Dateland

So I'm driving along the 8* and about the time my stomach and gas tank are running low, I start seeing signs for "Dateland". Didn't really think anything of it at first. But not long after that, I saw some signs suggesting that drivers stop for a "World Famous Date Milkshake". Cuuuurious.

So, clearly I had to stop and see what all the hubbub was about. The part of town by the interstate consisted of exactly one restaurant/gift shop and one gas station... and nothing else as far as you could see in any direction. Anyway, got some tasty breakfast burritos and a date shake to go.

In a word... strange. Pretty tasty (albeit reeeeally sweet, not that there's anything wrong with that). Pretty much what you would expect: a milkshake with chunks of date in it. Actually worked fairly well with the straw. Anyway, had to share. I'd never heard of such a thing. They also had some kind of cactus shake, so if anyone heads that way, I expect a review!

*So I have a question. None of the party girls had an answer for me, so perhaps someone out there can shed some light. At what point do roads take on the "the X" moniker? On the east coast, it's always just "ninety-five" or "sixty-six". But in SoCal and Phoenix at least, it's "the ten" or "the four-oh-five". I didn't notice people doing it in Utah or Wyoming, so maybe it's just a southwest thing.