The last holiday post, I promise!
The final leg of our Vintage Road Trip was driving across the plains of Idaho (through Boise), down to Pendleton (Oregon) and ending up in Portland.
Southern Idaho seemed like miles and miles of flat farms, until we reached Pocatello.
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We had no idea there would be this amazing bridge and canyon in the middle of nowhere!
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Jakk is deathly afraid of heights, so I don't have any photos of her near the edge.
Onwards to Pendleton, Oregon.
Yes, THE Pendleton, home of the Pendleton Woolen Mills and the classic 49er jackets.
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Unfortunately we were seriously running out of room in our bags by now, so no blankets to bring home.
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And our last city - Portland!
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I'm of mixed minds about Portland.
I think we had such high expectations because everyone raves about the city, but in reality I was a bit disappointed. Good food, but not the vintage mecca everyone told me it would be.
Well, I did find two lucite handbags and handpainted Mexican tourist skirt so it wasn't that bad.
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I would suggest crossing the river and going to Vancouver (Washington) for some serious vintage shopping.
The great thing about Portland though was how close to nature it was (and no sales tax!)
We took a day trip over to Mount St Helens, and co-incidentally were there on the 36th anniversary of the erruption.
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You can really see the impact of the blast - the trees haven't grown back in places, and bits still remain embedded in the soil.
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I really recommend the drive up there, and make sure you stop at all the kitschy attractions on the side of the road!
With our Vintage Road Trip over (3 weeks of driving, over 2,100 miles or 3,360 kilometers) it was time to say goodbye to mainland USA and head to Hawaii for some rest.
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I had no idea we'd enjoy Hawaii (Waikiki) as much as we did!
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The weather is warm, the people are lovely and the vintage shopping was good as well!
Make sure you check out Barrio Vintage in downtown Honolulu - those boys are awesome.
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I bought this deadstock 1960's hawaiian waterfall dress from them, and felt like a James Bond villaness swanning around the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
We also made a trip to out to the Pearl Harbour monument.
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I had no idea of the size of the USS Arizona, it really is massive.
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The bodies of the crewmen are still down there, and so is the oil and petrol. It slowly bubbles to the surface of the water in drops and looks very surreal.
The final must-see place we went to was La Mariana! The last remaining true tiki-bar on the island.
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La Mariana Sailing Club has been around since the fifties and it definitely feels like it! Cheap drinks and moderately priced food.
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The bar is not anywhere near the tourist strip - I would highly recommend catching an Uber or Lyft out there (and back) as it was much, much cheaper than a taxi.
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Well, that was our trip in a nutshell - 10 states, two month.
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Swag!
Yes, it's true, we did come home with three checked bags each (eep), but boy did we get some really great stuff.
I'll start with what we were most proud to get home unscathed - a pair of Midcentury ceramic lamp bases, with fibreglass lamp shades!
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They stand about two feet high, and took some seriously creative packing to fit into our bags.
I also found a pair of Midcentury lady-head vases in Montana that made it home in my carry-on.
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But what about clothes?
I didn't seem to find as many clothes this time, I have a feeling that vintage is getting harder and harder to find. We did find a great store in Butte Montana (called ReDiscoveries) and I would definitely pay them a visit again.
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But, I did buy a tonne of handbags, including three 1940's telephone cord bags.
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A heap of jewellery - including about 20 bakelite bangles, two clampers and two carved lucite brooches.
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And finally, a pair of red and a pair of green saddle shoes from Muffy's in Vernonia Washington.
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Top Picks for Vintage Shopping:
Coming up very soon on my blog - more sewing, and Curvy Month starts on 1 July!
The final leg of our Vintage Road Trip was driving across the plains of Idaho (through Boise), down to Pendleton (Oregon) and ending up in Portland.
Southern Idaho seemed like miles and miles of flat farms, until we reached Pocatello.
We had no idea there would be this amazing bridge and canyon in the middle of nowhere!
Jakk is deathly afraid of heights, so I don't have any photos of her near the edge.
Onwards to Pendleton, Oregon.
Yes, THE Pendleton, home of the Pendleton Woolen Mills and the classic 49er jackets.
 |
| Wearing an original 49er to the mill! |
Unfortunately we were seriously running out of room in our bags by now, so no blankets to bring home.
And our last city - Portland!
I'm of mixed minds about Portland.
I think we had such high expectations because everyone raves about the city, but in reality I was a bit disappointed. Good food, but not the vintage mecca everyone told me it would be.
Well, I did find two lucite handbags and handpainted Mexican tourist skirt so it wasn't that bad.
I would suggest crossing the river and going to Vancouver (Washington) for some serious vintage shopping.
The great thing about Portland though was how close to nature it was (and no sales tax!)
We took a day trip over to Mount St Helens, and co-incidentally were there on the 36th anniversary of the erruption.
You can really see the impact of the blast - the trees haven't grown back in places, and bits still remain embedded in the soil.
I really recommend the drive up there, and make sure you stop at all the kitschy attractions on the side of the road!
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| Sasquatch |
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| Columbia Inn Restaurant, Kalama WA |
I had no idea we'd enjoy Hawaii (Waikiki) as much as we did!
The weather is warm, the people are lovely and the vintage shopping was good as well!
Make sure you check out Barrio Vintage in downtown Honolulu - those boys are awesome.
I bought this deadstock 1960's hawaiian waterfall dress from them, and felt like a James Bond villaness swanning around the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
We also made a trip to out to the Pearl Harbour monument.
I had no idea of the size of the USS Arizona, it really is massive.
The bodies of the crewmen are still down there, and so is the oil and petrol. It slowly bubbles to the surface of the water in drops and looks very surreal.
The final must-see place we went to was La Mariana! The last remaining true tiki-bar on the island.
La Mariana Sailing Club has been around since the fifties and it definitely feels like it! Cheap drinks and moderately priced food.
The bar is not anywhere near the tourist strip - I would highly recommend catching an Uber or Lyft out there (and back) as it was much, much cheaper than a taxi.
Well, that was our trip in a nutshell - 10 states, two month.
Swag!
Yes, it's true, we did come home with three checked bags each (eep), but boy did we get some really great stuff.
I'll start with what we were most proud to get home unscathed - a pair of Midcentury ceramic lamp bases, with fibreglass lamp shades!
They stand about two feet high, and took some seriously creative packing to fit into our bags.
I also found a pair of Midcentury lady-head vases in Montana that made it home in my carry-on.
But what about clothes?
I didn't seem to find as many clothes this time, I have a feeling that vintage is getting harder and harder to find. We did find a great store in Butte Montana (called ReDiscoveries) and I would definitely pay them a visit again.
But, I did buy a tonne of handbags, including three 1940's telephone cord bags.
A heap of jewellery - including about 20 bakelite bangles, two clampers and two carved lucite brooches.
And finally, a pair of red and a pair of green saddle shoes from Muffy's in Vernonia Washington.
Top Picks for Vintage Shopping:
We love the USA, and are already keeping our eyes peeled for some cheap flights back to Hawaii (just in case). It is definitely goo to be home though.
- Boston - Bobby from Boston, and Garment District (seriously, if I lived in Boston I would be here every weekend)
- Seattle - Snohomish Antiques and Red Light Vintage
- Montana - Montana Antique Mall (Missoula), ReDiscoveries
- Boise - Once Upon a Time, Antique World Mall and In Retrospect
- Portland - Bombshell Vintage, Living Threads Vintage and Avalon
- Honolulu - Barrio Vintage
Coming up very soon on my blog - more sewing, and Curvy Month starts on 1 July!