2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 3 - The Rest of the Day in Salem

After experiencing a plethora (I love that word for some crazy reason) of emotions, we were starved. Joan had found a fabulous little restaurant nearby called Word of Mouth Neighborhood Bistro (website). She also heard there was usually a long wait, but worth it. It was a little gray cottage converted to a cozy cafe with about 30 seats and, surprisingly, a full bar. 

Yes, we did have a wait of about 35 minutes, but we sat on comfortably padded benches on the inside porch. There were little sayings displayed around like "Every sixty seconds you spend angry, upset or mad, is a full minute of happiness you'll never get back" and "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" These got you into conversations which helped pass the time. Before we knew it we were seated in a private little alcove.

And, yes, the wait was worth it. Service was great and everything on the menu sounded good. Joan ordered a chicken breast sandwich with fries. I got the huge ciabatta bread sandwich stacked with fresh mozzarella, veggies and avocado. Instead of fries, I got wild mushroom soup (I think the best I ever ate). I downed every bite. It was so delish and I could not bear to leave a crumb behind even though I was stuffed.

Joan had just moved here in May, so we explored downtown Salem together. It is about a 4x4 block area with old and new buildings mixed together. I particularly liked the US Bank (above), previously the Ladd & Bush Bank Building (1870). We also discovered the old Reed's Opera House and the Pentacle live arts theatre. 

We stopped in a number of little shops--a pastry store called The Little Cannoli (bought dessert for later) and a book and gift store (got a travel pill case). Among others, we browsed Lilli's kitchenware store, a handmade soap shop and

a great second-hand store.

Then Joan offered a driving tour of some other landmarks downtown--the library, the farmer's market, the museum, the building my cousin Kristan works in, and some of the Willamette University campus.

Salem is the capitol of Oregon, so we drove by the lovely capitol building. It is constructed of white/gray marble, looking a bit like a wedding cake, and topped with the gold statue of the Oregon Pioneer. It is a combination of Greek, Egyptian and Art Deco style and was completed in 1938.

We took a break and went back to the apartment. Sammy was ready for some playtime. He does not meow, but kind of squalls. Never heard anything like that before. Sounds like he is hurting or ready to throw a hair ball, but that is just his normal sound. He is an 18-pound short haired tabby, but has almost a flat nose like a Persian. It's a crazy combo of cat attributes, but a lovey kitty.

We had a date with Kristan (K&J's daughter and my cousin) and her hubby, Lee, at 6pm. Their cats were a first meeting warmer upper to the conversation. I met Daisy (white with black mustache), Zoe (black with white mustache) and Sable (an older blind tortie). The two young ones were hilarious, tumbling around in a big black and white ball of fur.

In no time we quickly got into a family gabfest. Lots of stories about Uncle Kit (he didn't come on this visit), K&L's kids and grandkids, family vacations, trips to the beach, rock tumbling, crabbing and fishing, Disneyland, and much much more. It was soooo fun to meet and get to know new family. I felt right at home in their home.

I don't know much about baseball, history or stats, so I hope my memory serves me right. Lee Langley (stats) played semi-pro and pro baseball in his sports heyday. He pitched and was a switch hitter with the minor league team Class A Salem Volcanos (website), which was affiliated with the San Francisco Giants.

He was drafted by the LA Dodgers in 1986. Unfortunately he took a line drive to his right eye which cut short his blossoming professional career.

I knew it was true when I noticed a plug of  tobakky in Lee's cheek, but then ... he broke out his official baseball cards and two championship rings. THAT was a thrill for me to see. I took his photo for posterity.

I missed seeing K&L's kids and grandkids, but they recently became empty nesters. Just the two of them in the household for the first time in MANY years. I had to give them a yahoo on that one.

Back home we enjoyed an antipasti dinner which included basil from Auntie's balcony garden, fresh mozzarella, rich balsamic vinegar, artichoke hearts, purple ciopollini onions, red peppers, a variety of olives, hummus, crackers, bread and the porcini infused salt we had purchased yesterday. We topped it off with wine, and cookies from the Italian bakery downtown. It was heaven!

A little TV in the background. A little more gabbing. Then a little dreaming.