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Sites we visited around St. Louis, Missouri.
Citygarden in downtown St. Louis features some wonderful sculptures...
Blueberry Hill is a classic St. Louis landmark filled with quirky collectibles and music memorabillia. St. Louis rock and roll legend Chuck Berry plays here...
Cafe Manhattan is decorated with vintage and retro collectibles...
The sign for the bathrooms at the church my husband's parents attend...
The museum part of the City Museum gets overlooked by the majority of the visitors who go to the City Museum. Most people just go for the fun and playful side of the museum and don't visit the parts that display artifacts and architectural features from around St. Louis and other parts of the Midwest...
In one area of the museum there are all these artifacts that a man dug up around town. How cool is this pretzel flask!?!
One large room of the museum features architectural details from amazing old buildings that have unfortunately been torn down.
The glass cases against the wall display an impressive array of decorative door knobs.
Hmm...Frankenstein...I wonder if this is an architectural detail that Bob Cassilly created himself.
Unfortunately after Bob Cassilly died his wife was forced to close her vintage store The Bale Out which was inside of the museum. In it's place there is going to be more architectural salvage pieces.
When we visit Chris' family in St. Louis my top place to visit is the City Museum. I will never get tired of this museum and each time we visit I notice something I hadn't noticed before.
A pair of tired adults taking a snooze.
Bob Cassilly was the visionary behind this amazing experience. St. Louis is so lucky to have been blessed with such an incredibly talented person.
Bob Cassilly was killed back in September of 2011 when a bulldozer he was driving fell down a hill at Cementland (another place that he was transforming into a wonderland).
Rest In Peace to St. Louis' creative genius.
Working on retiling.
Fun house mirror with giant chair looming in the background.
Fun house mirror with giant ice cream cone looming in the background.
Everyone should have a copy of this poster hanging on their wall.
I once had an old friend say to me I don't know whether to be like so and so, her other old friend or to be like you, meaning me. I said don't try to be like either of us, be yourself.
Today I am sharing some of my favorite Vintage Roadtrip blog posts from our travels in 2010 (click on the link below each photo to read the original article):
October 01, 2010 Dick and Jane's Spot
September 30, 2010 East Glacier, The Traveling Piano, Glacier National Park & The Izaak Walton Inn
September 29, 2010 Miscellaneous Montana
September 28, 2010 The Enchanted Highway in North Dakota
September 27, 2010 A Tale of Intrigue
September 23, 2010 The World's Largest Viking, Otter & Birds in Minnesota
September 21, 2010 Split Rock Lighthouse & Large Roadside Attractions in Minnesota
September 20, 2010 Minnesota Misc...
September 17, 2010 Wisconsin Concrete Park in Phillips, Wisconsin
September 13, 2010 Potosi Brewing Company & National Brewery Museum
September 10, 2010 The Dickeyville Grotto in Dickeyville, Wisconsin
September 07, 2010 The Moto Museum in St. Louis, Missouri
Today I am sharing some of my favorite Vintage Roadtrip blog posts from our travels in 2011 (click on the link below each photo to read the original article):
December 16, 2011 Roadtrip 2011- La Posada in Winslow, Arizona & More
December 15, 2011 Roadtrip 2011- Rainbow Rock Shop in Holbrook, Arizona
December 12, 2011 Roadtrip 2011- Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona
December 06, 2011 Roadtrip 2011- Santa Fe, New Mexico
November 28, 2011 Vintage Roadtrip- Tucumcari, New Mexico
November 23, 2011 Roadtrip 2011- Blue Swallow Motel in Tucamcari, New Mexico
November 22, 2011 Roadtrip 2011- Round Barn, POPS, Route 66 Museums, & Cadillac Ranch
November 17, 2011 Roadtrip 2011- Boston Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church South in Tulsa, Oklahoma
November 16, 2011 Roadtrip 2011- Tulsa, Oklahoma Art Deco Architecture & More
November 11, 2011 Roadtrip 2011- The Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma
November 10, 2011 Roadtrip 2011- Ed Galloway's World's Largest Totem Pole
November 02, 2011 Roadtrip 2011- Red Oak II Missouri
November 01, 2011 Roadtrip 2011- Gary's Gay Parita on Route 66 in Missouri
October 27, 2011 Roadtrip 2011- St. Louis, Missouri
Today I am sharing some of my favorite Vintage Roadtrip blog posts from our travels in 2012 (click on the link below each photo to read the original article):
October 18, 2012 Eaglemount Rockeries & Almond Roca Sign- Vintage Roadside Attractions in Washington
October 10, 2012 Miniature World in Victoria, Canada
October 04, 2012 Victoria, B.C. Ferry, Empress Hotel, Chinatown + More
June 21, 2012 The Golden Gait Mercantile in Ferndale & Daisy Drygoods in Arcata, California
June 20, 2012 The Redwoods, Northern California Coast, Roadside Attractions + More
June 13, 2012 Musee Mecanique in San Francisco
June 12, 2012 Coit Tower & Murals in San Francisco
May 31, 2012 San Francisco's Curviest Street, Fisherman's Wharf, Palace of Fine Arts & More
May 28, 2012 Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California
May 16, 2012 Historic Architecture & More in Santa Barbara, California
May 03, 2012 Hollywood Forever Cemetery & El Cholo Mexican Restaurant in Los Angeles
At first glance when you are driving by Eaglemount Rockery Cottages & Museum all you notice are the cute cottages, then at second glance you notice miniature rock buildings. The cottages & museum are located near Port Townsend, Washington.
