At 9:05 p.m we pulled up out front of the Silver Fox Inn. We parked our car next to the only other car in the parking lot, an old blue Cadillac with 4 flat tires. We sat in the car and stared at the building that looks like something out of a horror film. Its gray stone exterior was hard to see given that the only lights that were on were neon Budweiser signs in the window. Hesitantly we got out of the car and walked up to the front door. Before entering the bar, a man and a woman smoking a cigarette got my attention and asked if we were locals. I told them that we were not, we were simply passing through. They proceeded to tell me that there was a Halloween party there on October 2nd and that we should try and make it back. They also told me that I should look them up on facebook. I thanked them for the information, and they wished me a good night. I didn't expect to find such hospitality outside of a place like this.
When we walked in to the bar it was silent. There were 5 people in the bar. The bartender, a middle aged couple sitting at the end of the bar, an old woman eating a plate of spaghetti, and a pretty young woman drinking a glass of wine with a straw. We were immediately greeted by the nicest bar tender I have ever met. She informed me that the cheapest beers were $2.75 domestic bottles; I ordered a Miller Lite. It was by far the coldest beer I've ever drank at a bar, my friends agreed. As the four of us sat at the quiet bar, we looked around and took in our surroundings. Out dated tables and chairs were set up on one side of the bar, old stained glass lanterns hung from the ceiling, and a fiber optic picture circa 1961 hung on the wall. A jukebox was nestled in the corner, A Barbie, Ken, and Kelly doll on swings hung from a beam, and a popcorn machine with fresh popcorn was hidden on the far end of the bar. The bar reminded me of my grandparent's basement. Scary at first, but once settled in, it's comfortable and familiar. I walked over to the jukebox and selected random songs to kill the silence. Unlike the bars that my friends and I are used to, we did not receive dirty looks from the other customers for our song selections. The other customers actually smiled and laughed when my friends and I told stories that were somehow related to the song. When it was almost time to leave I had do something that I was dreading. I had to use the bathroom. I'm always nervous about using the bathroom in bars because I'm always unsure of what I'm going to find. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised when I found that the bathroom was just like the rest of the bar..homey. Flowers were placed in the counter next to the sink, and a potpourri bowl sat beside it. I breathed a huge sigh of relief! As we prepared to leave the bar, the bartender thanked us for stopping in, and the older woman, and the pretty young woman wished us a good night.
I don't think that there are many bars out there like The Silver Fox Inn, and I don't think that there are many people like the ones that we met at the Silver Fox Inn that night. It was so nice to meet people that didn't care what shoes we were wearing, what designer made our purses. They were people who wanted to make you feel at home, but didn't force it down your throat. I will return to the Silver Fox Inn, and I will continue to tell people only good things about it. Don't let the cold hard exterior scare you away from this place. The warmth you feel when you walk inside definitely makes the visit worthwhile.
Great Post...I felt like I was there...I wish i could be the photographer and random black dude with you guys...look forward to the next post
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