Motel Maverick - Pendleton

"In the heart of Roundup City."

Featured "instant infrared ceiling heat in deluxe bathrooms."

Telephones in all rooms.

Electric baseboard heat.

And one killer sign:


It's now a Traveler's Inn.

The Chalet - Chemult

The Chalet Restaurant in Chemult offered homemade pies, delicious baked Swiss steak and "Food...the way you like it." As opposed to food that you do not like.

Here's the joint these days:

And, it's for sale!

Oregon's 60s Punk Rawk Legacy

[Cross-posted on my other site, stumptownconfidential.com]

Sure, there's Paul Revere and the Raiders [the Hal Blaine-backed Columbia sessions are still some of my faves] and their Portland connection.

But, in the mid-60s, kids all over the country - the world- were practicing in their garages. Heavy on the fuzz and lots of attitude, many of these teens even cut 45s [ask your parents].

Mainly regional hits, from Portland to Salem to Astoria, these 45s might've received some local airplay then eventually disappeared into oblivion or worse, showed up decades later at some "record fair" populated by social misfits and shut-ins [yeah, like I should talk].

And, let's face it, most record collectors are more known for their Nazi-like attitudes and general lack of social skills - and don't like to share their finds.

Not so with blogger Garage Hangover.

They've meticulously searched wide and far for some great forgotten gems - and then have posted MP3s on their site.

Posts also include lengthy bios of garage bands from all over the map, and of course from Oregon.

Names like The Gentlemen Wild, The Chaen Reaction, The Weads (with Fred Cole of Dead Moon), and Beauregarde (featuring a very young Greg Sage later of the Wipers on guitar), you can't go wrong.

The Village Green

The Village Green in Cottage Grove offered "An Experience in the Art of Living."

Your ghostly date awaits, sir!

Wheeler

Minus the cars, Wheeler hasn't changed - at all. [Based on a visit in 2004, that is.]

More from Eugene

McArthur Court at the U of O. This version looks like the newly renovated one in the 1950s.


City Center Lodge Motel, featuring "modern rooms with tub and shower baths, Beautyrest mattresses and free radios in each unit." It still stands as the Broadway Inn.

Wanderlust

Summer is here. Turns out my kid is a bit older now and likes to travel and camp. This certainly opens up the doors for some exploring. And, being a fairly new resident to Oregon, the whole state is one kick-ass and vast area to explore.

One writer I’ve been enjoying is Ralph Friedman. His works include Tracking Down Oregon and Oregon for the Curious. His books – written during the 1970s – delve into small town history and lore. My hunch is that these landmarks are now surely long lost and gone. Regardless, pick these two books up - they're at most local used bookstores.

A more updated entry on the scene is a fantastic site that I recently linked to – The Real Oregon. It’s inspiring to read; get ideas on places to visit; and learn some history of the state.

Anyhow, after our long weekend trip to the Umpqua Lighthouse and the dunes a couple weekends ago, we are itching to do some more daytrips and exploring. We’re heading for the coast for the weekend in July, but I’m also looking for some low-stress, daytrips I want to hit up this summer.

The catch is to be back home before dinner, stay sort of in the Portland Metro/Willamette Valley area and not bore my toddler to tears:

• Aurora. I’m intrigued by its history
  
  
• Estacada. Yeah. I know. But, I’ve heard good things about a brewpub there. Brewpubs are totally kid-friendly, right? Right?
  
  
• Portland parks. Got a taste of how vast and wonderful Forest Park is a couple weeks back. Hiking is definitely on the hot list.
  
  
• Canby Ferry. My kid would love it.
  
  
• The Oregon Garden in Silverton.
  
  
• Mount Angel. Octoberfest might be an overload but want to check it out before then.
  
  
• Berry picking.

Any other ideas?

[By the way, the above image is Lakewood Village in Lincoln City. It's long gone.]

Modern in Reedsport

Spent the weekend relaxing, drinking cold beer and eating BBQ in a yurt near Winchester Bay. It's summer and it's time to explore this great state of ours. And the stop at Tomasellis in Elkton on the way back to Portland was almost worth the entire drive, both ways. It's on our list of places to visit every year.

Anyhow, went into Reedsport to buy some food at the local Safeway and took the following photos of it and the surrounding stores. From the size of the Safeway [small aisles and cramped shelves] this hasn't been remodeled since it was built - I'd say early 60s? Anyone?