The outdoor museum consists of concrete and rock buildings and statues...
The cottages are cute and are a good deal, especially if you stay multiple nights...
Almond Roca in Tacoma, Washington.
Growing up Almond Roca was a special treat that my parent's would give me on Valentines Day, my birthday, or Christmas. I thought that it was such a fancy experience- they come in a tin wrapped up in gold foil. I have since moved on to preferring Toffee-ettes toffee from See's Candy. But, Almond Roca will always hold a fond spot in my memory...
The weather was beautiful when we were visiting Victoria. It was the perfect time to visit the The Butchart Gardens...
After walking through the gardens we has some extra time- so, we ate at The Blue Poppy Cafeteria where we enjoyed some surprisingly tasty Spiced Chicken Vindaloo.
Chris and I really enjoyed our visit to Miniature World in Victoria, Canada. Once we arrived I handed the camera over to Chris and let him go to town taking photos. All of the miniature displays are behind glass. The miniature displays are grouped by theme: War, Canada (including a working scale model of a lumber mill), Fairy Tales, etc...
Check out the lady hitch hiking in the photos below. The red convertible full of guys rolls forward to offer her a ride...
There's a miniature movie playing on the screen below...
The three photos posted below are my favorite because they are so funny.
1) Cowboy and cowgirl open mouth kissing while the horse is thinking of eating the bouquet of flowers...
2) Dog excitedly looking on...
3) Grandpa rolling his eyes about the whippersnappers making out in the front yard...
Victoria, B.C. Canada.
We took the ferry from Port Townsend to Victoria and back. The ferry was from the early 60's...
The ferry had vintage interiors...
As well as vintage signage...
While in Victoria we ate at two fantastic restaurants. Our first day in Victoria we ate at the popular food cart red fish blue fish where we were rewarded after an hour wait in line with the best battered fish that we had ever eaten. For dinner on our second night in town we ate at Sizzling Tandoor Restaurant, where we ate delicous well prepared Indian food.
On the weekend that we were visiting Victoria, artists were doing incredible chalk drawings on the street. The art posted below was the most exquisite...
We thought the sign posted below was hilarious. We saw it on the bus...
Chinatown...
Chris and I recently celebrated our wedding anniversary by taking a four day trip up to Port Townsend, Washington and Victoria, B.C.
The restaurant pictured in the first photograph is Sweet Laurette Cafe & Bistro in Port Townsend, Washington. Sweet Laurette is a busy restaurant loved by locals as well as travellers. A cute & tasty place to start the day.
The photo of the jellyfish was taken in Port Townsend.
The photo of the octopus sculpture was taken in Port Angeles.
The following photos are of Port Townsend. There are lots of lovely old buildings and storefronts as well as a nice waterfront area to walk around...
The Rose Theatre pictured below is a theatre that Robert Osborne of TCM has invested in. Port Townsend hosts an annual Film Festival in September.
Located inside of the Vintage Hardware and Lighting store is the Kelly Art Deco Light Musuem which features a dazzling array of fantastic Art Deco light fixtures...
Posted below are a few vintage light fixtures for sale. The first one features glass and metal beer kegs. The second light fixture features fantastic Art Deco style.
In the store part of Vintage Hardware and Lighting they have two sedan chairs on display.
We went to the Finnriver Tasting Room and Chris sampled lots of wonderful cider and spirits. They had a really cool light fixture made out of glass cups, pictured below...
We visited Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park...
A highlight from when we visited my grandmother was going to the historic Victorian town of Ferndale. The Golden Gait Mercantile was my favorite stop in town. They have a candy counter, and their store is stocked with deadstock general store merchandise, vintage items, as well as retro items. Upstairs are fascinating replica storefronts of a hat store, grocery store, toy store, etc...
How many "people" do you see in the photo posted below?!?
Daisy Drygoods in Arcata is a more recent favorite find of mine. This store has some vintage clothing and accessories- but, the real reason to come here is for their amazing selection of vintage fabrics, laces, trims, sewing patterns, quilts, and crafty miscellanea...
This wraps up my California roadtrip blogposts. Stay tuned for what's up next!!!
