Sonic is Marching Northward–Yippee!!?
Sonic has finally made its way into the Northeast, and for that, we are in a strait betwixt two very hard places—an immense joy in having such comparatively easy access to Sonic and a terror getting fat and going broke. Sonic is our family’s all-time favorite fast food, but between the cost and the health considerations, we’re not quite confident that the easy availability is, necessarily, such a good thing.
Thankfully, the closest Sonic is a good half hour away, in a direction we go only once a week, on a day when we’re not likely to stop anyway. Every now and then, though, there’s something about the thought of a Sonic Sunrise or a Coconut Cream Pie Milkshake that drives out all consideration of the state of the economy (and our personal budget) or the nutritional information that is, most likely, available on the Sonic website. The drinks and desserts aren’t the only draw, either. The “tater tots” and onion rings that they offer as a substitute for French fries are a great alternative, and their burgers aren’t bad at all. When we’re not in the mood for a hamburger, there’s always the Coney dog…not a bad change from your everyday hot dog!
We first discovered Sonic in South Carolina, where we used to live. The first one we saw was a pretty decent hike from home, but it reminded my folks of the drive-ins of their teenage days, so we made occasional treks out to enjoy sitting in the parked car to eat fast food. Several years later, another Sonic went in just up the street from the dormitories where I lived during college, and we ended up at that location a whole lot more often, especially after I graduated and could better afford such things. For a few years after graduation, any trip down to the campus always included at least one meal at Sonic, with the last meal in the area always sure to include at least a Sonic milkshake or a Sonic Sunrise as I was leaving town.
After we moved to the Northeast and got cable, we considered it to be cruel and unusual punishment to see commercials for Sonic, since the closest one we could find online was down in Virginia—not exactly close enough for a quick lunch! Imagine our delight when we learned that a Sonic had just been put into the new shopping center where my dad was working for a couple weeks. Not long after, another location opened up right down the street (okay, about 15 minutes “down the street”) from where my folks now live, in the heart of outlet country (go figure!). If that’s not enough, Dad recently ran into a couple who own both of those locations and are planning another that is actually on the road that Mom and Dad travel every day to work! It’s a little bit out of the way that we usually go to their house, but we just may have to alter our usual course…and get a little bit fatter and a little closer to broke….