy Queen

Living on a dead-end street has its advantages. The asphalt culdesac at the end served as the perfect softball field for the kids in the neighborhood. We spray-painted bases and base lines on the pavement and gathered on hot summer evenings to play ball. After the sun went down and the streetlight wasnâ��t enough for play, we would often load the neighborhood kids in the back of my dadâ��s pickup truck and go to the Dairy Queen for ice cream. The open-air ride in the bed of the pickup truck with 5 or 6 other kids was refreshing after the heat of the softball game. My dog enjoyed that ride as much as we did. The soft serve ice cream didnâ��t last long in the summer evening heat, so we had to eat it quickly. Dad would always give us a few minutes to â��eat downâ�� on the ice cream cones before starting the ride back to the neighborhood.

As a child, I had no idea this particular Dairy Queen had been in town as long as it had, and didnâ��t really care. It was the ice cream that had my attention. My father recently told me that this Diary Queen had been open since he was in the sixth grade, which would have been in 1954. He also shared a brief story about the owner giving coupons to the school kids for free cones of ice cream shortly after the shop opened.

There arenâ��t many places left here in Hickory that I can enjoy as my dad did as a child. Businesses come and go, along with the people who make them. The landscape and storefronts are also constantly changing. There are just a few occasional places, like the Dairy Queen, that remain much the way they were 50 years ago.

This Dairy Queen is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Congratulations on a successful business and thanks for the childhood memories.

Message edited by author 2004-09-13 23:38:07.

debitipton

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

09/13/2004 11:43:09 PM · #2

Nice story -- have you given them a copy of this print to hang up in the store?

printer4u

Nikon D700

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

09/13/2004 11:43:35 PM · #3

Oh, the memories...

Great shot John. I like the angle. I'm too rigid to even think about turning the camera a little. Nice effect.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

09/13/2004 11:46:42 PM · #4

Nice shot, cool story too. Seems they attract a high end clientele. Are Mercedes what the typical DQ customer cruises up in?

Cam

Sony DSC-F717

09/13/2004 11:49:07 PM · #5

Great story and photo..

Thanks for sharing.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VR

09/13/2004 11:52:32 PM · #6

Originally posted by debitipton:

Nice story -- have you given them a copy of this print to hang up in the store?

Not yet. I'm trying to get a small photo and feature story opportunity in the local newspaper. If the editor accepts my request to do this, I will go back and shoot some different photos for it.

digistoune

Canon EOS-20D

09/14/2004 12:02:53 AM · #7

Ah.. that's a very nice story, John. Thanks for sharing!

aerogurl

Nikon D300

09/14/2004 12:19:58 AM · #8

Lovely story John. I've never ate at a Dairy Queen around here, is that the one in Viewmont on 127? I actually looked around here for a DQ when I saw the commercial for Cheesecake Shakes, mmmmm. All that aside, its really a lovely story and I can't wait to see your feature in the paper. Speaking of which, your shots from the football game the other night were great! Cheers :o)

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

09/14/2004 09:58:42 AM · #9

Originally posted by aerogurl:

This Dairy Queen is over on 2nd Ave SW just outside of downtown.

awpollard

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

09/14/2004 10:17:42 AM · #10

Since we are on the subject of fast food, is San Diego still the only place that has JBX. JBX is Jack-in-the-box but on steriods, We may still be the test market as there are only two here. These things are Artistic master pieces. Totally modern art, built like a night club.

From the outside you would never know it was a Jack in the box, unless you look real close at the art work (you will see the jack ball somewhere). On the inside is like a maze with areas to eat through-out. The one I went to even has fireplace with arm tables built into the chairs around it. It was sweet.

High end stuff, not your regular Jack in the box menu either. All kinds of yuppie stuff. I could not find a regular burger on the menu. Ended up with some applewood smoked bacon cheese burger and a basket of fries.

Anyways, just curious. My wife did get pictures so I will post a couple here a bit later.

KaBooM

Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i

09/14/2004 10:22:19 AM · #11

Originally posted by awpollard:

I know when I lived in Texas, Jack-In-The-Boxes were damn near on ever street corner on I-45 north of Houston. They kind of faded away after that scare a few years ago with the bad meat. I ate at one, and thought it was great! They have a VERY unique menu. And their shakes rock! :)

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

09/14/2004 10:27:28 AM · #12

Dairy Queen rocks... love that story and photo. I worked at the Dairy Queen in Quinlan TX (pop. 474) while I was in college... I perfected that little DQ curl on the top of the ice cream cones, and could make a hell of a blizzard (when they first came out!). Thanks for bringing back the memories! :o)

fstopopen

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

09/14/2004 10:37:43 AM · #13

I miss dairy queens. They are all but non-existant here in Oklahoma now. They used to be all over the place. I remembe there used to be one next to the public pool here in Moore. What is better than going for a swim on a hot summer day, and then walking over to DQ for an ice cream cone. I miss those days.

drake

coolhar

Canon PowerShot Pro 90 IS

09/14/2004 11:51:41 AM · #14

DQ makes the best chocolate malts I've ever tasted. They are surviving in my area. I know of about a dozen on the path I beat. The ones in the beach towns (or as a native Baltimoran would say, the ones "downy oshun") mostly close up in the winter.

lcarterdavis

Canon EOS-20D

09/14/2004 12:23:53 PM · #15

I remember the DQ we went to as kids. We used to call it "The slowest place in town". It's long been gone, but so have I. Even so, the memories come back when I pass that corner a couple times a year.

Great pic and story! Thanks for the trip down memory lane.