My grandmother lived in a Victorian house on the Main Street of a small Northern California town called Fortuna. When I was growing up we would take roadtrips down to visit her at least once a year. Northern California has a very fond spot in my heart and mind. I definitely feel that the old towns, Victorian buildings, quirky roadside attractions, gorgeous beaches, and rainbow array of rock colors have had a profound effect on who I am.
It's an area of immense beauty. I highly recommend visiting and exploring the redwoods, the beaches, and the Victorian town of Ferndale.
There's a gift shop inside of this redwood tree. I had visited it in the past- but, it looks like it's been closed for awhile...
A horizontal One-Log House...
The winding road leading through these soaring giants...
Fortuna is where my mother grew up and my grandmother lived...
Romano Gabriel's folk art used to be on display in his yard but, now it's on display in the center of Eureka. I remember being fascinated by his artwork as a child...
The photo of Chris posted below looks like it could have been taken in Scotland...
The beach posted below used to be a great place to find fossils- but, now it's mostly dunes...
Trinidad is a small town that features a picturesque lighthouse and bay...
At the Trees of Mystery parking lot you are greeted by a giant talking Paul Bunyan and his trusty companion Babe the Blue Ox. Trees of Mystery has a walking trail that features giant redwoods carved into animal shapes, etc... Inside the gift shop building there is a Native American Museum featuring a wide array of Native American artifacts.
One of my favorite spots to visit north of Crescent City is this park that has a cluster of old buildings and features an isolated beach...
The lighthouse in Crescent City...
I remember driving by this house when I was young and thinking how cool the decorations were, and wondering why didn't everyone decorate their houses like this...
The Smith River running alongside the South Redwood Highway (199) is my favorite river. It has a gorgeous clear blue/green color and flows in steep rocky canyons covered in Japanese-esque trees and foliage...
Giant Fly atop restrooms in O'Brien, Oregon...
The Musee Mecanique in San Francisco is a fun and entertaining place full of old time mechanical amusements...
The fortune telling machine shown in the photo below features a typewriter that types out your fortune...
They need to bring this sort of foot operated water fountain back...
The murals of Coit Tower made a strong impression on me when I first saw them. I have been wanting to visit again so that I could ogle and take photos of them. On our recent visit I took tons of photos of the murals.You could spend hours looking at the murals and probably still not notice all of the different things going on in them.
The murals were painted in 1934 by Public Works of Art Project artists.
The night before we left San Luis Obispo we decided to look online and see if we could get any good hotel deals in San Francisco. Our search results pulled up a hotel off of Lombard Street in the Cow Hollow District that was only $12- !!! We were unsure if it was too good to be true. We looked at the hotel's website to see what their rooms looked like and what their rates usually were. The place looked clean, safe, in a good neighborhood, and the room rates were usually around $180- !!! We booked the room slightly unsure what our reception at the hotel would be on our arrival. When we checked in the receptionist was blown away by the amazing deal that we had gotten saying that her co-worker had forgotten to add a 0 to the price when she listed the room.
When we were looking for a place to eat dinner, the woman at the front desk recommended Osha Thai Restaurant which featured cool decor, tasty food and good drinks.
When we woke up the following day we only had about three hours to explore San Francisco before we had to continue on our journey. So, as usual we crammed in as much site seeing as possible.
Near the hotel we were staying at there were a couple of really beautiful houses...
Lombard Street the curviest street in the world...
Views of San Francisco...
Fisherman's Wharf...
Palace of Fine Arts...
Joe's Taco Lounge. Back in college a friend and I took a road trip down to San Francisco. While we were down there we stayed with my friend's uncle. He took us to this fun taco restaurant located in Mill Valley.
When Chris and I were wondering where to eat for lunch I suggested seeing if Joe's was still around. I was happy to see that it was. The tacos were good and the decor is fun...
The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California is unlike any hotel or restaurant that I have ever been to before! It's a colorful 1960's take on rococo and baroque...
The Madonna Inn is known for their colorful drinking glasses which you can purchase in their gift shop...
People from all over the world come to the Madonna Inn to stay in their unusual and unique rooms. Many of the rooms feature glitter walls, a Waterfall, a Rock Shower and/or a Fireplace. A few of my favorite rooms are Carin, Just Heaven, Old Mill, and Vous.
The Registration Office for the Inn...
Gold Rush Steak House. You can imagine Mae West sashaying around in this restaurant...
Every Monday night at the Madonna Inn there is the meeting of SLO Swing for swing dancing on the Inn's dance floor. It's like a scene out an old movie... good clean old fashioned fun with youthful enthusiasm...
Silver Bar. We had decadent cake and cocktails...
Hanging in the lobby of the restaurant are paintings of Alex and Phyllis Madonna...
Chris striking a lord of the manor look...
