BE MERRY

If you're looking for a truly unique dining experience, you won't need to travel any further than Dayton next week­end. As part of the Mule Mania activities, authentic chuck wagons will set up behind the fairgrounds grandstands and serve dinner to lucky ticket holders at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings (July 19 and 20).

Tickets are only $15 per person and can be ordered in ad­vance by filling out and mailing the order form linked to from the "Chuck Wagon Dinners" page at the www.mulemania.com website.

Pick up your tickets at the booth by the chuck wagons on Friday and Saturday evenings, then get in line at the chuck wagon of your choice and enjoy an authentic cowboy-style meal.

Seven chuck wagons will be present at this year's event:

Prosperity Flats from Maple Valley, Wash. will be manned by John and Sandra Sullivan and Randy Hawkins. This 1905 Weber Wagon was restored to museum quality by owners John and Sandra Sullivan who purchased remnants of the original wagon from a ranch in west Texas.

Paradise Rose from Arlington, Ore. belongs to Rod McGuire, Lori McGuire and John Spain. This original Peter Schuttler Wagon was built in the late 1800's and is all original except for the chuck box.

Musselshell Wagon from Round Up, Mont. is owned and operated by Dan &Carol McCaffree. This 1895 Moline Rocky Mountain Special Wagon is a unique outfit loaded with period gear.

Clatier Family Wagon from Rupert, Ida. is owned by Tony Clatier, Diana and Adam. This 1922 WW Wagon was used on the UV Ranch in northern Nevada until after WWII when it was elected to the Pioneer Hall of Fame.

Coyote Mule Wagon from Cottonwood, Ida. is owned by Barney & Bobbi Chambers and manned by head cooks Judy and Gary Porter. This 1870 Thornhill, sold by Combs - Comer and Co. of Celina, TN was fully restored by Les Myers in 2005.

Lightning A Chuck Wagon from Chewelah, Wash is owned by Les and Pat Myers who also act as the head cooks. The original 1890's Weber Wagon has been converted to a chuck wagon as authentically as possible. Weber started building wagons in 1845 and in the 1900's was bought out by International Harvester.

Krause Wagon from Milton-Freewater, Ore. is owned by Ron Krause and head cook is John Sicocan. This wagon came from the front yard of a farm south of Walla Walla and was loaded into a pickup in many pieces with broken down wheels, no tongue and not much left of a farmer-built box. The maker and history are unknown. Ron Krause of Walla Walla began restoration work on the chuck wagon in 2010 and has displayed it at Fort Walla Walla Days the last two years.

If you can't make dinner on Friday or Saturday night, you might consider the Breakfast of Champions on Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday morning (July 19, 20, 21) for $8 per person. Tickets are unnecessary as breakfast is served on a first-come-first-served basis.