Shh, don’t tell anyone but Salem is beautiful

While walking downtown with my friend, we discovered a few things about Salem,

Number One: It’s weird! I spied a man dressed in a three-piece suit coming out of his car. Surely that is not unusual, however in his car were numerous stuffed fish pillows. I wonder what the guy does for a living?

Number Two: Salem has history. We spotted a gigantic Douglas fir tree that had been to the moon (many thanks to my tour guide friend) and visited the State Library. The building was amazing with artwork created by Salem crafters. On display were Dorthea Lange’s photographs and I felt so very lucky to see them up close especially since she captured such intimate moments in history. Then we walked into the library that housed thousands of books and periodicals all about Oregon. I so want to go back and check out their microfiche collection.

Number Three: Salem is really beautiful. I spotted interesting vignettes that could have been found in Europe. I found buildings with interesting architecture and was greated by friendly people who took pride working in Salem. We can often overlook how lovely our town is, taking it all for granted, or we can admire Salem for what is is now–not what it was way back when, and not what it will become in the future. Nope, Salem is beautiful and wonderful right now, with it’s love handles and blemishes. I claim her for my own! Surely Salem is beautiful!