The Copper Cafe. A good place for a breakfast of Belgian waffles...
The Madonna Inn is known for their over the top decadent cakes baked on site...
Some of their famous glassware...
It's unlikely that you have ever seen a bathroom before like the ones at the Madonna Inn...
They did a remodel of the Copper Cafe bathrooms in the mid-2000's- which I feel was a mistake. The original bathrooms went with the opulent theme of the rest of the complex. The new bathroom has charm but not much quirkiness...
This is the Women's bathroom for the Gold Rush Steakhouse and the Silver Bar in all of it's original decor splendor...
This is the Men's bathroom for the Gold Rush Steakhouse and the Silver Bar in all of it's original decor splendor. The Men's urinal features a waterfall!!!
Our wonderful visit was wrapped up in wacky style. We went out to the parking lot and encountered hotel security guards along with hotel visitors and goats!!!
This little kid (baby goat) would butt your hand if you put it out in a fist in front of his head...
The guy in the yellow pants is the goats owner. He says he takes his goats with him everywhere. So, while he was inside of the Inn swing dancing, the goats were waiting out in the car for him...
After our stop in Santa Barbara we continued up the coastline to San Luis Obispo.
Chris and I lived down in San Luis Obispo, California for a year. Chris really enjoyed the architecture firm that he worked for. I took a break from the vintage world and concentrated on being creative and making art. While we were living down there I worked at a small thrift store and had my sculptures and artwork for sale at a gallery just around the corner from where we lived. We were lured down to SLO because of the sunshine, the proximity to the beach, the walk-ability of the town, and the easy going lifestyle. You may wonder why we would want to leave a place that sounds like such a paradise!?! We were actually asking ourselves that question when we were down there visiting during this roadtrip! The age range of the population of SLO was college age and then there was a leap up to retired people. There weren’t a lot of people in our age range or people that we could relate to. Also, I started to miss the rain.
This was the house that we lived in down in SLO. It had two orange trees in the backyard that produced oranges almost year round. The front yard had lots of carefully thought out plantings which we ended up killing because we weren’t used to having to water the plants daily (in Oregon the rain usually cuts down on how much watering you have to do yourself ;)
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa...
When living in SLO one of my favorite places to go on a day off was Linnaea's Cafe. I loved to sit in the back patio area which features a fish pond and vine covered walls...
Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas near San Simeon...
Morro Bay State Park. We visited here at sunset. We noticed that there were otters floating around out in the bay by this paddle surfer. There was a mama otter and her baby otter making squeaks at each other while frolicking around in the water...
Continuing on our journey up the California coast we stopped in Santa Barbara. I love the Spanish style architecture that is so prominent in Central and Southern California.
A vintage water taxi...
I like the signage and awning of this building...
Santa Barbara County Courthouse...
Old Mission Santa Barbara...
Photo of a sculpture in the parking lot of our hotel.
Before we traveled down to L.A. we were excited to find listed online a hotel for a really good price located in Hollywood near Paramount Studios. We wondered to ourselves is this deal too good to be true? We read the reviews on line and found that the main complaints were of the old fashioned style of the rooms and the fact that you had to walk up the stairs as the elevator was usually out of order. These things were no big deal to us since we've always lived in vintage dwellings and a couple flights of stairs don't daunt us.
When we arrived we found the hotel and our room to be okay- nothing great / nothing awful. All would be well with our stay until nighttime came. One night I was awakened from my meagre state of sleep by the sound of loud pounding on one of the doors down the hallway. The loudest and most urgent pounding of a door I've ever heard in my life. The guy continued pounding on the door and occasionally yelling for quite sometime. Then an LA police helicopter started circling with it's searchlight shining in a near by neighborhood. Another night at about 4:00 in the morning a woman left a room down the hallway and started yelling at a guy "Give me back my phone" over and over again (we think she was probably a prostitute). We wouldn't ever see these sketchy people, we would only hear them at night. During the daytime the hotel was filled with your normal hotel crowd of senior citizens, foreign visitors, business people, etc.
Before I did my coverage of the Red Carpet at The TCM Classic Film Festival Opening Night of Cabaret Restoration Premiere Chris and I went to the La Brea Tar Pits and LACMA. The La Brea Tar Pits were different than we imagined them being. We imagined the tar pits to be thick dark pools and we were surprised to find that they were fairly liquidy. Standing in the tar pits they have life sized statues of the types of animals who long ago became trapped in the tar pits. The LACMA Pavilion for Japanese Art stands in the background, the structure looks to be a mid-century take on the stone age a la The Flintstones...
At LACMA we were interested in seeing In Wonderland an art show featuring the works of Surrealist Women artists from the United States and Mexico, California Design which features clothing, furniture, industrial design items, etc... by California designers, and Metropolis II a giant sculpture portraying a city landscape with high rises and moving cars...
