The Sandbar...Home of the Indoor Hurricane!

Read Across Lawrence brings kids to the bar

Something you probably don't see every day: thirty kids, in a bar, without their parents.

That was our day yesterday at the Sandbar.

Our friends at the Lawrence Public Library are hosting Read Across Lawrence, an annual community reading event, and this year's selection for kids is "Turtle in Paradise." The book is about a turtle who heads for Key West, and the hurricane of 1935 is featured in the book. 

Read Across Lawrence includes educational events to go along with the book, so, naturally, it made sense to hold an event at the Sandbar. Where else in Lawrence can you find a little bit of Key West, and a lot of hurricanes?

So yesterday, about thirty kids got their first taste of the Sandbar as they moved between three educational stations and learned about the science behind hurricanes from UKanTeach students.

After about 45 minutes of learning, the kids got to experience the famous indoor hurricane, complete with the cheesy video and napkins flying through the air.

This might be the cutest thing ever:

Once it was over, the kids got a souvenir strand of beads to take home with them.

A funny thing that happened: as he got his beads, one kid asked Dave "can I have a moustache?"

Dave and I looked at each other in a bit of shock. "How does he know about moustaches?" we wondered.

But we just got the box of moustaches and started handing those out, too.

Thanks, Lawrence Public Library and parents, for letting us be part of Read Across Lawrence!

Save the drive-in movie theaters!

If you're like some of us-- and I'm talking about some of us who have been around the Sandbar longer than, say, some of our more recently-hired staff members-- you have fond memories of drive-in movie theaters from when you were a kid.

Did you know that they're in danger of disappearing? Since the film industry has gone digital, many theaters can't afford the $80,000 price tag that the digital upgrade costs.

Honda, the car company, has stepped in to help-- they're going to donate five projectors and the public vote decides which drive in gets them.

Our local Jack Ellena Honda dealership is hosting an event next Friday, Sept. 13, that celebrates this event with fun for the whole family: a pop-up drive-in movie theater.

They'll host a free screening of "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" at 7 p.m. out at their dealership.

Click here for more details.

What does this have to do with us, and why are we talking about it? Well, we like movies...after all, our founder Peach does own a movie theater down the road in Ottawa.

And, Sandbar Subs is stepping up to help save the drive-ins. They'll be serving Sandbar Subs beach dogs, chips and cookies at the event. Dogs and cookies are $2; chips are $1. Proceeds will benefit the cause!

If you'd like to help save the Midway Drive-in in Osawatomie, you can text VOTE86 to 444999, click here to make a donation or show up at next Friday's event.

Help us spread the word, will you? Drive-in theaters are an iconic part of our history and an experience that everyone should get to enjoy as they grow up.

RSVP for the event on Facebook and share it with your friends!

Mrs. Mass checks out Sandbar Subs

Our new neighbor across the street, the Sandbar Subs World Headquarters, has been open for almost a month now and business seems to be brisk.

If you haven't stopped by to check it out, you should-- it's not just a sandwich shop (although the sandwiches and wraps are delicious!) but also a place you can stop and get a fountain drink, a cell phone charger or a bottle of Advil.

Remember Round Corner? For you newbies, it was a drugstore on the corner of 8th and Mass, where Italian restaurant Intorno now sits. Round Corner was an old-fashioned drugstore that also housed the Cheese Shoppe, one of Dave's favorite former restaurants downtown.

Well, personally, the new Sandbar Subs reminds me of a cross between the two. Think convenience store plus quick, quality food.

We aren't the only ones who think so. Our Twitter friend Mrs. Mass recently paid a visit across the street and wrote about her experience for the Lawrence Journal-World.

Favorite quote:

"Did I say this sub shop is going to do wonders for downtown? ... This sub shop is going to do wonders for downtown."

You can read the full article here. Apologies in advance if you have to answer weird Google survey questions in order to read the story-- we promise it's worth it!