Baxter's Art Deco adventure

 Hiya Gang,
Baxter here. Besides being super excited about ice cream, custard, and froyo  I'm also pumped about entering Sandy's Art Deco contest for the first time. I knew that I had to do my best to find some cool Art Deco.  I went out to the Northern Oregon Coast (Seaside and Astoria) to find my Art Deco treasures.   Of course, I need to choose one of the three buildings to enter.  

 First up is 210 Broadway Street.

 Check out the bold color, the slick lines, and the nice curb appeal.  Originally, it was the....well the research assistant could not find the original owner, tenant of the building.  It's probably part of the Gilbert District build after the great fire of 1912.  Otherwise than that, all we could find is that it was probably built  in 1924 at the very beginning of the Art Deco period.  

The other major art deco building is across the street from this one.  It's currently the Funland Arcade.  Similar design to my previous building (210 Broadway) and what the only noticeable difference is the vertical sign.  

This arcade is still going strong, it was started in 1929 (yes, you read that right) and has been operating since (in the same location).  Fascination the game, has been played at Funland since the start (there are fewer than a dozen fascination parlors left).  It was super popular in teh 1920s and basically it's an interactive bingo.  

If you go to Funland, you must play fascination. Check out this video from a few years ago.

Pretty cool eh? 

Sequoia has had enough of the Art Deco buildings in Seaside and demands a long walk on the beach. 

Off to our next stop.  Astoria, Oregon.  Home of the Goonies, Short Circuit, and Kindergarten Cop, Graveyard of the Pacific and one big Art Deco(ish) Masterpiece the Hotel Astor.  Okay, okay I know the Hotel Astor is technically gothic but it does have some good Art Deco(ish) style. 

  As I'm sure everyone know this but in case you forgot and get on Jeopardy sometime soon.  Astoria, Oregon, is named after John Jacob Astor, whose Pacific Fur Company established a trading post there in 1811. This post, Fort Astoria, became the first permanent U.S. settlement on the Pacific coast. 

Here's a professional photo of the same building.

Anywho, the Hotel Astor in Astoria, now officially known as the John Jacob Astor Hotel, was built in 1922–23 in the wake of a devastating fire and opened on January 1, 1924 as the tallest building on the Oregon Coast.

 It struggled financially and was renamed in 1951 before being condemned in 1968, it was restored in the mid-1980s as low-income housing with commercial space on the first two floors.

No detail is too small for this building.

I tried to get into the lobby (it looked cool) but being that its apartments now the doors were locked and no one let me in.  Cool tiles eh?

This bear is tired and hungry, oh look a bakery in the building.  Perfect.

Phoeey, it's closed today.  However, I found the custard king (and there was no line).

The Northern Oregon Coastal cities did not disapoint for Art Deco architecture.  

Welcome to Sacremento!

 Hiya Gang: 

I scampered into Sacramento, paws clicking against sidewalks shaded by tall trees that seemed to hold a ton of history.  The air was alive with trains, laughter, and the wide river shining under the California  golden sun. Everywhere I looked, the mix of past and present made me feel like the city was inviting a curious fox like me to explore.

I hopped onto the light rail, ears twitching at the hum and chatter of the morning commute (even on a Saturday). Before long, the train rolled into Sacramento Valley Station, its grand old building standing proudly against the skyline. With a flick of his tail, he set off toward Old Sacramento, ready to spend the day wandering wooden sidewalks and exploring gold rush history.

As I sit on this old switching train, I remember my schooling as a kit learning about Sacramento’s past.  It was western starting point of the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860s. Railroads helped Sacramento grow from a Gold Rush town into a hub of agriculture trade.  The trains are running today still part of everyday Sacramento history. 

Old Town Sacramento feels like stepping back in time, with its creaky wooden sidewalks, brick buildings, and horse-drawn carriages clip-clopping by (pretend you don't see any cars).

 I could spend hours exploring the museums, peeking into old shops, and sniffing around the waterfront where history and fun come alive.

So many stories in these old buildings, it would be a great place for a ghost tour.   This is the old town square area home to the state railroad museum - no time today but looks interesting.

Old Town Sacramento is filled with beautifully preserved buildings from the mid-1800s, many of them built during the Gold Rush era. Sturdy brick structures, once saloons, hotels, and general stores, still line the streets, their weathered facades telling stories of pioneers and fortune seekers. Walking past them, you can almost imagine the bustle of wagons, riverboats, and merchants that once made this district the heart of California’s early days.

The Pony Express was a daring mail service that carried letters across nearly 2,000 miles between Missouri and California in just 10 days during 1860–1861. Sacramento marked the western end of the route, where riders finished their exhausting journey by delivering the mail to the bustling riverfront. Today, a bronze Pony Express statue stands proudly in Old Sacramento, honoring the  riders who made history.

The Delta King is a historic paddlewheel riverboat built in the late 1920s, originally paired with her twin, the Delta Queen, to carry passengers between San Francisco and Sacramento. 

After the Delta King was retired in 1940, her story took a rough turn. She served as a floating barracks during World War II, then was used for various odd purposes, even sitting half-sunken and deteriorating in the Bay Area for years. By the 1980s, the once-proud riverboat was nearly lost to rust, rot, and neglect. That’s when the Lewis family of Sacramento stepped in, purchasing the vessel and painstakingly restoring her over several years. Thanks to their dedication, the Delta King was brought back to life and now rests proudly in Old Sacramento as a living piece of river history.

Of course I'm sure you are curious about the Delta Kings sibling, the Delta Queen.  Well, she needs some help.  The Delta Queen remains docked in Houma, Louisiana, awaiting her next chapter. The Delta Queen Steamboat Company has now listed her for sale, hoping to find a steward committed to preserving her legacy—whether that means bringing her back to cruising or transforming her into a stationary attraction, much like her sister ship in Sacramento.