Penetrable by Jesus Rafael Soto posted below (for more photos of the sculpture check out Chris' photos over on his blog)...
Posted below are items featured in the California Design collection. They had the contents of the Eames Case Study House #8 on display in a mock up of their living room- no, photos were allowed of it- so, you'll have to go check it out for yourself.
I have a copy of the California Design Nine book shown in the photo below for sale here at Lulu's Vintage...
Metropolis II by Chris Burden...
After visiting the Griffith Observatory we stopped by the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
When we stopped at the guard's station at the entrance of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery he informed us that we were not allowed to take photos. If we really wanted to take photos we had to speak to the manager of the cemetery. We went into the reception area for the cemetery and I spoke with the manager. He asked me whose grave site I wanted to take photos of and I mentioned Rudolph Valentino was one of the star's graves that I would like to photograph. He said that I was allowed to take only two photographs and only of Valentino's grave and no others. The manager said that the family members of non-celebrity burial sites had been complaining about all the visitors to the cemetery. Chris and my thoughts on the subject matter was why bury your relatives someplace that is known to be a tourist destination? If you want your loved ones to rest in peace don't bury them at a popular tourist destination. In the evenings while we were down in L.A. the Hollywood Forever Cemetery was hosting on their grounds a play about Mark Twain with Val Kilmer in it. Why allow plays that attract hundreds to the cemetery but not allow photography?
To find out where the famous people are buried you have to buy a map from the flower shop for $5- We set off walking around the cemetery with our map. Since I wasn't allowed to take more than the two photos of Rudolph Valentino's site I took notes in a notebook about interesting tombstones, plaques and memorials that we saw. Headstones with photo engravings of the deceased are a popular trend. In the Jewish section of the cemetery there is a photo of a deceased couple from when they were younger and they look so happy, the lady in the photo is wearing a jaunty beret. Mel Blanc's tombstone reads "That's All Folks" Mel Blanc Man of 1000 Voices. Jayne Mansfield's plaque has a color photo of her on it. Adrian and Janet Gaynor are buried next to each other under a tree. Don Adam's memorial plaque features information about his life as well as a relief of him using his shoe as a phone (as he did in his tv show Get Smart). Tyrone Power's memorial incorporates a bench that you can sit on and which has a Shakespeare quote engraved on it. Theres a cool rocket shaped memorial, and a statue in the memory of Toto. Johnny Ramone's memorial has a sculpture of him leaning back playing guitar, whereas Dee Dee Ramone's burial site consists of a traditional headstone. While we were looking at the Johnny Ramone memorial a car pulled up and a mom and her kids got out. The mom started taking photos of the Johnny Ramone memorial with her phone while her kids ran rampant around the grounds angering the nesting geese who flew into a frenzy.
Towards the end of our visit is when we walked through a large, well maintained mausoleum where Rudolph Valentino is entombed. We were able to take our two photos and pay our respects.
After having visited the Hollywood Forever Cemetery we headed to dinner at El Cholo Spanish Cafe. This place is a classic L.A. restaurant which throughout the years the Hollywood elite have come to. The interior of the space is warm and inviting with fireplaces, cozy nooks, colorful tile, decor and photos of old movies stars who were regulars. Our food and drinks were tasty and we were waited on by a wonderful woman whose name was Esperanza who has worked at El Cholo for over 20 years and you could sense that she loved working there.
During our stay in L.A. the majority of my time was spent at the TCM Classic Film Festival- but, I was able to squeeze in a few visits to other places. On our first day in L.A. before the festival started we drove up to the Griffith Observatory in the hills of Los Angleles.
The Griffith Observatory played an important role in the James Dean movie about teen angst Rebel Without A Cause. I was pleased to find that they had a bust of James Dean up at the Observatory. I was a huge fan of James Dean when I was a teenager and I still am a fan of his. The raw angst that he portrayed in his movies was so real. One of my favorite lines from Rebel Without A Cause is when he exclaims to his parents, "You're tearing me apart."
Beautiful murals inside of the rotunda of the Griffith Observatory...
The curving hallway leading down to the basement level of the Observatory features tons of star and astronomical themed jewelry...
This post wraps up coverage of our 2011 road trip. Along the way we discovered lots of cool places that we hope to return to. During the road trip portion of our travels we drove through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Idaho and Oregon.
Vermilion Cliffs in Arizona...
Neon motel signs in Kanab, Utah...
Zion in Utah...
If this year's adventure left you thirsting for more beautiful and unusual travels- check out the Vintage Roadtrip category.
The Grand Canyon was an incredible place to visit!
Besides the stunning beauty of the landscapes the buildings and structures at the Grand Canyon were also eye catching.
