Last week we were up on Washington's Long Beach Peninsula, in town as part of the planning for Jake the Alligator Man's Birthday Party on August 8th, 2009. (We'll have much more on this later, but in the meantime, think carnival sideshow married to rockabilly with a splash of burlesque...)
After the meeting, we had some time to explore before heading home and followed up on a couple of recommendations that we check out the Sou'Wester Lodge. Variously described as funky, eccentric, odd, and wonderful, we were hooked at the mention that there were vintage travel trailers on the property.
Thinking that we would do a quick swing by the property, we drove down to Seaview, knocked on the door of the Lodge, and ended up staying almost three hours visiting with the owner, Len Atkins - hands down one of the most interesting people we've ever met. Unfortunately, his wife Miriam was under the weather, but we look forward to meeting her next time.
Located on three acres with only trees and dunes between it and the ocean, the Lodge itself was once the summer home of Portland, Oregon businessman and politician Henry Corbett. Weathered by 117 years of coast rain and wind, the Sou'Wester remains impressive in its scale and interior woodwork. Within the Lodge, there are a number of small suites for rent on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Our favorite was probably the Picasso suite, decorated with art prints and postcard reproductions of Picasso's work and having a feeling of the artist's garret.
Art note: in the Lodge's main room, you'll find original art by Bill Cumming, founder of the Northwest School art movement, and Catherine Murphy, noted contempory realist painter. Both artists have spent time at the Sou'Wester and are counted among Len and Miriam's friends.
After a tour of the Lodge, Len was kind enough to show us around the grounds...and one of the most impressive collections of vintage travel trailers we've come across. Although the collection started almost by accident, Len has amassed Spartans, Airstreams, and the Pacemaker, the first trailer we've ever seen with an upstairs AND a downstairs. Although not easy to keep a travel trailer watertight and mildew-free at the coast, the trailers were well-loved but tidy and decorated with the same funky eye to art as the main Lodge. The price of a night in one of the trailers ranges from around $88 - $140 depending on the particular trailer and season.
Jumping back to the story of Len and Miriam, we learned some interesting facts during the course of our conversation with Len: they are originally from South Africa, spent a number of years in the 1950s teaching on a kibbutz in Israel, moved to Chicago in the late 1960s, and, tiring of city life after 15 years, set off on a quest for tranquility in a travel trailer of their own. Landing in Seaview, WA, Len and Miriam realized they were home and bought the Sou'Wester in 1981, two days after seeing the property for the first time. Nothing like a little adventure to keep one young!
If you happen to be near Seaview on Saturday, February 14th, the Sou'Wester is hosting a talk by noted naturalist and author Jim Stapleton, an event that fits right in with Len and Miriam's decades long tradition of gathering people together to share ideas, music, and art.
With its funky decor, very basic amenities, and rough-around-the-edges appearance, a night at the Sou'Wester might not be for everyone (something Len was careful to make clear). What we can say is that there is definitely something about the place and the proprietor that rings true - an authentic roadside stop run by authentic people on a quest for life experiences beyond the 9-to-5. We're looking forward to returning!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Vintage Roadside at Crafty Wonderland this Sunday
Hello all,
Just a quick note to let you know we'll be rolling out the Vintage Roadside "Sideshow of Style" this weekend at Crafty Wonderland. We'll be at the Doug Fir Lounge on Sunday from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm.
If you're in the Portland area stop by our booth and say hello! We promise it will soon be warm enough to wear one of our t-shirts!
Crafty Wonderland
Doug Fir Lounge
830 E Burnside
Portland, OR
Have a great weekend!
Jeff & Kelly
Vintage Roadside
Just a quick note to let you know we'll be rolling out the Vintage Roadside "Sideshow of Style" this weekend at Crafty Wonderland. We'll be at the Doug Fir Lounge on Sunday from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm.
If you're in the Portland area stop by our booth and say hello! We promise it will soon be warm enough to wear one of our t-shirts!
Crafty Wonderland
Doug Fir Lounge
830 E Burnside
Portland, OR
Have a great weekend!
