Seems like I’ve been working a lot lately. Things hit a break, just in time for my wifes annual family reunion. We’ve been since before we were married, and now that I live closer I figured it a good time to see if I could find some back roads to the annual event.
I was the guy in st george who knew every single road for 500 miles. The guy who planned poker runs, weekend trips and went nuts to see where that road jutted out from a backroad, and where it went. Man, I’m not up here. It kind of drives me nuts. Up here, I ask a lot of questions, Mostly to the old timers, who are glad to tell you their stories and tell you some background that’s interesting to me. I’ts nice to learn a whole new set of roads, do some exploring and hopefully share it with someone else down the road. Summers are short here, so you gotta make hay while the sun shines.
Been riding with some of the locals lately, so was able to stay off the interstate and mozy toward my goal. I found a lot of historical markers I passed, some railway markers, and even hit a short spurt of the old Lincoln Highway. Things I’ll explore later, because they’ll fill in the blanks and make the ride more exciting later. Right now, I was going macro. We’ll go micro later.
Riding alone, for me is relaxing. I set my own pace, worry about my own shit and stop at random curiosities when I want. The weather is nice now. It’s time to step it up.
Kamas utah is an old utah farming town and is just a great ride. Oakley, Peoa, all great riding. Coalville needs to be explored, but I just rubbernecked through it and see its alive and kicking, much like an old route 66 town. I rounded rockport lake, at what what was clearly the old road (Spotting old, per interstate highways has become old hat), crossed under the freeway that goes to Evanston Wyoming and soon I was in Echo Utah.
Echo was a significant place during the heyday of the railroad. It held coal, and helper trains up the Wasatch. It was at the mouth of the main artery from Wyoming, and Salt Lake. Echo still holds rail cars at its junction, but not much else. As you ride by, you can smell the unique grease and metal that only railroads produce. It told me that something interesting was coming up, and escorted me out of town. It was US Route 30, and It’s high point was world war II. As of now, its just a trailer park. it has ghosts. Man, I felt like I was on route 66. this cafe was just full of questions for me. . I figured my inlaws who were born in this area would have some stories.
I hit the reunion with my phone pictures, and I did get a few stories. Mostly they were surprised I thought so much of the place. To them, it was just a place growing up. it’s 200 yards from the interstate, and a mile of backroads to get to it for no reason. The fact that the Kozy survived so many years later is a testament to itself. Former employees claim its haunted. The last thing I found was that it was open as late as 2009. I wished I’d have ate there. I’d have swung wide to help keep a place like this open. Kinda sad.
After the reunion I doubled back with my oldest daughter on the back of the bike, and my wife and other kids following. We found a new road, and I noticed some junctions I need to chase down, with some local advice on where they go and how beautiful they are. These are my next road goals. I’m going to find em, take some pictures and post em on the blog. I got no doubt I’ll come back with something good.
It’s open again new owner. 🙂
really? I'll run up there this weekend…
Did you make it up there and eat? Apparently they were only open for a minute… I would like to do it justice.
Apparently it opened again for a minute to a lady who leased it, then problems came up the owner wouldn’t/didn’t fix. I wish they had been able to make a good go of it.
Really? 8 years ago our MC was looking at buying it to refurbish it into a real bikers place. At the time, the asking price was $400k.
IM friends with the owner price gone down on the kozy believe it or not its been remodeled asking price of 200 grand isn’t bad it’s now at 160.000 grand
The TV show “Touched By An Angel” was shooting on location, at the Kozy Cafe. The Modern Motel rooms were used as the dressing rooms and support area rooms. In that episode, as background, I was playing the role of a cowboy truck driver. Behind the counter was who I believed was the real cook for the place, a man of huge girth.
Sometime mid-morning, I was told to leave that location and to report to the set at a motel in Heber, Utah, along US Route 40. To my horror, I couldn’t find my set of numerous keys on a ring to drive to the next location. I searched everywhere around the motel room that we had used for costuming and makeup. I, certainly searched, multiple times, illogically as people do when stressed, through my attache case in which I had placed a single white shirt and a single pair of pants for change of costume.
Fortunately, I had used one of those hide-a-key magnets on my car, so, I did have a means to drive to the next location and to drive home. Of course, I didn’t have my house key and the, maybe, nine plus other keys to who knows what.
Just before I left the Kozy Cafe, I spoke to the owner to tell him of my missing keys. He said, “If I find them, I’ll make sure that you get them.”
About a half hour later, I arrived on set in Heber. As I approached the check-in desk, one of the Assistant Directors rushed over distraught saying, “Fat just died. Fat just died. He was talking to Roma Downey. Then he just collapsed. The set medic said he died before he hit the ground.”
I said, “I’m not surprised a guy that fat would have died. I thought he was about to collapse into the oatmeal.”
“No, not the chef. Fat, Fat Dillree, the skinny guy, the owner!”
“Oh my God! I just spoke to him. He was the last person that I talked to about some missing keys before I left Echo.”
Anyway, the filming continued, including the entire shutdown of US 40 in both directions past the motel, so that traffic noise wouldn’t wake the sleeping real infant actor and thus destroy a take with him in it.
I went home. I crawled through a window to open a door from inside. I retrieved my attache case. Opening the case, right on top of the white shirt was my keychain with the numerous keys!
Recovering from the shock, the next day, I returned to the Kozy Cafe to tell of my witnessing a miracle. When I told Fat’s daughter what I had experienced, she said, “My father was a man of honor. If he said that he would make sure that you got your keys, I have no doubt that he kept his promise.”
Although employees reported that they heard Fat’s bootsteps, after his death. Some disbelieve that. I believe that I was touched by an angel.
Its so sad that the kozy has died they tired to reopen it but it wasn’t the same has to have a menu that truckers like and would have to have tons advertising to those trucking companies so they know it was there again I worked there long ago for a few weeks it could be a gold mine for the right person like I said they would just have to cater to the trucking crowd make food that they like I’m sure fat would love to see it running again drove past there today so sad what a waste
Oh wow!!! I lived in Echo, up the one street to the old church from the time I was around 6-16. The Kozy Motel and the Kozy restaurant was my first job. The Kozy Cafe was the place all the kids went after a game at North Summit. Home made French fries and Chocolate Shakes were the rave. They had a juke box always playing music and the kids played Galaxia and PacMan in the morning while waiting for the school bus. Who would have thought this small town girl would now be living in Washington DC!! LOVED my childhood growing up in Echo. The handful of kids that grew up there always found something fun to do. Great memories. Thanks for sharing the pics. (Gas was like .68 a gallon and John was the hardest working man at that station) 1972 – 1983 timeframe.
I came across this blog while researching the Kozy and Motel. I am purchasing it and looking for some direction. Your pics and who you are honors where you go. Thanks for doing what you do. Do you want to be a part of it? Please contact me only1of3@gmail.com – Donald
Hi Donald, I’m thinking of buying the Kozy too. I worked there in the 60’s as a dish washer and Cora was always so good to me. I played in a band so she gave me weekends off. Let me know how the purchase goes for you. If you don’t do it I might. I’m glad I found this site. Thanks.
Lane, we purchased it. Did a lot of cleanup, and there’s a lifetime to go. Juggling menu details and directions to take remodel. It’s fun. We picked it up a couple of months ago now. Keep in touch or visit. I am looking for an original menu… 3852424277