On the night that we stayed at the Grand Canyon we went and had dinner at the El Tovar Dining Room. The food was excellent and the service was seamless (we felt as though we were in one of those BBC period productions where the staff glides your food in front and away from you without incident and they know of your every need). While dining at the lodge a man came in that I was trying to place and I am pretty sure that it was Tommy Chong from Cheech & Chong!
Flagstaff...
Sedona...
Giant Jack Rabbit territory...
Twin Arrows...
La Posada Hotel & Gardens is a gorgeous hotel located in Winslow, Arizona. The hotel is one of the railroad hotels that was built for the Fred Harvey Company...
Defunct(?) diner located across the street from La Posada...
Our first destination after we left our tepee was the Rainbow Rock Shop which is populated by cement dinosaurs and a dizzing array of rocks...
A groin injury about to happen...
Adam Luna Alexander is the kind and talented owner of the Rainbow Rock Shop. He created all of the dinosaurs...
Down the road from the rock shop is this dino who looks to be about to demolish some houses...
One night on our trip we stayed inside of a concrete tepee at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona.
The motel is run by the elderly daughter of the man who constructed the Wigwam Motel's tepees. A fun feature of the property is that there are vintage cars parked around the parking lot.
Madrid is a neat little town that we stopped at on our way from Santa Fe to Albuquerque.
Cowgirl Red is a store in Madrid that is stocked with a great selection of vintage western wear for Men and Women...
The Tinkertown Museum is a place that I first saw on the Canadian television program Weird Homes and I have wanted to visit ever since.
Ross Ward, the visionary behind Tinkertown, carved figures, painted signs, built structures and collected objects for over 40 years to create his unique museum...
The Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe has been on our list to visit for quite awhile. We were excited to finally be able to check it out.
Folk Art of the Andes featured traditional clothing, accessories and art from the countries in that area...
There was a display of traditional wedding clothing Young Brides, Old Treasures: Macedonian Embroidered Dress ...
The permanent collection Multiple Visions: A Common Bond was an intriguing array of collections of folk art from around the world. The permanent collection consists of items collected by renowned designer Alexander Girard...
Me at Kakawa enjoying a small cup of dark chocolate drinking chocolate with subtle hints of almonds and cinnamon, and sharing a slice of decadent chocolate cake...
Photos from around Santa Fe...
Double Take was full of beautiful vintage sequined and hand painted Mexican circle skirts...
La Fonda is a gorgeous old hotel with lots of charm and character...
The rooftop Bell Tower Bar is a great place to get a drink and watch the sunset...
We fell in love with New Mexico! It's so beautiful!
After our stop in Tucumcari our next destination was Taos...
San Francisco de Asis Church, a subject of Georgia O'Keeffe's artwork...
The Two Graces Plaza Gallery is owned by a nice couple who have a fun and eclectic selection of Native American art; vintage misc; art books; and artwork by one of the owners...
I loved these Native American rings of Disney characters! In general I am not a fan of Disney- but, these are just so wacky and cool...
We drove up to the mesa town of Los Alamos. When I was a girl I visited my aunt and uncle who lived here. I remember that they took me and my family around to beautiful New Mexico sites and I had been wanting to return to New Mexico ever since.
We tried to check out Black Hole Surplus, a store selling used scientific miscellaneous from the nearby nuclear laboratory, but they were closed...
Tucumcari, New Mexico is a haven of vintage neon signs and cool buildings.
We really enjoyed checking out Tucumcari. It's a must visit on any Route 66 trip!
The Blue Swallow Motel is probably the most well known of the vintage motels along Route 66 and rightly so- The Blue Swallow Motel neon sign, the neon piping along the tops of the buildings, the little blue swallows on the exterior walls and the neon fountain out front. The interior of the lobby and the rooms all have a great classic vintage feel to them and the owners are nice and very welcoming. During our journey along Route 66 we encountered a lot of European tourists. Their car of choice for driving Route 66 seemed to be a new Ford Mustang.
We talked with the older man who owns the Corvette pictured below. He had gone to Bowling Green, Kentucky where he picked up the car from the factory and was travelling along Route 66 back to his home in California...
Motel lobby...
Me in front of our room...
Our garage with an Easy Rider mural...
This lady looks as though she has a double sided bosom...
Inside our room. I love the blue swallow chenille bedspread! If you want a Swallow Chenille Bedspread of your own you can purchase one over at The Vermont Country Store.
Driving along Route 66 and the main Interstates in Oklahoma and Texas we made stops along the way at various interesting places...
The Round Barn in Arcardia, Oklahoma.
It was raining when we got to The Round Barn and we ran to the door of the visitors center. We were unpleasantly greeted by an old man who told us that they were closed and then he spit a hunk of chaw in a garbage can, we then asked when did you close, he looked at the clock which pointed to just a little before 4:00 and replied 4:00 and spat more chaw into the garbage can. We left The Round Barn disgusted and amused...
POPS in Arcardia, Oklahoma.
