Small town adventure and a mini safari

Last stop on the big Colorado trip.  I'm in Baker City, Oregon.  Yep, the Oregon Trail went through here but I am not looking at history today.  I am on safari.

I got an early start.  Baker City is on the interstate  but the cool stuff is a few miles off the interstate.

Downtown is pretty quiet (of course it's about 6:30am).

The Geiser Grand Hotel.  An old hotel from the gold mining days.  It was closed in 1968 and during the 1990s the hotel got remodeled.  

The hotel has lots of history.  Old artifacts (perhaps an episode of Little Fox Archaeologist will take place), ghost stories and a particularly interesting story about catching robbers. 

It's a fancy hotel.  No doubt.

 In 1959 a hotel clerk helped apprehend a group of robbers.  The robbers tied up the clerk.  She told them that she had arthritis.  The robbers took pity on her and tied her up loosely.  The clerk got out of the knot and called the police.  Robbers apprehended.

Town is still quiet.  This fox needs coffee. 

I came across this coffee shop.  It's open.  Love the old piano.

More interesting, they have lots of Calgary Stampede posters from the 1990s.  Apparently, the coffee shop is run by some Canadians.  I wonder if the owner competed in the stampede?

Time to go for a little walk or should I say safari? 

I believe there is a saying  about not messing with the bull.....

Ahh, baby giraffes. 

Is that a crocodile or an alligator? 

Wandering around provided me with much entertainment.  I found the county seat and courthouse. 

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Courthouse is closed to visitors at this hour.  Looks like a building from back in the day.  Baker City was a gold rush town.  It was a pretty nice little town.  Baker City's nickname is Queen of the Inland Empire.  

Time for breakfast before I hit the road.  Should I eat at the Antlers Hotel? 

Perhaps I should check out the Royal Restaurant

.  They have a lounge and great food according to the sign.