That Wondrous Time: still life with travel

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Stories of Summer, Ch. 17: The 123 Year Old Diner

Last Summer, while on our Detroit / Niagara adventure, we stumbled upon a most fascinating little spot -- a 123 year old diner (during last year's visit, it was a mere 122 years). While in Niagara, we opted for a morning away from the Falls in hopes of discovering more wonders around town... and we were not disappointed!

While I was busy photographing an old sign down the street, Josh disappeared into Simon's. From the outside, he couldn't quite tell what sort of establishment it was. A few minutes later he returned to say "I think I found something you're going to want to see."

When I walked into the diner, I couldn't believe my eyes. I wasn't exactly sure what to make of the place. In addition to the beautiful red barstools and colorful menus, there were mementos e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. Tables stacked with piles of papers, photographs, and newspaper clippings; clusters of vases and ceramic figurines; an old Canadian scout uniform hanging on a rack; random oddities, maps, lamps and paintings, and boxes, boxes, and more boxes of who knows what stacked high against the walls. Truly a sight to behold.

We didn't want to ogle and run, so we sat down at the bar and ordered up a classic diner breakfast: eggs, sausage, and coffee. When the waitress asked "Would you like white or brown toast with that?" I knew we were in for a real treat.

If we are ever lucky enough to return to Niagara Falls, I sure hope Simon's is still around.

Simon's is a family business, operated by a rather charming husband and wife who were very happy to let us explore and take pictures (although they weren't quite sure what all the fuss was about!) The proprietor, pictured above.