Jeff & Kelly
Vintage Roadside
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Vintage Roadside is happy to welcome two new retailers!
Happy February everyone!
We're excited to announce you can now find a selection of our Vintage Roadside t-shirts at two new locations.
For those of you in the fair state of Idaho we'd like to introduce you to Back From the Past Vintage located in Idaho Falls. Back From the Past is a vintage-themed business located inside the Trackside Antique Mall. Back From the Past carries a selection of vintage items from the 1940s - 1970s and will also be at several local events this Spring and Summer. You can find upcoming events listed at their MySpace page below.
For our friends here in Portland we're excited to have a selection of our shirts now available at Frock Boutique. Frock carries a wonderful variety of handmade goods created by local mom and pop designers as well as a selection of great vintage items. (If you'd like to read a few reviews about Frock you can find their Yelp entries here.) We're thrilled to be working with a shop that works hard to support other local businesses!
If you have a chance, stop by and check out the Vintage Roadside selection along with all the other great items!
Jeff & Kelly
Vintage Roadside
We're excited to announce you can now find a selection of our Vintage Roadside t-shirts at two new locations.
For those of you in the fair state of Idaho we'd like to introduce you to Back From the Past Vintage located in Idaho Falls. Back From the Past is a vintage-themed business located inside the Trackside Antique Mall. Back From the Past carries a selection of vintage items from the 1940s - 1970s and will also be at several local events this Spring and Summer. You can find upcoming events listed at their MySpace page below.
- What: Vintage Roadside t-shirts at Back From the Past Vintage
- Where: Trackside Antique Mall. Booth #432. 310 Poulson St., Idaho Falls, ID
- Contact Info: (208) 523-9111 and on MySpace here.
For our friends here in Portland we're excited to have a selection of our shirts now available at Frock Boutique. Frock carries a wonderful variety of handmade goods created by local mom and pop designers as well as a selection of great vintage items. (If you'd like to read a few reviews about Frock you can find their Yelp entries here.) We're thrilled to be working with a shop that works hard to support other local businesses!
- What: Vintage Roadside t-shirts at Frock Boutique.
- Where: Frock Boutique. 1439 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR
- Contact Info: (503) 595-0379 and at their website here.
If you have a chance, stop by and check out the Vintage Roadside selection along with all the other great items!
Jeff & Kelly
Vintage Roadside
Monday, January 5, 2009
Vintage Roadside Visits: The Safari Club
Field Trip! How long has it been since you've thought of those two magical words? For us it had been way too long. So, when the opportunity arose last week to spend the day showing Charles Phoenix around we loaded up the car and headed for Estacada. Our destination - The Safari Club.
After rounding up the gang we spent the drive out relating stories and rumors we'd heard about the Safari Club. David had heard the animals were gone..... Justin had heard they were still there... Charles enjoyed his Franz cookies from his visit to the bakery earlier in the day....
As we came into town we spotted the sign from a few blocks away. If you've ever driven miles and miles to visit a "legendary" place you'll know the feeling you get when you arrive and the place is actually standing (and open) - relief!
Our first impression - Wow, the place is huge! The Safari Club takes up most of a city block and is covered with split rock and some sort of wild green plastic thatch. We all agreed that these attributes boded well for true entertainment possibilities.
Upon entering you're given a choice. Bright restaurant to the right, dim lounge to the left. Oh, you're also met by a huge pair of bears giving you a hint to what lurks within the lounge. The bears are roughly 8 - 10 feet tall and while they've aged a bit they're still one of the more impressive pairs of greeters we've seen. That 3' tall fiberglass chef statue found outside many restaurants would simply be an appetizer for this pair. There's also a sign with information about the origins of the Safari Club:
"The Safari Club was designed and constructed by Jorgans Construction Company in 1970. 
After reading the sign it was evident that the Safari Club wasn't like the other lounges around town! The question we all had was how had the place fared over the last 4 decades? Was there anything left? Did the animals look real? With memories of watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom on Sunday nights we headed for the lounge.
