Exploring Our Town

We have lived in the same town for almost six years, and while we've been in the downtown area many times, we've never really explored it, or looked in some of the more obscure shops.  Today, Mama and I began to change that.

She picked my up from work and told me we were going out to eat somewhere.  We had several options, all down town.  The first was a pizza place we'd heard good things about, but when we drove by we realized why we'd never noticed it.  The purple and black paint, combined with the open, two-story garage door, and the gloomy, television centered interior made it look a bit more like a creepy bar than a pizza place.  We weren't quite in the creepy bar mood, so we opted for a small restaurant housed in what had at one time (probably the 1800's) been a hotel.  It was a black tablecloth and origami napkins affair, so we were expecting the lunches to be pretty high.  We were so wrong. 

The seafood chowder was absolutely delicious!  Huge chunks of salmon and lobster, in a creamy sauce with carrots, corn, and potatoes.  Mmm.   We also got the house's specialty potoato chips, and a salad.  In the end, our meals combined cost less that fourteen dollar, including the tip.  Why weren't they busier!?!  It's definately an undiscovered gem.

This is not a restaurant review blog, so I'll skip to where we went next - two antique stores!  The one looked extremely promising, but all we found was some spoons for a craft Beth's making.  And a fork with the letter E on it.  The second antique store had an unassuming front, and givent the quantity of fake flowers and the lack of anything looking antiquey, I was doubtful about it.  This store was full of fun fifties juice glasses and little tin dishes; quilts and pyrex, all sorts of things.  But mostly dishes.  If anyone is looking for a full set of smokey orange and green pumpkin shaped dishes, let me know and I'll pick them up for you. Or corn themed ones - I'm sure drinking out of a tumbler that looks like an over grown corn cob would heighten your drinking experience. 

If pumpkin dishes aren't for you, that's OK.  Maybe next time we'll visit the Carnegie Center.  Or follow the arrow on the sign that says "Learn to Scuba Dive, Upstairs." 

I love exploring places that are nearby.  I think that's part of what makes a town your home - knowing it well, and loving it.