Metamora

On a Saturday morning, we drove up to Metamora for a small day trip. We have driven past signs for this place countless times on our visits to and from Chicago. I invariably say its name in an exaggerated Greek accent because its name looks so much like Meteora, home to peaceful monasteries precariously balanced on breathtaking cliffs.  That's pretty much where the similarities end between Metamora and Meteora.

Metamora is a sleepy little town where the stores don't even open until 10:04 AM. Or at least those are the hours that The Smelly Gourmet keeps. We made a beeline here for something to eat and were promptly handed a popcorn sampler when we walked in the door.

We ordered a Hot Banana Split - I was intrigued; I've never had pineapple in coffee before! Francisco was a big fan; I was okay with it, but it's not something I would seek out again.  Because obviously we were still thinking of Meteora, we ordered the Greek Grilled Cheese Panini with thick slices of feta cheese, fresh tomato, and Greek spices. We were joined by a friendly black cat who sat beside us for the majority of our meal - I hope it's okay for cats to eat feta!

The food was tasty, and they even have homemade potato chips.

Francisco went in to pay, and I sat by the smoldering fire.

We wandered around town a bit, stopping in at the Metamora Grist Mill/Whitewater Canal State Historic Site.

They had some cute little shops, so I couldn't resist picking up a pumpkin. It is the ONE piece of fall decor I have sitting out at home.

You can also hitch a ride on the Whitewater Canal; the boat is actually pulled by horses.

I saw a sign for ice cream, and we ended up stopping at Grannie's Cookie Jars & Ice Cream Parlor where we got a cone of Blueberry Cheesecake Yogurt. This was a hefty scoop of ice cream, and there is a chocolate kiss hidden at the bottom of the cone. Impressively, the shop boasts well over 2,500 cookie jars.

Our last stop in Metamora was at this Amish Cheese shop where we picked up some White Colby.  You can sample any cheese you'd like as well!

All in all, we found Metamora to be a quaint little town, and I'm glad we finally got around to visiting. I think this place would be even lovelier in the coming months as the temperatures cool down and the leaves start to change - this strikes me as a perfect fall town!