Mt. Angel - Clock Envy

We were in Mt. Angel for the Glockenspiel, and specifically for the 4:00 PM showing. The restaurant has a clock tower to let you know when the time is getting close.

I was surprised at how many other clock towers there were though. It's not exactly that a small town should only have one, because from different parts of town and different angles you might not be able to see the same one. Still, when you are able to see four big clocks from the same spot, that feels a little competitive.

Of these, the most competitive is the Big Cuckoo.

Where is the Big Cuckoo? Good question.

There is a big clock, and the numbers periodically move backwards and do wacky things, then revert to the correct time. (Or at least approximately correct.) But right now there is no cuckoo, just some whimsically painted German characters.

If you would like to help contribute to the Big Cuckoo, you can find more information at http://bigcuckoo.com/

Take that Glockenspiel down a notch.

Mt. Angel - The Glockenspiel

When looking up Oregon roadside attractions, one that often comes up is The Glockenspiel in Mt. Angel.

While The Glockenspiel is primarily a restaurant, the roadside attraction part is the clock tower that periodically (not hourly) plays music and has moving figures, evidently a tribute to the Rathaus-Glockenspiel in Munich.

You can view the workings of glockenspiel at 11 AM, 1 PM, 4 PM, and 7 PM daily.

The restaurant building is very attractive, and even when it is not running you can see a little boy and girl on a swing.

We got there at about 3:40 PM, and waited for the wooden shutters to open up and reveal the dancing characters.

I thought it was really stupid.

The characters revolve a little while music plays, and because the platform they are on rotates, you get to see all of them at one point or another.

But they weren't that beautiful or doing anything that interesting, and boy, that Indian was red!

Like, is racist representation better than erasure?

So when we got to the couple, and the man in the suit is holding an axe behind the woman, making it seem like he might murder her, that was as good as it got. I mean, you don't dress like that to chop wood; so she married an axe murderer?

Then for the big finale the swing came out a little bit while "Edelweiss" played. The guy in the suit without the murder weapon took center stage again, the windows closed, and I was glad we had done other things and had not driven out just to see that.

 I am generally good at appreciating things, but this time I was not impressed.

Can't win 'em all!

https://www.glockenspielrestaurant.net/

Silverton Oregon - Bobbie the Wonder Dog

We recently drove to Silverton to check out the statue of Bobbie the Wonder Dog.

In addition to the dog statue, there is a replica of his dog house...

and a mural commemorating his travels.

Silverton Bobbie was a Scotch Collie/English Shepherd mix dog separated from his family on a road trip in 1923. They searched for him without success, having to return home heartbroken.

Bobbie showed up six months and 2800 (or 2551, depending on the source, or maybe as much as 3000 because his path can only be approximated) miles later.

Obviously his family was happy, but the story was very popular, .

There were newspaper articles and fan letters, and Bobbie became a legend in his own time.

Sadly that time was somewhat shortened, probably by the hardship of the journey. Silverton Bobbie died in 1927 at the age of six. Rin Tin Tin laid a wreath on his grave.

The intrepid dog's faithfulness is still remembered, especially in Silverton.

The statue is right across from the Silverton Coffee Station, 206 S. Water Street, and it is in a pretty nice area.

Some steps lead down to a little covered bridge and park.

In addition, there were murals everywhere, courtesy of the Silverton Mural Society.

 We went on a very nice day, but even with a little less blue sky I think it would be a nice drive, and all of the motorcycle groups seemed to agree.

http://www.silvertonbobbie.com/Home.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbie_the_Wonder_Dog 
http://silvertonor.com/wp/index.php/mural-map/

Arctic Circle

Arctic Circle relates even more to travel - at least for my family - because going there requires some planning that we combine with other things. In addition to the Oregon locations of Woodburn and Newport, we have also been to one in Idaho Falls. There are a few things that make them stand out.

I do enjoy the fry sauce, which they are known for. I would be fine without it, so I will probably never buy a bottle of it to take away, but if I am there I am going to use it.

Even more important is that they have the great good sense to make their fries from Yukon Gold potatoes. I know there are many fine types of potatoes, but I am starting to realize that a lot of things that Russets can do, Yukon Golds can do better.

We gravitate toward the Angus beef burgers, but I appreciate that there are also salads, fish, and chicken options, and while it does not seem to be universal, I swear I have seen some other localized options like fajitas.

I am also a sucker for them including lime and cherry rickeys on the menu. No, I had never heard of them before, but it was still fun to try. To be fair, their selection of shakes is more alluring, but you can't have everything every time.

Mainly, it's something that we know is getting increasingly hard to find, so we feel a need to support the ones that are left. We have a childhood remembrance of Polar Pals (Arctic Circle claims to have invented the kid's meal), the food is good, and any time we go we are on a vacation or a day trip, so it is fun for us.

http://acburger.com/