Salem, Coos Bay and Grants Pass 10/21-10/25

Salem and the Elsinore Theatre was a special treat. We arrived in Salem a day before the concert as the drive from Longview was quite short. It’s relaxing to us to stay more than one night in a hotel room if we can. Since the drive down I-5 was so short, we took the scenic route from Portland on old 99 and onto state route 213, starting in Oregon City, passing through the charming town of Silverton, finishing up in Salem.
Katherine and I stayed at Creekside Inn, a Bed and Breakfast in Salem, conveniently located near the downtown district. We were able to walk to a restaurant called McGrath’s, a restaurant specializing in seafood. The weather was unbelievable. A very warm evening. We were pleasantly surprised at how active downtown Salem was on a Friday night. We walked past the theater where we were to give a concert the next night.
We set up at the Elsinore Theatre in the early afternoon and then were treated to a fine early Chinese supper by a sponsor of the community concert in Salem. We performed well for the concert. We get a lot of nice compliments about our program which we are very grateful.
We left our nice bed and breakfast for Coos Bay on Sunday morning to make an afternoon matinee. We drove along highway 126 with a Latte in hand to the coast. We were so blessed by the colors of fall and sunny weather. We have been following the changing of the colors since the middle of September.
Coos Bay was a delight. We never know what to expect in the towns we play. Coos Bay has a very active group. George Tinker, a teacher was of valuable assistance to us when we arrived. The tickets were about sold-out. Michael Gordon, the president is full of enthusiasm for community concerts, as he is a musician himself serving as the drummer in his Praise band at church. We were pleased to be invited to the Gordon’s home for an after concert supper of the fanciest salad I have had in recent memory.It was a salad heavy with the condiments and accessories; a real MAN’S salad. We are always happy to be invited to a homemade meal.
The next night 10/23, we played in Grants Pass, OR. We followed highway 42 to I-5 and headed south. We stayed at the Redwood Inn, a wonderful independent motel for 3 nights as we didn’t have to play again until Folsom, CA on 10/26.
Talk about an active group! Grants Pass has sold more tickets than they have seats. There was a crowd waiting for the doors to open. We have had a good time playing in the theaters as we are able to use our terrific “prop” for the “Phantom of the Opera” finale. The technical help in Steve Daggett was tremendous. After the concert, Diane Hess, the president treated us to a pizza at the Rogue River Pizza and Brewing Company. The dinner was topped off with bread pudding with authentic whiskey sauce which we enjoyed in our motel room.
We stayed an extra day in Grants Pass to see what makes the southern Oregon town tick. We toured Wildlife Images, a non-profit animal awareness shelter that takes in orphaned and wounded animals from around the Pacific Northwest. The bears were a highlight. We took a short drive to the Oregon wine growing region of the Applegate Valley. We had a nice tour at the Troon Vineyard where we purchased their catchy labeled wine, “Druids Fluid.” If you have a chance to spend some time in Grants Pass, don’t pass the opportunity.