Our initial reaction was that the lounge looked like many older lounges during the middle of a week - fairly dark and quiet with a few regulars at the bar. As our eyes adjusted to the light we noticed the very large floor to ceiling glass case located in the middle of the lounge along with another large display window in one corner. In the middle case a pair of tigers have been locked in mortal combat for almost 40 years. The gashes and blood still look shockingly bright after all these years. Another of the big surprises in the lounge area is the trio of cats suspended over the dance floor.
(Unfortunately the lights in the lounge area cases are no longer functional so photography is limited to using a flash.)
Death from above!
In the lounge we noticed numerous patches on the wall of a different color. These marked what were once dozens of mounted heads that no longer reside at the Safari Club. The gal we spoke with mentioned a walrus head with 5' tusks that almost reached the ground. It's a bit unclear where they've gone, but that does tend to add to the mystery of the Club.
The true gem of the Safari Room is the "dead zoo" located behind the large vinyl curtain in the lounge. Behind this locked curtain is another area that covers almost a full third of the building. The day we visited we were thrilled to be admitted behind the curtain into a chilly room where we saw a few tables, a pool table, and three more large dioramas.
In these we see more examples of the food chain at work. Cougars bring down deer, bears enjoy a meal of an elk, and in the third display another cougar prepares to jump from a pine tree onto the back of an elk.
We'd once again like to express our thanks to the Safari Club for allowing us to visit this area.
We were told an amazing bit of history the day we visited that we couldn't recall ever hearing before. Apparently the Park family also had a large cabin up near Mt. St. Helens with a collection of taxidermy that was far more extensive than the Safari Room. Many of the prize pieces had been moved to the cabin at the end of the 1970s. When Mt. St. Helens erupted the cabin and all of the collection were destroyed.
We'd highly recommend a trip out to the Safari Club. While a portion of the collection is no longer at the restaurant it's an amazing look back at another era. While many themed restaurants appear to have been decorated with the goal of appealing to a large number of patrons, the Safari Room appears to have been created simply to house the collection of Mr. Park. It's still possible to see how this place captured the imagination and drew customers from surrounding towns for a night of fine dining and dancing.
After rounding up the gang we spent the drive out relating stories and rumors we'd heard about the Safari Club. David had heard the animals were gone..... Justin had heard they were still there... Charles enjoyed his Franz cookies from his visit to the bakery earlier in the day....
As we came into town we spotted the sign from a few blocks away. If you've ever driven miles and miles to visit a "legendary" place you'll know the feeling you get when you arrive and the place is actually standing (and open) - relief!
Our first impression - Wow, the place is huge! The Safari Club takes up most of a city block and is covered with split rock and some sort of wild green plastic thatch. We all agreed that these attributes boded well for true entertainment possibilities.
Upon entering you're given a choice. Bright restaurant to the right, dim lounge to the left. Oh, you're also met by a huge pair of bears giving you a hint to what lurks within the lounge. The bears are roughly 8 - 10 feet tall and while they've aged a bit they're still one of the more impressive pairs of greeters we've seen. That 3' tall fiberglass chef statue found outside many restaurants would simply be an appetizer for this pair. There's also a sign with information about the origins of the Safari Club:
"The Safari Club was designed and constructed by Jorgans Construction Company in 1970. We hope that you enjoy your visit in this unique club and further hope that you, your family and friends return time and time again. This is the only one of its type in the world today. It is owned by Park Enterprises and is managed by Mike Park.
This collection of outstanding trophies in this club was taken on 23 different hunting expeditions to six different countries through the world over a period of six years. The majority of trophies taken by world-renowned big game hunter Glen Park have now been entered in the World Record Books. Glen Park is the most active and outstanding hunter in the United States today.
It was Glen Park's idea to share these outstanding, beautiful trophies with the local citizenry by building a unique safari club."
After reading the sign it was evident that the Safari Club wasn't like the other lounges around town! The question we all had was how had the place fared over the last 4 decades? Was there anything left? Did the animals look real? With memories of watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom on Sunday nights we headed for the lounge.
