Miami's art deco scene

As I trotted down Ocean Drive, my nose tilted up at the pastel Art Deco buildings, each one like a seashell painted in pinks, blues, and yellows. I learned that in the 1930s and ’40s, this neighborhood bloomed with these sleek, geometric designs, making Miami Beach world-famous for its style. With palm trees swaying and neon lights glowing, I felt like I had stepped into a living postcard from the past.  Let's go!

But not everything stayed bright—by the 1970s, many of the buildings had fallen into disrepair, and the once-glamorous district nearly faded away. When the TV show Miami Vice splashed its neon lights and cool style across the world, it helped draw new attention to South Beach, fueling the district’s comeback.  

 Thanks to passionate preservationists and artists, South Beach was revived in the 1980s, shining again as the vibrant Art Deco capital I get to explore today.

The Majestic in South Beach stands proudly along Ocean Drive, its pastel Art Deco façade and classic curves capturing the timeless glamour of Miami’s golden era.  It was way to hot to eat outside but how cool would that be? 

--------------

Art Deco style is known for its bold geometric lines, pastel colors, and sleek curves that create a playful yet elegant look.

The Barbizon Hotel in Miami Beach is a classic Art Deco landmark built in 1937, known for its curved façade, porthole windows, and pastel colors that reflect the elegance of South Beach’s historic district.  The roommates camera is not good enough to catch the portholes but trust me they are there. 

With my tail swishing in excitement, I stopped in front of the Congress Hotel on Ocean Drive, its pastel colors glowing in the sun. At night, the neon lights and bold shapes make it sparkle even brighter, and I couldn’t help but feel like this Art Deco treasure was welcoming me right into the heart of South Beach’s energy.

Simple bold lines, geometric designs and some classic Art Deco colors.

Trotting down Collins Avenue, I stopped to admire a pastel Art Deco building that first opened in 1939 as Hoffman’s Cafeteria, serving comforting meals to Miami Beach locals. Over time, it transformed into the legendary Warsaw Ballroom, where the nights were wild, dazzling, and unforgettable. Later, it became Jerry’s Famous Deli, then burst back to life as Señor Frog’s, filling the block with music, color, and laughter until its 2020 closure. Now, new owners turned this gem into a fancy clothing store.  

Even the lifeguard stations on Miami Beach follow the Art Deco style.

With my paws pattering a few blocks over, I came upon the Essex House, its elegant Art Deco curves and neon sign glowing like a beacon from 1938. Designed by architect Henry Hohauser, it once welcomed glamorous travelers looking for style and sunshine in Miami Beach’s golden age. I could almost hear the jazz drifting from its lobby bar, where stories of the city’s past still linger in the walls. Standing there, I felt like the Essex House wasn’t just a hotel—it was a time capsule of South Beach’s Art Deco soul.

According to the internet this is one of the more affordable lodgings in South Beach offering rooms between $150 and $200 a night.  

Next, I wandered over to the iconic Breakwater Hotel, its bold symmetry and sweeping curves painted in soft pastels that made it stand out like a seashell amidst Ocean Drive’s Art Deco parade. Designed by Anton Skislewicz in 1939, this nautical-styled beauty.  Notice the glass-block windows, neon blue and yellow sign, and chrome accents—still glows with ‘30s grandeur long into the evening.

 I peeked at the nightly rates and my whiskers quivered in delight: rooms start at around $72 for a superior stay, while queen and standard rooms hover between $90 and $122 a night—not too bad for Miami Beach.

Did anyone ever mention not to travel to Miami in the summer, well it's darn hot and this fox is starting to melt.  I scampered  along Ocean Drive one last time, my paws clicking against the old sidewalks beneath pastel towers and neon lights. From the Essex House to the Breakwater, each stop told a story—of 1930s glamour, wild nights, near decline, and dazzling rebirth. With every curve, color, and shining sign, South Beach’s Art Deco district felt like a living museum wrapped in tropical breezes. 

With my whiskers twitching and heart full of wonder, I was about ready to head back home but I saw one more attraction I needed to check out.  Yep, the Art Deco inspired swing. 

 Miami certainly was a town designed for this Little Fox. 

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)