It's refreshing to see POPS out in the middle of Oklahoma. You hardly expect to come across a giant bottle and a modern glass building here in the country. POPS is filled with every imaginable flavor of pop from around the world. The large bottle out front glows a rainbow of colors in the evening. At the POPS diner Chris got a malt and I got a chocolate milkshake. It was the best chocolate shake I have ever had in my life. We had intended to get a soda each after our stop in the diner but, we were too full to do so...
Cool signs in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...
Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma...
National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma...
Old converted gas station...
Fun sign in Amarillo, Texas...
Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas.
Cadillac Ranch is an art installation by The Ant Farm. There are a line of cadillacs stuck nose first into the ground. People come here to spray paint the cars. Our visit left me feeling disappointed with the uninspiring graffiti and the toddlers roaming about...
Boston Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church South in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This church left me in awe with it's beautiful Art Deco details and warm, welcoming pink interior...
Tulsa, Oklahoma has a vast array of beautiful Art Deco buildings. It was such a surprise to come across such an Art Deco oasis in the middle of the U.S
Besides the Art Deco buildings they also had a nice amount of mid-century architecture.
Ed Galloway's World's Largest Totem Pole in Foyil, Oklahoma.
Ed Galloway's constructed the World's Largest Totem Pole from 1937-1948. It's 90 feet tall and was created from sand, rock, cement and steel. The pole features over 200 different carvings...
The Fiddle House containing fiddles carved by Ed...
Outdoor sculpture furniture...
More sculptures & structures...
In the small town of Miami, Oklahoma we came across the Coleman Theatre. We stopped to take photos of the exterior never dreaming of the luxurious interior that lay in wait inside. We happened to be there on a day that the theatre was open for tours and we were led on a tour of the interior by an enthusiastic volunteer.
The theater was opened in 1929 by George L. Coleman, Sr. a wealthy local man who wanted the theatre to be equal to one that one might find in Chicago or New York. Throughout the years many famous actors and actresses made appearances at the theatre. Over the years the theatre fell into disrepair suffering heavy damage due to rain leaks. In 1989 the theatre was donated to the city of Miami. Since the donation of the theatre to the city, hundreds of volunteers have worked to restore it to it's original splendor.
We were disappointed that we were going to miss the showing of The Lost World with live organ accompaniment by Dennis James. Dennis James performs at the theatre several times a year and from what the volunteer who gave us our tour was saying it is something you have to experience...
While driving along Route 66 we drove through Joplin, Missouri where there had been a horrible tornado back on Sunday, May 22, 2011 which killed 162 people.
At first we were driving through the old part of town commenting on how there wasn't any damage and then we were shocked as we came across the part of town that had been hit by the tornado. It looked like part of a war zone...
Red Oak II Missouri is a property that is covered in old buildings.
Red Oak II Missouri is a short drive off of Route 66...
I had never seen a cardinal before I visited Missouri. They are beautiful...
On our roadtrips to and from St. Louis we usually take a Northern route. This time around we decided to travel through the Southwest and take Route 66.
We travelled along parts of Route 66 in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona.
Our first major stop along Route 66 was Gary's Gay Parita. Where Gary has bought and outfitted an old gas station and garage with vintage signs, automobile collectibles, and cars.
It was here that we bought the book Images of 66 by David Wickline, which is a useful photo guide to Route 66.
While we were standing talking to Gary a man pulled up in this classic convertible...
St. Louis was lovely when we visited it was sunny and not too hot.
We discovered this burnt out church when we were in downtown. We were taking photos of the facade when I snuck around the side and discovered that there was a side door open and I walked right in...
Chris' mom Myrna is very sweet and she knows that we love vintage and so she often times finds something fun that we can all do together. Last year we went to a Frank Lloyd Wright house in St. Louis and this time around we visited a Lustron home. The woman who owns the home has it open for tours. The entire house is built out of metal: the shingles, the siding, the walls, the built-ins, etc...
The Laumeier Sculpture Park is one of my favorite places to visit when we are in St. Louis...
Blueberry Hill is another favorite of mine. Chuck Berry plays here once a month. The interior of this bar / restaurant/ club is decorated with an eclectic collection of toys and other fun things...
For quite awhile I have wanted to go on the Endangered Species merry-go round at the Saint Louis Zoo and this time around I talked Chris into it. We were the only adults without children on it- but, I didn't care (I think it's important to stay a kid at heart). I had my eye on the red panda but, it was taken so I ended up on a leopard and Chris got an otter...
Often times when I go to estate sales the walls of the homes have fun wallpaper on them. So, I have decided to start taking photos of unusual wallpaper at estate sales...
When we are in St. Louis we always check to see if there are any cool old movies showing at Webster University. The last time we were there we caught a Russian Constructivist movie.
