Fillmore surprises

Spent the afternoon in downtown Fillmore.

It was a chance to really introduce my SIL to our little town while also a chance for me to say "good-bye" to Fillmore for now. I took her to La Fondita, the little restaurant that we had visited our first week here. Good choice. Yummy drinks served in quart jars - hibiscus Jamaica and my favorite - horchata.

We roamed the downtown area. We planned to browse the railroad museum and the historical museum, but they were both closed - so instead we browsed numerous fun little shops. Much to my surprise, we discovered an antique shop located in two train cars. Talk about cramped quarters! We walked through the length of the two cars in astonishment at all the stuff displayed there.

I thought she would enjoy the Little Shoppe of Hoarders - which is full of vintage and novelty items. We discovered Fox and Hound Treasures and Antiques. Then the hunting and fishing store - where 6 large antique dolls greet customers from inside their glass display case - somehow looking out of place in their environment. There is the tack store - that sure enough has saddles and harnesses and saddle bags and blankets and all kinds of riding equipment along one side, but is also a furniture showroom. Elvis costume components show up among the cowboy boots leading to a Graceland corner in the back of the store. We stepped inside the tiny apothecary and breathed in the amazing smells while craning our necks to appreciate the amazingly ornate ceiling.

It seemed that every store held new surprises and tidbits of information about the history of the area. We learned that every building in town had been damaged in the '94 Northridge earthquake and have basically all been rebuilt. We really wished we could get into the vintage theater, but a placard on the front wall explains the mystery of why it is no longer being used for anything; it was constructed of unreinforced block and therefore unsafe in this earthquake prone area.

There's the teeny tiny boutique that opens into the itty bitty salon where I got my hair cut a couple months ago. There is the old hardware store that was established in 1919 and reminds me of Barden's Hardware back home in Kingston also owned by the third generation now. I wish we had checked there last week for our faucet replacement instead of driving to Lowe's in Ventura. Sure enough they had the same faucet - and for $11 less! How can they do that?!?

There's Eli's Discount with the odd assortment of novelty items at the front of the store and lots and lots of empty shelves at the back. There's Estrella Market and Central Market - where the shelves are filled with all kinds of Mexican food ingredients and household supplies and where one can refill your water bottles with pure water.

What a fascinating place - where surprises await behind every storefront.