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Orange NSW | A road trip adventure 2020 Part 3

Silverdown B&B - Amazing View

The next stage of our trip had us heading to Orange NSW. Like all good road trips, we would be taking the long way around stopping in at the Age of Fishes Museum and finding some delicious food along the way!

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Day 3 – An Icey start toward Orange NSW

For day 3 of our trip, we were heading back down to Orange so we got up early so that we could explore as much of Orange as we could. The windscreen was covered in a thick layer of ice which made heading out early a challenge. Luckily the motel had a bucket of water and a squeegee to clear the ice off. No matter how tempting don’t use hot water unless you want to buy a new windscreen. I turned on my car to get it warm and help loosen the ice slowly. We then began to use the water and squeegee to remove the ice. It was so thick that I could pick up chunks and throw them at my partner.

Coonabarabran - Icey Window

With the ice cleared we headed to Feathers Cafe for some breaky. We each ordered a coffee and something to eat. My partner got a bacon roll and I chose the salmon egg benedict.

Salmon Egg Bendict at Feathers Cafe in Coonabarabran

Bacon and Egg Roll with a Hashbrown at Feathers Cafe in Coonabarabran

The coffee was really tasty (and warm) and the food was so homely! The service was fantastic and I loved the decor! Its such a cool cafe and I highly recommend visiting.

Feathers Cafe Menu - Coonabarabran

Coffee in Pretty Blue Mug atFeathers Cafe - Coonabarabran

With our bellies full we headed off, targeting the Age Of Fishes Museum located in Canowindra. The first few hours of the drive were very foggy at times I could only see a few meters in front.

Day 3 – Age Of Fishes Museum – Canowindra

Canowindra is a very small town so it made finding the Age of Fishes Museum easy.

Age Of Fishes Museum - Canowindra

The fossils were extracted from the local area with support from local volunteers. The museum features an outdoor area where you can follow the timeline of fossils and a few games that kids could play with some awesome facts. It was nice to get out in the sun after driving in the fog for most of the morning.

Age Of Fishes Museum - Canowindra

Heading back inside we found a large room filled with huge slabs of the fossils. It was fascinating to see how they found and recovered the fossils. If you have the time it’s worth visiting.

Finishing up at the museum we continued our journey to Orange. During the next phase of our trip, we started to feel a bit peakish but decided to wait until we reached Orange as we had a place in mind for lunch.

Age Of Fishes Museum - Canowindra

Day 3 – Orange – The Agrestic Grocer

We arrived in Orange just before noon and headed straight into The Agrestic Grocer a combined boutique grocer and cafe. We had visited a few years back and enjoyed it so we were looking forward to visiting again. Trying to enter our details on the register proved a challenge as there were no empty sheets and it was evident from the dates this had been the case for a while. We found what looked to be an empty table without a reserved sign however a staff member popped over and said that only tables outside were available which was ok.

Most of the outside area was empty, yet they seated us next to another table. I asked if we could be sat somewhere else to maintain appropriate distance however, they just said that they were worried about big groups coming in and wanted to keep the other seats free. So we just sat as far away as we could. Really at this point, I wish I left. The Agrestic Grocer didn’t seem to adequate COVID practices in place but we stuck it out (just to note this was before businesses were required to have a COVID plan in place).

We were given water after ordering our food. I was shocked to see the staff placing the water cups lip side down on the table. I had no idea when the tables had been cleaned and in COVID times felt this was unacceptable. So we chose not to use them.

Agrestic Grocer in Orange NSW - Empty area but sat next to others Agrestic Grocer in Orange NSW - Glasses touching the table Agrestic Grocer in Orange NSW - Sitting really close to others

I ordered a ham and cheese croissant and my partner selected a burger. The burger was quite tasty. The ham and cheese croissant wasn’t great. It came with a relish which I was ok with but it overpowered the ham and cheese leaving me a bit disappointed.

Overall I wasn’t impressed with the lax attitude and was glad to leave. Really in hindsight, we should have left after seeing the lack of care for the sign-in sheets but everything is clearer looking back.

Agrestic Grocer in Orange NSW - Ham and Cheese Croissant

Agrestic Grocer in Orange NSW - Burger

Day 3 – Orange NSW – Wineries

With some time to kill before we could check into accommodation, we decided to check out a local Orange winery. The first winery charged $10 for tastings which I felt was over the top. We headed to a second location that only charged $5. We got really lucky as we hadn’t booked in and we selected a smaller place. If we went to one of the main wineries there would have been no chance of us getting in due to the limited numbers of people allowed due to COVID.

Highland Heritage winery provided a great tasting experience and had some really interesting wines include some dessert wines filled with gold flakes. I didn’t purchase any of the gold flaked bottles but will keep them in mind if I’m looking for a unique gift.

Day 3 – Accommodation – Silverdown B&B

Needing to rest up a little and refresh ourselves we headed to the accommodation to check in at Silverdown B&B in Orange NSW. I have to admit the accommodation caught me off guard as I didn’t realise that I had booked a B&B so this would be a brand new experience.

Silverdown B&B in Orange NSW - Amazing View

Hosts Phil and Jill welcomed us as soon as we arrived. We were given a quick tour, showing us where everything was and the best settings for the header and fireplace, making us feel right at home!! The fireplace is beautiful by the way.

The beautifully decorated room was so inviting and the bed was so comfy. It felt like sleeping in a soft fluffy cloud. I loved the small touches like the little chair in the corner and the Lindt balls on the side table.

Silverdown B&B in Orange NSW - Compfy Bed

The bathroom seriously met my bathroom design goals. I love the black tiles, the large shower and the rain style shower head. The amenities provided were great. I loved that micellar water was in the bathroom as this is great for removing makeup and I had forgotten mine!!

Silverdown is one of my all-time favourite accommodations and I’ll be back when I return to Orange NSW.

Silverdown B&B in Orange NSW - Awesome Bathroom

Having rested and recovered a little we headed out to explore the natural aspects of Orange, NSW. Stay tuned for the final part of this series next week.

 

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