Historic landmarks

The site of the Ustick Merc is a childhood icon. I knew it for most of my life as a gas station, about a mile away from my house. Long before then, it had been an actual mercantile for the city of Ustick, which at the time was 5 miles outside of the Boise city limits before Boise eventually swallowed it all up. Over the last 15 years or so, the gas pumps have been removed and a bunch of people have tried to turn this old landmark into a salsa shed, pizza parlor, Russian market, and other things that I lost track of. Every time I came to visit, it had been turned into something different, and always I would look at it skeptically, knowing that it probably was best left a gas station.

Here it is as it is currently, apparently to the shagrin of some, but the delight of others who, like me, stop in disbelief to take pictures. 

It's a burger joint now. Boobie is the name of the owner's dog, but also a clever term to slather all over the menu. My parents told me that before the reader board said the above, it said, "It takes two hands to eat a double boobie." If you go there for breakfast, you can order a Rolled Over Boobie Burrito, or order anything and top it with Boobie Secret Chili. 

When I was taking pictures, the owner came out to get in the shot. I'm sure this is happening on a regular basis. He was excited to see my Washington plates and gave me a couple of bumper stickers ("Honk if you heart Boobies") and a mini-menu to aid me in spreading the Boobie gospel throughout Eastern Washington. Next time, I hope to see Boobie.