Our initial reaction was that the lounge looked like many older lounges during the middle of a week - fairly dark and quiet with a few regulars at the bar. As our eyes adjusted to the light we noticed the very large floor to ceiling glass case located in the middle of the lounge along with another large display window in one corner. In the middle case a pair of tigers have been locked in mortal combat for almost 40 years. The gashes and blood still look shockingly bright after all these years. Another of the big surprises in the lounge area is the trio of cats suspended over the dance floor.
(Unfortunately the lights in the lounge area cases are no longer functional so photography is limited to using a flash.)
Death from above!
Incoming!
In the lounge we noticed numerous patches on the wall of a different color. These marked what were once dozens of mounted heads that no longer reside at the Safari Club. The gal we spoke with mentioned a walrus head with 5' tusks that almost reached the ground. It's a bit unclear where they've gone, but that does tend to add to the mystery of the Club.
The true gem of the Safari Room is the "dead zoo" located behind the large vinyl curtain in the lounge. Behind this locked curtain is another area that covers almost a full third of the building. The day we visited we were thrilled to be admitted behind the curtain into a chilly room where we saw a few tables, a pool table, and three more large dioramas.
In these we see more examples of the food chain at work. Cougars bring down deer, bears enjoy a meal of an elk, and in the third display another cougar prepares to jump from a pine tree onto the back of an elk.
We'd once again like to express our thanks to the Safari Club for allowing us to visit this area.
We were told an amazing bit of history the day we visited that we couldn't recall ever hearing before. Apparently the Park family also had a large cabin up near Mt. St. Helens with a collection of taxidermy that was far more extensive than the Safari Room. Many of the prize pieces had been moved to the cabin at the end of the 1970s. When Mt. St. Helens erupted the cabin and all of the collection were destroyed.
We'd highly recommend a trip out to the Safari Club. While a portion of the collection is no longer at the restaurant it's an amazing look back at another era. While many themed restaurants appear to have been decorated with the goal of appealing to a large number of patrons, the Safari Room appears to have been created simply to house the collection of Mr. Park. It's still possible to see how this place captured the imagination and drew customers from surrounding towns for a night of fine dining and dancing.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Charles Phoenix returns to Portland December 26th!
It looks like Portland will have a great alternative for the day after Christmas! After enjoying a day of holiday left-overs come on down to the Clinton Street Theater for an evening of vintage slide joy!
From the press release:
"After a sell-out performance in October, Pop Culture Humorist and Author Charles Phoenix brings his live Holiday slide show performance to the Clinton Street Theater one night only, December 26th. This laugh-out-loud celebration of Mid-century Holiday style is being presented by Portland's Speedboat Coffee.
Charles Phoenix super-charges the classic living room slide show by reinventing it into a hip and high octane celebration of classic and kitschy Mid-century American life and style. His informed and often hilarious narration of the very best of his massive collection of flea-market found Kodachrome slides will inspire your imagination and make your spirits soar.
In this hilarious holiday show you'll see how Americans decorated, dressed up, dined and drank to celebrate - New Years, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas in the 50s and 60s."
Plus to add to the coolness factor Mr. Phoenix will be projecting the original vintage slides. No Powerpoint presentations here!
Tickets are available at Speedboat Coffee located at 5115 SE Foster Rd., and at the Clinton Street Theater box office the day of the show.
A night with Charles will set you back a mere $19.00.
On the web:
Charles Phoenix
Speedboat Coffee
From the press release:
"After a sell-out performance in October, Pop Culture Humorist and Author Charles Phoenix brings his live Holiday slide show performance to the Clinton Street Theater one night only, December 26th. This laugh-out-loud celebration of Mid-century Holiday style is being presented by Portland's Speedboat Coffee.
Charles Phoenix super-charges the classic living room slide show by reinventing it into a hip and high octane celebration of classic and kitschy Mid-century American life and style. His informed and often hilarious narration of the very best of his massive collection of flea-market found Kodachrome slides will inspire your imagination and make your spirits soar.
In this hilarious holiday show you'll see how Americans decorated, dressed up, dined and drank to celebrate - New Years, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas in the 50s and 60s."
Plus to add to the coolness factor Mr. Phoenix will be projecting the original vintage slides. No Powerpoint presentations here!
