Tag: small town

A Beautiful Drive

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Some may find that the long drive from Redmond, Oregon to Kennewick, Washington long and boring.

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Not so with this road trip gal!

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I felt as if history was flashing before me as I drove each mile.  Along with the roadsides of dusty rose-colored flowers and distant mountains are old homes and buildings of long ago.

Many buildings are disintegrating into the ground as nature takes its course, however, each one possesses a story.  As I drive, I find it is fun to imagine what that “story” would have been. What were the people like? How did they live? My imagination soars as the miles pass by me.

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Harmony Is No Longer For Sale!

Last time I saw the small town of Harmony , CA (population 18), it was for sale.  I am not sure who bought it but now it is definitely a place for all to visit!   Harmony can easily be passed in a blink of an eye as you drive between Cambria and Cayucos on Highway 1.  Look for the signs and the word “pottery” and you won’t miss it.

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Harmony is a great spot to enjoy a scone and a true machinano.  The real kind that is served in a tiny cute cup. ( I felt so European.)  Even the owner had old world charm with his accent (Italian, perhaps?) and his friendly demeanor. My friend Yvonne swears the scones are homemade and the best she has ever tasted. (She is my official taster and reviewer of all things with gluten while she is staying with me.) We ate and drank in their cute little garden area.  Next to the garden is a pottery store, small chapel and exterior decor that reminds you that this town is steeped with history.  Down the street (literally a few yards) is a glass blowing studio and store.  I REALLY wanted to buy a number of pieces in this store but since I won’t be paid until the end of September, I held off. Besides, some of the pieces I wanted would eat up an entire paycheck for me!  Expensive, yes, but we are talking high quality glass blowing here.  I have been to a lot of  glass stores this summer and I will say that hands down, this glass blower creates the most beautiful work I have ever seen.  His eye for color and detail are truly amazing. So, expensive, yes, but justly so.

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Door

So you may wonder where do the population of 18 live in Harmony, I did to.  So, I drove my little  car, ignoring the dirt road ahead sign, and took the only small road I could find.  There were a few   houses, but not many. At the end of this road was a dog kennel and I wondered if the town of Harmony counted the dogs in their population because I could not figure out how they came up with a population of 18 with so few houses.  Anyway, like “bears to honey,” I found another barn to photograph and this made my day. It was like finding a secret treasure hidden away.

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Have you ever been to Paris

and Dingle in one day?  I now, can say I have!   Dingle’s welcome sign states that  it is “The Capitol of the World” while Paris boasts a population of 479!,

Ummm, what can I say about Dingle?  It is very small. There are a few red barns. Since pictures are worth a thousand words, it looks like this:

Paris in the summer, ahhhh.  As you can see by the signs, Paris is older than Dingle even though they are only across Bear Lake from each other.

Just as Paris, France has the Eiffel Tower, Paris, Idaho has the Paris Tabernacle:

                                                                                                                                            

The average visitor may not believe their eyes when they hear that all the wood is made out of pine in the tabernacle.

Apparently, the settlers who built this tabernacle thought pine looked cheap, so they hand painted all the wood to look like oak.

                             The reason the ceiling looks like it should be on a ship is that a shipbuilder made it!                                                                                                        

To get stone to build this building, people would wait for the lake to freeze over in the winter,  then cross the lake,  cut the rock and then bring cut stones all the way back across the lake.

Side note for my antique lovers out there: There is only one antique store in Paris. Everyone in town agrees that the store is overpriced but the owner makes really great pizza.  (It is amazing the things you find out from a tour guide, isn’t it?)