Tag Archives: antiques

May16

J’ai Fait Une Erreur

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J’ai Fait Une Erreur

I usually publish a post on Wednesdays and Sundays. This past week I woke up extremely very early on Tuesday, hadn’t had my morning coffee yet, and for some absurd reason I published a post, thinking it was Wednesday.

But today really is Sunday, so we’re back on schedule. Today I’ve decided to write about an afternoon I spent in Waterville this week. A half hour away from the hustle and bustle of Wenatchee, this quaint little town is quiet and peaceful.

First stop was the museum. Although the website stated it was open, the sign said closed.

Waterville Museum

The last time I was there we spent several hours there with a very personalized tour given by a local. I enjoy conversations with locals when exploring new towns. And on this visit we had two really interesting ones with locals.

We were walking toward the Douglas County Courthouse when we met a retired couple who were eager to strike up a conversation with tourists.

Douglas County Courthouse

They were preparing for a community wide garage sale taking place this weekend. They have lived in Waterville forever and had a small art gallery with a cafe and bakery. They have now converted this into their residence. This is one of the artistic pieces still adorning the entrance.

On our walk past Pioneer Park we saw the remains of a business destroyed by fire. In the antique store one of the staff provided us with the details. It had been a car repair garage. A car being worked on backfired, resulting in a fire. The owner went back into the building in an attempt to get the sprinkler system activated. Unfortunately he died and the building burned to the ground.

We were also brought us up to date on the historic Waterville Hotel. The only way to see the inside is to actually book a room and stay there. Unfortunately it closed last season due to Covid and there are no plans to open it this season.

Waterville Hotel

Here are pics of the thrift shop and the antique store.

I also had to add these pics of the lilacs. Note the two colors.

I hope to return to Waterville again and find the museum open. And I’d also like to book a room at the hotel and see if it is indeed haunted!

Aug6

Roadtrip To Springdale

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Roadtrip To Springdale

Last weekend my friend Ann and I ventured east to visit her brother in Springdale, Washington, a community close to Spokane. Her brother Robert lives on a farm there on a primitive road. Primitive Road? That’s what the sign said. I’d never seen a sign like that before. Basically it means it’s an unpaved road with lots of curves and no guardrails, just steep drops along the side of the road. And of course there are no warning signs to indicate just where any of this is. But we arrived there safe and sound, and navigating the primitive road over the next few days became old hat.

On our way to Springdale, we took Interstate 90 and coming back to Leavenworth we took Highway 2. Therefore we saw different sights along the way. Of course the breathtaking view of hills and mountains always surrounded us.

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In Crescent Bar we came across an old antique shop. At first glance it appeared abandoned. But in actuality it has some extremely limited hours and wasn’t open when we were there.

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We drove both on the upper and lower roads in Crescent Bar and admired the gorgeous homes embedded in the rock at various heights. Beautiful in the summer, but in the winter I’m not so sure.

Another quaint town we drove through was Reardan. We found a park and sat in the shade sipping water. Nearby a daycare was doing crafts and across the street was a small church with a familiar VBS sign.

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We arrived at the farm and these murals greeted us on the building near the gate.

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We stayed in a delightful guest cottage on the property. The inside was as quaint and charming as the outside. Although you see a dish mounted in the photo, there was no TV. 

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I was enchanted with the goats. They are very shy, but Vicky persuaded them to pose for a picture when she attracted their attention with food.

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I forget how much acreage Vicky and Robert own, but it is substantial. Here are a few miscellaneous pics, including a photo of the front of the rambling seven bedroom main farmhouse.

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We also took a drive to Loon Lake one day where we found a restored vintage schoolhouse and an interesting thrift shop.

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We spent some time in Chewelah and found interesting antiques and a farmer’s market as well as a casino.

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The weekend flew by quickly and we were soon on our way back to Leavenworth. We stopped in Douglas for a quick lunch at a drive-through where I took some photos of a rustic western hotel.

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I look forward to exploring more of Washington state this summer. It is certainly different from the flat prairies where I grew up in Manitoba. The majestic mountains have more than captured my heart.