The best little town in Oregon

Jeff has decided that, if he is to continue working at a job that causes him continual stress, he must have things to look forward to.

Meaning: trips.

They don't necessarily have to be extravagant affairs, just relaxing.

Our August getaway, courtesy of a Living Social deal, was to the Silverton Inn and Suites, in, you guessed it, Silverton.

We arrived on Thursday evening, much later than I had hoped due to an, er, difference of opinion that needed resolving. Thirty-two plus years and it's finally getting easier to have those difficult discussions. 

Does that give anyone else hope? 

The room was elegant and had a kitchenette. I particularly liked the bathroom. It is an older hotel that was recently renovated and the old-style architecture adds charm to the new decor. The foyer was quite magnificent, with a vineyard theme and high ceilings, large artwork, lots of couches and seating areas and a big fireplace.  

We were in the middle of a hot spell in August, so we went for a short walk around the town before settling in. The inn is right in town, but Silverton is a pretty sleepy little town so noise is not an issue. 

The town is full of murals.

We also discovered, much to our surprise, that a river runs right behind the shops on the west side of the street. How many times have we driven through the town on our way to Silver Falls and never known? Several restaurants overlook the river and it makes for a pleasant dining experience on a balmy summer evening, as we discovered the next day.

Jeff had to work on Friday. It was only slightly further to his workplace than from home, so I figured I would have a quiet day, reading and crocheting and relaxing, then he could get off work early and we would have time to visit the Oregon Gardens, as tickets were included in the deal.

I slept in, then ate breakfast right before they closed the dining room for the day. Before it got too hot, I took a little saunter around town. Can I just say that I think that Silverton is the quaintest town I have ever inhabited, bar none. Maybe they work at it a tad too hard, but I was hooked.

The main street is full of eclectic stores. The frontages of the antique/knick-knack shops are lined with inviting chairs and samples of their wares. Colourful cushions adorn the chairs and fairly beg a pedestrian to sit and take a load off.

 

This is small-town America at its best. 

The chairs and other items stay on the sidewalks all day and night.

How awesome is that?

It's almost as if you are stepping back into time, fifty years or more.

Our plan had been to spend Saturday hiking the trail at Silver Falls, but we made a serendipitous discovery upon arrival.

This was the one weekend out of the year when Silverton hosts a fine arts festival. 

Silverton apparently makes a great effort to foster artists.

These banners were all over town.

I perused a few stores, but managed to resist temptation, then wandered around the river.

This is the view from under the footbridge...

 

...that has a covered walkway on top.

I walked up the main highway for a while and turned into a neighbourhood. The houses were small, but some were very unique and interesting. I noticed that one garden in particular was lush and full of colour. I admired it as I walked past and continued on my walk. 

I kept thinking that I should have taken some photographs and was kicking myself for not being brave enough to knock on the door and ask permission. After about a block I girded up my loins and doubled back in my tracks. The owner, Maury, was doing something to his truck and was more than happy to let me wander through his slice of paradise to take photos.

In fact, he dogged my footsteps and gave me a running commentary!

His wife, Susan, came out of the house to see what was going on and the three of us spent a very pleasant half-hour together. Their garden is small and flows around the footprint of their house, but every inch is full of character and colour. Almost every decoration was made by the couple.

Take a stroll with me around Maury and Susan's garden.

And here is the man himself. 

Susan was not enamoured of the idea of being photographed.

Walking back to the hotel, I passed the city library, wherein was being held a book sale. I managed to succumb to the temptation of a few books I have really enjoyed over the last few years and wanted to own.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.

The Help.

The Secret Life of Bees.

And some Shirley Temple DVD's for Bethany.

I sat in the nice, cool lobby for an hour or so and worked on the latest crocheted blanket, expecting Jeff to return at any time. As it turned out, there was an accident on the freeway and by the time he got back to Silverton it was dinnertime. We ate fish and chips on a balcony above the river and saved our Oregon Garden tickets for another time.

We spent most of Saturday in this park, listening to bands and looking at art.
It was a great day.
And yes, my kids will inherit just a few more art pieces after our outing to Silverton.

We added some wood pieces to our collection. The texture on these is so fine that I just want to caress them every time I walk past.

But that would be creepy, so I don't.

This painting was a bit of an extravagant purchase, but it will go nicely in our bedroom once I redecorate the walls. It was the winner of the poster art competition for next year's Iris Festival, so is historic in a way.

I loved this sign and it was only a small amount of money. It now sits outside the door to my music room.

I keep hoping it will inspire little musicians.

And, last but not least, my new native American flute, after which I have been hankering for a long time.

Some day, I may even learn to play it.

With over 80 artists displaying their wares, I was tempted by so much more. Jeff kept doing his head-shaking thing, so my impulses were curtailed, but I still regret the artisan compost container for the kitchen counter, more than one vase, and several paintings that we didn't bring home.

Next time, I'm taking the girlfriends.

Third weekend in August, girls!