She looks like a grand ship.

Of course, she's in peril right now (here's a pic from 2016) in Louisiana.  

Enough for one day, it is August in Sacremento and it's kind of hot.  This fox has an idea of where to go to get out of the heat.

Bartender hooked me up with a nice local beer.   Cheers.

Mystery Location

See that in the distance?  Do you know where I might be? 

While scampering through Yosemite, I stopped at Olmsted Point—what a view of Half Dome and the endless granite wilderness! 🦊 It’s named after Frederick Law Olmsted and his son, who were big-time landscape thinkers and helped make sure places like this stayed wild and beautiful for everyone. I perched on a rock, tail flicking in the breeze, feeling thankful they protected this stunning spot just for curious critters like me!

The Olmsteds left their pawprints in Portland (as well as many other famous parks).  Frederick Law Olmsted’s sons helped plan a whole system of green spaces and trails in the early 1900s to keep nature close, even in a growing city.  Frederick Law Olmsted, often called the father of American landscape architecture, helped design Central Park in New York City, Boston’s Emerald Necklace, and the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. His sons and firm continued the legacy with work in places like; Seattle, Washington; Louisville, Kentucky; and the National Park system, including Yosemite and Acadia. 🦊

I scampered up the steep hike  of Lembert Dome.The views stretched across Tuolumne Meadows like a golden blanket

It was a tough hike (short and steep) but totally worth it. The granite (at least I think that's it) was easy to walk on.

This fox isn't stupid - as much as I wanted to get to the tip top doesn't seem like the worlds best idea - time to explore more of the park.

Tuolumne Meadows is a wide, peaceful stretch of high-country grassland where I, Little Fox, love to chase butterflies and sniff wildflowers beneath the big Sierra sky. 🦊 With the Tuolumne River flowing through and granite domes all around, it feels like nature's own quiet playground, far from the crowds.

Tucked beside the Tuolumne River, I found Parsons Lodge—a cozy stone building where people still gather to talk about protecting wild places like this. 🦊 

Just a paw’s length away, Soda Springs bubbles right out of the ground, fizzing with natural carbonated water (though it smells a little funny to my nose!). It’s a magical spot where history, nature, and curious foxes all come together.

It was a whirlwind trip to Tuolumne Meadows and it's one of my favorite places in Yosemite. t 8,600 feet, it’s a huge, grassy meadow surrounded by granite domes, winding rivers, and snowy peaks.

The Pacific Crest Trail and the John Muir Trail both pass right through Tuolumne Meadows, making it a busy crossroads for hikers and foxes alike.  Time to head back and visit with Sequoia as he has to stay behind (not much for a dog to do in Yosemite)

 

Everything you wanted to know about Mono lake (and probably more)

 Hi there! I’m Little Fox, and while on vacation in the beautiful Eastern Sierras. 

I discovered Mono Lake—a magical place that’s super important for wildlife like me. It’s a salty lake full of tiny shrimp and buzzing flies that feed thousands of migrating birds, making it a critical rest stop on their long journeys. Plus, its strange, spiky tufa towers and wild landscape help remind everyone why protecting special places like this matters! 🦊✨

Wow, you wouldn’t believe the weird and wonderful towers I saw poking up from the edge of Mono Lake—they’re called tufa towers! 🦊 

They formed underwater long ago when calcium from freshwater springs mixed with carbonate in the salty lake, creating limestone that built up into these cool, spiky shapes. 

When people started diverting water from the lake in the 1940s, the water level dropped and poof!—the tufa towers were revealed. I felt like an explorer sniffing around a secret stone forest from another world!

Mono Lake is known for Tufa Towers, migratory birds, a canoe tour of the lake (that we didn't get to do this time, but it's on the list) and a briny little shrimp that is super important.

Check out the birds migrating on the lake.

Mono lake is one of the most interesting places I have seen so far. 

Time to continue my exploration, while I was hanging out in the city of  Mammoth Lakes I came across these bears. 

Apparently, foxes are food for these bears, luckily I was able to talk my way out of their mouth and I got a great brewery recommendation from them.  June Lake Brewing (in the town of June Lake).

They knew I was coming and had a cold beer ready (title: What the Fruit Sour).  Darn delicious as well. 

No, this friend isn't a migrating bird from Mono lake, just a friendly chap I met who wanted a sip of my beer and a taste of any food I got. 

Bodie State Park

 Hi there! It's me Little Fox visiting Bodie State Historic Park, where long ago, humans rushed here in 1859 chasing shiny gold and built a wild, bustling town. I scampered through dusty streets and peeked into old wooden buildings where 10,000 people once lived, laughed, and sometimes got into trouble!

 Now it's quiet and still—a perfect ghost town for a curious fox like me to explore and imagine the past.✨

I tiptoed up to the old wooden church, its steeple reaching bravely into the sky like it still had something holy to say. Inside, the pews are dusty and silent, but I can almost hear the echoes of songs and whispers from long ago.  Notice the electric lamps? Bodie was an operational town until WWII when the town died up.  In 1962 the State of California received the land and made it into a state park.  Thanks, California!.

The old buildings in Bodie lean and creak like they're sharing secrets with the wind, their windows still watching the empty streets. I love sneaking through the shadows, imagining all the stories left behind in the cracks of the wood.

Notice the wooden post holding the building up?  
The Eastern Sierra winters are tough on these old buidlings but they are standing strong. 

My adventure to Bodie State Park was like stepping into a storybook filled with dusty treasures and forgotten tales. From the creaky old church to the leaning wooden buildings, every corner whispered secrets of the past. As I scampered back home, my little fox heart felt full of wonder and curiosity, already dreaming of my next wild adventure. 🦊📜🌄