Winking Owl

Sitting on the patio last night with my beautiful bride Brenda (a.k.a. the “Head Stinker” at our Smelly Gourmet Coffee Bar, Gift and Sandwich Shop), and Catrina (the proprietor of the Cat & Fiddle Inn), sharing a nice bottle of Winking Owl Merlot (vintage maybe yesterday morning, $2.59 at Aldi’s), we were again discussing what makes Metamora so unique to our visitors when we don’t have the glitter and glitz of larger tourist destinations.

We know there is a significant appeal to many who return time after time to visit us, because they keep coming back and enjoying life with us. But, when trying to nail down the specific aspects that make our village a desirable destination, for use in advertising to grow our tourist traffic, we always get stuck on identifying the specifics.

Our conversation turned to the experiences and positive reactions of recent visitors to our shops.

Brenda and I had an experience yesterday when a large group of visitors came in out of the rain at the same time, all looking for lunch. They were part of a tour group numbering about 80 that came into Metamora on a chartered train, and apparently their tour organizer had not made sufficient arrangements for lunch.

So we got busy and did the best we could to feed them all our fine grilled cheese Panini sandwiches (in eleven varieties!). Those who are familiar with our shop know that we have four small tables each normally with three seats. That is a total of twelve seats, and it is unusual for us to feed more than four or six at a time. But here we had eighteen hungry tourists all at once.

So we got busy and cranked out their orders. Some sat outside under the covered portion of our patio, we found some extra chairs to have four at each table, and a couple sat on chairs next to the fireplace with no table. Brenda ran the back cooking like a wild woman, and I ran the front furiously trying to keep everyone happy and cheerful while getting their food to them as fast as she could prepare it.

So our facilities were not satisfactory for such a group, and some of these fine folks had to wait awhile to get their orders. But as I ran around out front and back and forth to the kitchen, I talked with most of the diners, apologizing for delays and joking with them about weather, trains, tour group organizers, etc.

And ultimately they were all happy! When they left, they were full of compliments and seemed all in great spirits (well, there was one lady, the last to be served, that even the “Smelly Himself” charm could not charm.) Many of them commented on coming back in to see us in the future. While maybe not happy with their tour organizer, they were happy with their experience in our place even if food was a long time in delivery.

Then Catrina recounted the time in her shop when she was very busy multi-tasking, preparing breakfast for a group of her overnight guests while getting other things ready for the day. Extremely unusual for her, she told us she burnt the biscuits for breakfast- not black, but overdone. (I know I’m going to be in trouble with her for writing this.)

She said she went out to her breakfast guests and started apologizing, frazzled as she was. And she took the time to engage in conversation with them and they made her slow down and sit down and eat with them (without biscuits, of course.) And Catrina said it was just a wonderful experience for both her and the guests, who have come back to stay at her Inn again despite the biscuits.

Our conversation moved on to one of the local B&B’s that none of us thought was particularly well appointed and could use some facility maintenance (paint, new furniture), but we were all aware (due to talking with customers in our shop who were guests in this B&B) how much these folks LOVE that business and as a result, the village. And we knew the reason for their intense pleasure is the personality of the proprietor of that establishment, whom all the guests just love so much because of the proprietor’s outgoing personality and attention she pays her guests.

So with these stories fresh in mind and with the clarity evoked through the Winking Owl, we realized how visitors don’t necessarily come for glitz and glitter, or night life or a large assortment of fancy shops, or even for fine cuisine (though you can usually get fine cuisine at both of our places), but what they most enjoy, and return for, is the experiences with the personalities.

We care about our visitors, and want them to have a wonderful time. We interact with them and try to have fun with them, tell them about ourselves, our wonderful village and Whitewater Valley, and learn about them- who they are, where they are from, what they do.

Yes, we also try to provide them with the best services and our products we can, but when you are outgoing, and engage personalities with them, most people recognize that despite how hard you work, sometimes stuff happens and things will not be perfect. They are quite willing to overlook things as long as we share ourselves with them.

So, in a sense, we realized, we are prostitutes, keeping our businesses alive by selling ourselves. People come for the experience. That experience is unique in Metamora because this is the only place you will find a Catrina, or a Smelly & Head Stinker, and those characters are real people who work to make visitors and guests have a great time and enjoy our unique surroundings.

Sure, there are some shops in Metamora whose proprietors do not understand this concept. But there is a growing number who do. And we’ll be here when you come to visit us.

FREE Concert by the "Tillers"

The "Tillers" are coming to Metamora August 15 from 1 to 4 at the Gristmill. Opening for the Tillers will be Metamora's own "Baggy Bottom Boys". Come enjoy this free family friendly concert. It doesn't cost anything to visit Metamora and you can enjoy a day to totally relax and let the stresses of the real world behind.

Tillers coming to Metamora

August 15, Come and hear the Tillers in Metamora at 1:00 at the Grist Mill. The Tillers came into being while busking for nickels, dimes and burritos in the gaslight Clifton district of Cincinnati. In August 2007, Westside comrades Mike Oberst and Sean Geil united their fondness for thumping out old-timey folk and street-style blues. With Oberst on banjo, Geil on guitar, and soon finding a bassist in Jason Soudrette, the trio plunged into the Cincinnati pub scene, serving a concoction of old-time traditionals, labor standards, and some less typical songs of the people's perspective. The band is both traditional and progressive. They resurrect songs of America's past, touching on themes both historical and timeless. The dusty songs of dead generations take new life and energy before spry young audiences. Clawhammer banjo, accoustic guitar, and wooden upright bass meet high mountain harmonies that belt and croon, lament and rejoice. Stories of work and struggle are revived and rekindled. Country blues classics meet new, less known ballads while we all stomp and sing along. Opening for the Tillers will be Metamora's own "Baggy Bottom Boys" which will take the stage at 12 noon.

Metamora Indiana Strawberry Days

Metamora, Indiana is an 1838 Historic Canal Town that attract thousands of visitors every year. People enjoy visiting Metamora because there is no other town simular to this amazing old world town.




On June 6th and 7th the town held its annual Strawberry Festival/1838 Days. For 23 years, Metamora has welcomed the summer with their famous Strawberry Day Festival. Visitors enjoyed strawberry shortcake loaded with ice cream and whipped cream.

The weather was perfect - a beautiful sunny weekend that was not too hot. Visitors could hear old time music around town by one of Metamora's favorite musicians "Pappa Joe".

Music was also onboard the Canal Boat and riders enjoyed the songs by John Kogge while they were pulled by horses down the canal.

Of cource you can't have a Strawberry Festival without a pie eating contest.

Metamora's next event will be held on June 20th. This is a special day for Red Hatters.

You can find more information about Metamora, Indiana by visiting the website: http://www.metamoraindiana.com/

Hibernatory Creativity

When Paul Baudendistel hibernates for the winter, he keeps active by building models - at least, he has for this winter. We felt priveleged to be allowed into his home for a preview of these two models, one of a canal boat (lower photo) and the other of the Metamora aqueduct (top photo.)

Both models are built with open spaces to allow the viewer to see inside the structure to be able to understand how it is structured. The aqueduct, in particular, is amazingly complex. Both models are wonderfully executed.

Paul is not sure yet of what will happen to his work once it is complete. He really would like it used as part of an interpretive center for the canal, but there is no permanent facility on the horizon yet. He did discuss the possibility of setting up some sort of temporary interpretive display on some Metamora property. We shall hope with him.