Myself seated on a bench just outside the roller rink above you can see the pipe organ that hangs above the rink.

Oaks Park: One of the Last Trolley Parks is Home to America’s Oldest Roller Rink

October 7, 2026, Leave a Comment on Oaks Park: One of the Last Trolley Parks is Home to America’s Oldest Roller Rink

Located on the banks of the Willamette River is a true treasure of Portland, Oaks Amusement Park. Not only is it one of America’s oldest amusement parks, it is home to the oldest roller rink in the United States. In 1905 the Portland area was gearing up for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. Meanwhile…

Exterior of Grand Lodge, a Greek revival style portico with columns, with the building itself made of brick.

McMenamins Grand Lodge: 100 Year Old Freemason Retirement Home Turned Whimsigoth Hotel

October 1, 2026, 1 Comment

As mentioned earlier, we returned to Oregon for Patrick’s sister’s wedding. She chose to get married at a local campground with a beautiful lake. As her and her friends adore camping, many opted to pitch tents right on site. As for me I chose for Patrick and I to stay at McMenamins Grand Lodge, a…

A black and white image of the back of an abandoned drive-in, portions of the screen are missing, on the left is the small ticket booth.

Abandoned Places, Neon Wonders, and More from Our Idaho Road Trip

September 24, 2025, Leave a Comment on Abandoned Places, Neon Wonders, and More from Our Idaho Road Trip

A road trip is never complete without pulling over to some weird places, including abandoned buildings, amazing neon signs, and more. While Patrick and I have traveled to Idaho a few times, there is always something we missed the time before. So today, I bring you the collection of random places we stopped at during…

Myself, with my hair down, wearing a white tshirt featuring a red stop sign reading "Stop Pre" blue jean cut off shirts, and red, white, and blue Nike shoes.

On Your Mark: How an Olympic Joke Tee became an Icon

August 6, 2024, Leave a Comment on On Your Mark: How an Olympic Joke Tee became an Icon

The Olympics are in full force and it always reminds me of where I was born and went to college, Eugene, Oregon, aka TrackTown USA, and a guy named Steve Prefontaine. Before the Olympic torch begins its journey to the location of the games, before the athletes arrive at the village, US Track and Field…

Overall view of the Perish Motel" a Googie style sign reads "Perish Motel TV" in red and white with a large white arrow pointing toward the rooms.

One-of-a-Kind Roadside Sights from Oregon, Idaho & Utah

June 9, 2023, 3 Comments

After Nevada, we continued briefly into Oregon before arriving at our destination of Idaho. While visiting with my mother, we still took some time to drive around and I found so many great signs and more! After wrapping up our visit, we drove into Utah before eventually arriving in Vegas. So today I bring you…

A red painted building sits behind overgrown bushes. A large sign out front reads "Gene Valla's Blue Gum Luncheon-Dinners." A neon martini glass tops the large sign.

Photo Essay: Americana Through the Eyes of a 16 Year Old

January 26, 2022, 8 Comments

Recently Patrick and I went did a massive clean out and reorganization of our garage. Part of it involved me sifting through boxes of photos. Yes, real, glossy, shot on film type of photos. Growing up in the infancy of digital photography means my early memories were captured on film, and I learned the ropes…

Myself, wearing a white t-shirt, with a jean vest over, and jean shorts, standing in front of a Springfield Police car that has crashed into a lamppost in front of Lard Lad Donuts.

Greetings from Springfield

January 22, 2020, 5 Comments

When Disney purchased 20th Century Fox, they also acquired the rights to The Simpsons. Which leaves the future of Springfield at Universal Studios a little uncertain. So, I decided it was high time to give Springfield its moment to shine here on the blog, because, honestly, the theming is pretty good, and gives a decent…

Long Form: Reasons for and the Transition To California

July 10, 2017, 13 Comments

When I asked what you wanted to see on the blog, someone asked to share our transition to Southern California from Oregon, and discuss if there were any regrets, differences between the two locals, and any tips for those thinking of moving. I’ve been working on this post for awhile, but was on the fence…

I Brake for Vintage Neon

April 20, 2017, Leave a Comment on I Brake for Vintage Neon

Throughout our entire trip there was lots of yelling “I’m pulling over!” or “Pull over!” depending on who was driving. Sometimes it was quite frantic. I have been called “dramatic” at times. But I just can’t help myself when I see a good vintage neon sign! And boy were there a lot of good ones!…

Greetings from Portland

March 27, 2017, Leave a Comment on Greetings from Portland

Patrick and I are in Portland for a couple of days for his work, and I tagged along to spend some time with friends, see my dad, and do a bit of shopping. I felt it was a perfect opportunity to share more of my vintage postcard collection! This time I bring you vintage Portland…