On Saturday we decided we'd act like tourists for a change and drove around in the truck checking out the local attractions. The place everyone seemed to want to go was a town just over the border in Minnesota called Stillwater, claimed to be the birthplace of Minnesota.
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| Shops and shoppers in historic Stillwater |
The traffic was insane and parking lots and street slots alike were full. We were hungry after a morning of motor touring and went in to the Water Street Inn to have lunch in Charlie's Irish Pub. Most folks were seated outside to enjoy the summer weather and the people watching, but I was content with the show I was getting by looking at the ceiling.
Dancing girls circled the room, echoed off the wallpaper border along the top. I looked at quite a few of their faces to see if the artist had hidden anything in their expressions but they looked pretty serious about the business at hand.
The business that had Stillwater booming in the mid 1800's was lumber, but these days their business is catering to folks cruising up and down the St. Croix River or cruising up and down the small town's streets to spend money in the shops.
The other rooms on the ground floor of the Water Street Inn had painted ceilings inspired by their wallpaper borders too. And one of them had the original tin ceilings...painted pink.
The town reminded me of Lake Geneva, flooded with people who have nothing better to do on the weekend than wander around aimlessly trying to find something to spend money on. And while the ceilings were fun to examine, I wasn't as thrilled when I examined our lunch tab. I ordered a chicken salad wrap that cost $15.95 and it wasn't even filling. The ingredients were fresh and of good quality, but $16 for a sandwich? We paid $43 for lunch and that was with two glasses of water, no drinks or appetizers or desserts or anything extra. I don't know about you, but I got a lot of things I'd rather spend $43 on and they last longer than a sandwich in my stomach does! It did inspire me though to make up my own batch of chicken salad with fresh chicken breast, grapes, dried cranberries and almonds in it when I got home today that was just as tasty and much more economical.
Linking up to Monday Mural.
Love the painted ceilings - especially the dancing girls!
ReplyDeleteThere must have been a Leonardo Da Vinci artist been painting on the ceiling, lying on his back I suppose.
ReplyDeleteQuite the chorus line! Tom The Backroads Traveller
ReplyDeleteNow I want a pink tin ceiling :)
ReplyDeleteBox Canyon Mark
lots going on on those ceilings, love it!
ReplyDeleteGreat ceilings. You have to figure some of that lunch cost was for entertainment. ;-D
ReplyDeleteGreat ceilings. You have to figure some of that lunch cost was for entertainment. ;-D
ReplyDeleteOnly place I've ever been in Stillwater is the prison.
ReplyDeleteWonder what Judy was in the slammer for? Love those ceilings and am horrified at your lunch bill. Good grief $43 for two sandwiches and water. I agree, there are lots of other things I could spend $43 on that would be a much better value. I will never get people who shop for entertainment but I see them too in all the "tourist" places just looking frantically for ways to spend their money. They must have way more than they need that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteI loved your post for the many nice murals and for the candor - yeah, $16 for a sandwich is quite pricey. I too have been to a place or two like that, but I didn't get much to eat either.
Hopefully, we will have better luck at the next lunch stop!
Have a Wonderful Day!
Peace :)
The painted ceilings are a real kick. I a impressed with all the people walking the main street, which is something you don't often see in an old downtown. Lunch was indeed pricey. Can I come to your house for chicken salad? Thanks for contributing to this week's Monday Mural.
ReplyDelete