Leith Motel

The captions for this are endless: "Norman Bates." "Meth paradise." "Oregon Chainsaw Massacre."

The motel, located on Highway 101 in Gold Beach, had an all night cafe and an adjoining airport. Travel back in time and call CH 7-7693 if you need more information.

Swingin' Medford

Possibly one of my favorite street scenes on an Oregon card. Medford's State Street looks like its hopping.


Penney's and Mann's.


Hammond Organ dealer.

Three from Eugene

The extremely pink Travel Lodge. Telephone: DIamond 2-1109.


No attempts to make the place look nice, either. Did the photographer rent cars from a local junkyard?



Artist's rendering of the new Holiday Inn on Coburg, with the Lion's Den meeting room.


The Valley River Shopping Center, "Oregon's largest regional center with a 'climate-controlled' mall."

Baker City Gold

The famous "Armstrong" nugget at the Baker Branch of the U.S. National Bank of Oregon:




And while in Baker, stay at J.B.'s ElDorado Motel:

Now called the El Dorado, the place still looks like a cozy getaway. Though you can check out any time, you can never leave.

Welcome to Oregon - Now go home

Talk about a passive-agressive campaign message. This is how the state was being promoted?! The land of lumber and stalled pink cars. Who bought and then sent this postcard?

The back of the postcard says, "Oregon beckons the traveler to relax and enjoy its many scenic options." Uh huh. Beckon to never come back is more like it.

This really says, Immediate U-turns are encouraged. Or, Make a quick left - Nevada is much nicer anyhow.


We hope you will leave us alone.

Nowadays, things are much different.

Oregon Courthouse Tour

I recently came across a stack of postcards celebrating Oregon courthouses. Postcards for courthouses? Get arrested. Check. Go to trial. Check. Go to courthouse. Check. Buy postcard of said courthouse for relatives. Um, check?

First up is the Tillamook County Courthouse:

"Tillamook, Oregon, trading center of this prosperous dairy land." Population: one.

Here's the Josephine County Courthouse, with what looks like the same car as above:


Checking in at No. 3 is the Klamath Falls County Courthouse:

A plethora of 'Merican-made autos. Hybrid schmybrid.

I saved the best for last:

The "New Marion County Courthouse in Salem."

Here's another shot:

In theory, I hate modern crap like this. On the other hand, its bruteness appeals to me somehow. Then again, she didn't age very well and reminds me too much of the gawdawful Boston City Hall. [I despise the fact that an entire hood was torn down - hence I despise the building.]

Cedar Lodge Motel - Medford

"64 units - at your service 24 hrs. a day."


I never trust people who insist on backing their cars in. Need to leave in a hurry?


If this vans a rockin' don't bother knockin'. On the other hand, ass, grass or gas no one rides for free.

The Cedar Lodge is alive and well. Though the sign has been slightly modified, it presumably still offers guests "direct dial phones," "cable color TV," and "individual air conditioning."

Madras 1964

"Located in the booming irrigated farm district on US Highway 97."




The prerequisite drugstore, bakery, cafe and gas station.



The Shangrila!

From the postcard, dated October 3, 1964:

Yes!

We arrived at 8:00 or shortly after. Stayed at City Center Motel. Ate next door. Excellent. Beautiful day today. P.G.E. car next to my unit left last night. Refill with necassary vitamins, then on our way. Next card, next station.

This has GOT to be some top secret CIA code work. If not? Its banality is admirable!

Seven Seas Motel - Newport Beach

I'm going to take a wild guess and say this is probably lonnng gone. Nice sign. The brick? Not so much. It doesn't exactly spell comfort or anything else related to a Pacific island paradise.

Welcome to Oregon Roadside

Since starting Stumptown Confidential in 2004, I’ve come across more and more postcards from across the state that just don’t quite fit in with its format.

Stumptown was born so I could learn and highlight the overlooked Mid-Century architecture of my adopted hometown of Portland, Ore.

Oregon Roadside lets me broaden my obsession with all things Oregon by enabling me to post some of the cool stuff I’ve scrounged up the past couple of years. You know, like this image of a restaurant in Salem:



I also hope that folks in our state will comment on the postings and let readers know if a building still stands, was torn down, or was preserved. I’ll do my best to offer any sort of history/background on featured buildings but would love the added commentary.