This time around we were very excited to discover that the Scopitone guy Spike Priggen was going to be in town showing his videos that he has collected. Scopitones are the original music videos that used to be shown on jukebox like machines (for a full description of them, to view clips and to buy videos click here). We were able to watch Scopitones on the big screen twice while we were in St. Louis, once inside and once outside...
Nancy Sinatra, These Boots Are Made For Walkin' Scopitone...
We were happy to be able to celebrate Chris' grandma's 104th birthday with her...
Last week Chris and I returned from our 2011 train/roadtrip to the Midwest and the Southwest.
We took the Amtrak Empire Builder train from Portland to Chicago. In Chicago we boarded another train that took us to our destination of St. Louis.
After our first dinner on the train the train conductor went around and delivered a mini bottle of sparkling wine to each person in the sleeping cars. He initially gave us two- but, slipped us two more later on...
Before the trip I went to my favorite chocolate shop here in Portland Cacao and bought four Fortissimo chocolates for us to have on the two nights that we were on the train. They are a meal unto themselves...
In the evening the conductor would come around and put down the beds. On our first night on board the train the people across the hall from us had their beds turned down at around 5:30 and the conductor turned down our beds at 9:00. Which was early for us, we are more the go to bed at 11:00 or midnight kind of crowd- so we had to scrunch down on the bottom bunk while we read and played word games...
In the roomettes the two seats that you sit in during the day are folded down and turned into the bottom sleeping bunk and then an overhead bunk is pulled down from the ceiling. Chris slept in the top bunk- where there was a brace on the side of the bed to ensure that he didn't roll out. Neither of us got very much sleep at night because of the violent swaying of the train car that made us feel as though we could be flung out of bed at any moment.
Our first morning on the train we awoke to passing through Glacier Park which was gorgeous...
When you book a room on the train all of your meals in the dining car are included. When you arrive for meal time in the dining car you are seated randomly with fellow passengers. It's the luck of the draw who you will be seated with. Our dining mates ranged from grumpy to mellow.
We enjoyed our train trip and would definitely recommend it to anyone who has the time to travel this way.
Today I am wrapping up the Midwest Roadtrip 2010 extravaganza with some miscellaneous photos as well as some travel tips.
Chris and I have a hard time finding food to eat when we're on the road because we don't eat beef, pork, etc... We also don't usually eat at fast food restaurants (except Burgerville, a local, super tasty, community minded fast food chain). We're AAA members so we often refer to our AAA guidebook when we are looking for a place to eat.
Here are some dining gems that we found through the guidebook or just by chance:
Cafe 27 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Cafe 116 in Fergus Falls, Minnesota...
Yellow Church Cafe in Ellensberg, Washington...
A few other essentials for a fun roadtrip are things to keep you occupied like games and good music.
We passed our time in the car by writing down state and province license plates and playing M.A.S.H. When I was a teenager my friends and I would play M.A.S.H. and we would list the names of four boys who we had crushes on (other traditional mash categories are # of children, type of car, career, pets, city to live in). Obviously Chris and I have one another in mind when we play M.A.S.H now. We like to mix it up and throw some unexpected categories into the game like: what kind of collection each of us would have, what style of architecture our dwelling would be, what music we would listen to, and what type of food we would eat:
Chris' M.A.S.H. results:
We would live in a Craftsman House in Bruges, Belgium. We would get around town on a Riding Lawnmower. He would be a Park Ranger and I would be a Hockey Coach (obviously Chris has a big sense of humor). He would collect Motel Ashtrays and I would collect Hair Jewelry. We would hang out with our pet Otter while we listened to Stan Getz and ate Lebanese food.
Lulu's M.A.S.H. results:
We would live in a Spanish style Mansion in Quebec City, Canada. We would get around town on a 60's Italian Scooter. I would be a Magazine Editor and Chris would be an Architect. I would collect everything Art Nouveau & Art Deco and he would collect Cameras. We would hang out with our pet Bunnies while we listened to Jazz and ate Indian food.
It's really important to have a good selection of music to listen to on a roadtrip, you cannot rely on radio reception when you are driving through the country.
Thank God for iPods! Before we left on our trip Chris put together a huge playlist of upbeat music to keep us on the go while driving out to St. Louis. When we headed back to Portland we drove the car that Chris' sister gave us which didn't have a place to plug in the iPod. The car only has a tape deck, which did not deter us from rocking out. While he was at his parent's house Chris unearthed his giant tape collection, and then once we were on the road we would stop at thrift stores and buy tapes to add to our collection.
Here are some miscellaneous photos from our trip...
I hope that you have enjoyed our roadtrip photos, and I hope that you have discovered some new places to travel to and visit!
Our last scenic stop on our drive back to Portland was Mt. Rainier National Park.
Mt. Rainier is gorgeous! The wildflowers were in bloom when we were there making the landscape extra beautiful...