Tickets are available at Speedboat Coffee located at 5115 SE Foster Rd., and at the Clinton Street Theater box office the day of the show.
A night with Charles will set you back a mere $19.00.
On the web:
Charles Phoenix
Speedboat Coffee
Friday, December 12, 2008
Come see Vintage Roadside at Crafty Wonderland Sunday the 14th!
Hello all,
We wanted to let you know we'll be at the Crafty Wonderland Super Colossal Holiday Sale this Sunday, December 14th at the Oregon Convention Center.
So, if you're looking for that one-of-a-kind, unique gift come on down! You'll have over 180 different local vendors to choose that perfect gift from.
Jeff & Kelly
Vintage Roadside
We wanted to let you know we'll be at the Crafty Wonderland Super Colossal Holiday Sale this Sunday, December 14th at the Oregon Convention Center.
So, if you're looking for that one-of-a-kind, unique gift come on down! You'll have over 180 different local vendors to choose that perfect gift from.
Jeff & Kelly
Vintage Roadside
Saturday, December 6, 2008
A peek at our vintage motel collection
As winter approaches and we all start looking forward to next Spring (and warm road trips) we thought it would be fun to share a few pieces from the Vintage Roadside ephemera collection. The pieces below are a few of our favorites from our tourist court, motor court, and motel collection. The next time you head out on the road we'd like to encourage you to keep an eye out for mom and pop lodging. They might not have wi-fi or a fitness center but they sure provide some great memories along the way!
The Roberta Motor Court was once located on US 341 in Roberta, Georgia. The court is a nice example of lodging that also provided an onsite restaurant for guests. Love the sign with the landscaped garden bed around it!
This copy of the 1956 New England Motor Court and Cabin Guide was provided by the Ko-Z Motor Court & Diner of Clarendon, Vermont. The guide lists numerous lodging choices for those on the road between New York and Quebec. These vintage motor court guides generally listed "member" businesses and many times included black and white photos of the establishments.
We love the pink bedspreads along with the matching pink car shown in this vintage postcard for the Park Motel of Morris, Illinois. The motel offered many of the amenities guests had come to expect - air conditioning, sound conditioning, wall to wall carpet, color TV in each room, direct dial phones, and a combination tub and shower.
The vintage postcard for Felix's Motel is a bit earlier than the Park Motel above in that they are still advertising "steam heat", a cooling system of "fans", radios in each room, and good ol' "cross ventilation" which meant you could open a window on each side of the room to cool down:-)
The Combahee Motor Court appears to have been quite a midcentury gem. They billed themselves as a "Modernistic Motor Court" and from the looks of the architecture they certainly were! The location of the Combahee was Garden Corners, South Carolina.
We hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!
Jeff & Kelly
Vintage Roadside
The Roberta Motor Court was once located on US 341 in Roberta, Georgia. The court is a nice example of lodging that also provided an onsite restaurant for guests. Love the sign with the landscaped garden bed around it!
This copy of the 1956 New England Motor Court and Cabin Guide was provided by the Ko-Z Motor Court & Diner of Clarendon, Vermont. The guide lists numerous lodging choices for those on the road between New York and Quebec. These vintage motor court guides generally listed "member" businesses and many times included black and white photos of the establishments.
We love the pink bedspreads along with the matching pink car shown in this vintage postcard for the Park Motel of Morris, Illinois. The motel offered many of the amenities guests had come to expect - air conditioning, sound conditioning, wall to wall carpet, color TV in each room, direct dial phones, and a combination tub and shower.
The vintage postcard for Felix's Motel is a bit earlier than the Park Motel above in that they are still advertising "steam heat", a cooling system of "fans", radios in each room, and good ol' "cross ventilation" which meant you could open a window on each side of the room to cool down:-)
The Combahee Motor Court appears to have been quite a midcentury gem. They billed themselves as a "Modernistic Motor Court" and from the looks of the architecture they certainly were! The location of the Combahee was Garden Corners, South Carolina.
We hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!
Jeff & Kelly
Vintage Roadside
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