You ever get recommended to check a place out by someone who forgot where it was? Happened to us on our way back home from a trip. Wife's mom recommended we check out Spragpole along the way, but when we were trying to get directions, she got her towns mixed up, resulting in a lot of searching out the window. After we'd decided to move on, a few miles later, we saw a sign for the Spragpole exit and pulled off to check it out.
When you first walk inside, you're immediately hit with an old timey saloon vibe. A wood stove burns facing the entrance, heating the dining area. We were greeted by the bartender as we proceeded to an unmarked door with a sign saying to keep it closed. Taking in a breath, we opened the door and passed through the mining tunnel 10 degrees cooler than the bar.
We emerged to find shelves, and shelves, and shelves of everything you can imagine. Geological samples, steins, baseball cards, old farming equipment, like three walls of old liquor bottles. Decades of history filled each corridor. Eventually, after plotting an elaborate scheme to make off with some steins, we walked into a much cleaner, more organized portion of the museum. Keep in mind, by this point, I thought we were literally underground. This exhibit dove into the area's mining history, complete with the equipment used, topography maps and articles about the region. Really cool stuff for those interested in geology.
Our tour finished, we sat down in the bar for lunch. The menu was standard bar fare. I ordered fish and chips, and my wife got a burger. We also tried a huckleberry milkshake, because everything in this area has huckleberries. Everything was okay, and the milkshake had fresh huckleberries in it, but after finishing our trip, my wife's parents woke up to her experiencing the aftermath of food poisoning. (I slept through the entire thing. Men, am I right, ladies?) My food was okay, but one instance in a meal counts for the meal. An unfortunate incident that put a damper on an otherwise nice stop.
Come to check out the museum, grab a shake and enjoy. read more