Main Street Amusements

We celebrated my birthday on Saturday night in Lafayette.  Our first stop was to this shop in downtown.  Kevin and I loved arcades when we were young teens.  I had heard this place was filled with old pinball machines and some of the classic arcade games - Pacman, Centipede, etc.

It did not disappoint.  The owner repairs the old machines in the back of the store.  Some are used in his shop; some are sold.

The three of us enjoyed tons of fun.  By the time we left the place was crowded!

A Blue Streak

Camden has been wanting to properly color her hair since the Race fiasco.  I stopped at Sally's last night to get some shampoo and she saw the spray tints.  I let her pick one.  She requested her whole head to be done, but I just did one thick streak at the front.  She loved it!

Next time I'll wash her hair so it's good and clean (she did it last night and it's not always as good as possible), do it more all over, and brush through it so it doesn't look so "helmety."

Date Night

Camden headed to GaGa's after school so we headed for dinner out in Rockville.  The courthouse and tree looked so beautiful.

Happy Birthday

Camden and I (and apparently Ginger, too), bought Kevin a few railroad items for his birthday this year.  We are redoing our 1/2 bathroom and it will include these lovely pieces.

McCord's Candy Cane Tour

McCord's is one of five places left in the US that still make candy canes by hand.  They also give "tours" of the process at the store.  Aunt Carole and Gramma Pat meet us on Saturday to see it.  These are very popular so we didn't make it into the noon tour.  We headed down the street to a few shops and to the Christmas market that was happening.  We ran into Santa.

Dickens of a Christmas was also happening downtown with Carolers and readers at various locations.  We stopped to hear a bit of a reading.

Then back to McCord's for a 1pm tour.  It is on the third floor of the building.  You enter into the "red door" and then have to go up a winding staircase to the kitchen.

The candy stove and equipment are close to 100 years old...lots of candy has been made on them.  McCord's used to make most of their candy in house, but now just their toffee, caramels, and candy canes.

First stage is bringing the liquid to a boil and cooking it to the right temperature.

Then it's poured onto a granite slab that is coated in Crisco.

The candy maker works the liquid until it cools, changing to a more solid consistency.

She then works it by hand, adding more air bubbles by stretching it.

At this point it is ready for the pull, where it is stretched and worked until it becomes white.

Meanwhile, a portion of the goop had red coloring added to it and was stretched by hand to incorporate it and get it to the correct consistency.

Every step takes 2 candy makers (they like it when there is a third!).  The white is shaped into a large block while the red (kept warm by a heater) is made into 1 large and 3 small ropes.

The white block is put on the large red one, then the three small ropes added on top.

The candy makers then stretch it out, rolling it to get it to the right size.  It is pulled down the counter where it is cut into 9" lengths.  No tape measure is needed...there are groves in the wood counter at the 9" marks from years of making these candy canes.

These small ropes are still slightly warm and can be shaped into canes (or whatever you would like).  Camden used her and my rope to make a heart.

There is nothing like these canes.  A store bought one doesn't even compare - and having a slightly warm bite was even better!

All three generations can now say they grew up enjoying McCord's candy.

Camden can't wait to come back and enjoy a milkshake from the soda fountain.  She doesn't remember that we have been here before (in 2010 and 2011).  But 7 years is a long time!