Q: So, Kathy, how was the rest of your trip to Salem?
A: Well, I don't know. I wasn't really into going, and was rather fussy. Also, we stayed in a different motel this time, taking advantage of the group rate that was being offered. The cost was nearly $40 less, but without the amenities (no DVD player, no fridge or microwave, etc.) The room was clean, but had two queens instead of one king. They put us up on the 4th floor, so we got a very high ceiling, and nobody could walk by and look into our room, so that was a good thing. Except, I had a hard time of letting go of the fact that we should have stayed at our regular spot across the street. It ended up fine though. Cary did get the opportunity to visit with the MSHA guys that were also staying in the same place we were.
Q: How did the meeting itself go?
A: It went well. I got a lot of material for my Preparing for an MSHA Inspection blog (look on the sidebar and click on that link if you would like to read about the meeting).
Q: What did you do after the meeting?
A: We decided to leave town, heading back towards home. But it was already 5:00, and home is a 3 hour drive. We got off at the Stayton exit because there was a sign for lodging, and we had never been to Stayton. Being adventureous, we thought what the heck, it was worth a try. We missed the motel, which was tucked back off the road, and drove into Sublimity and got some gas. There was a little restaurant there called Wooden Nickel. (Look up: woodennickel.com) We stopped in there and the people were very nice. We decided to get a room at the one and only motel in town, and then went back to the Wooden Nickel for dinner. I had a guacamole cheeseburger with tater tots, and Cary had a steak dinner with shrimp.
We took a taxi back to The Wooden Nickel. It was only $5.00. Just in case...so we wouldn't have to worry about anything. That place was hoppin! It was $1.00 beer with .50 cheese sliders night, and there were a couple of 21st birthday parties going on. They also have Cheap Date Wednesdays there, meaning that you can get a steak dinner for two for $16.99. The crowd was so friendly, and the bartenders were amazing to watch. Those girls had it down! Best of all, we met a really nice couple sitting next to us ...Virginia and Brody. We exchanged emails, and now Virginia and I are Facebook friends. How neat! We hope to see them again sometime soon.
Right before our new friends left to go home, the fights started. Some guy pushed some girl down outside and all hell broke loose. They tried to get everybody settled down, but the fights broke out again about an hour later. The cops were called. From three towns! Aumsville, Stayton and Turner (a whole 9 miles away, according to our taxi driver). Really nice cops, by-the-way. I don't think that anybody got hurt or arrested. They were just nice kids, really. We were talking to the police while out waiting for our taxi, kind of glad that we had made that taxi decision and leaving our car at the motel. I was talking to the Aumsville cop, telling him that my friend's sister was married to one of their cops at one time. He knew who I was talking about, and said that guy had died awhile back, sitting in his chair. They really never did find out what had happened. That's kind of a sad deal.
When the taxi driver arrived, he could not believe all of the action. He said that The Wooden Nickel was a really quiet place that usually closed by 10:00 on weeknights. We explained about the 21st birthdays, and then he understood. We had so much fun, and will be back to The Wooden Nickel in Sublimity sometime. I guess they have another restaurant in Silverton too. Silverton is not far from Silver Creek Falls, where I want to go to sometime and take a bunch of pictures so that I can share them with you guys who have never been there. I've only been once, a long time ago. Waterfalls appear right in the middle of flat ground.
So, all in all, it was a good trip. But, it doesn't look like we will be going to see the Yankees and the Mariners live and in person. That's okay, it's raining in Seattle, and just easier to watch the games on television. I am so glad to be home!
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