A Twofer

I’m a sucker for a great sign and these two in Durango, Colorado didn’t disappoint. Can you read them?

Stick and Stones Handmade and Nobody’s Inn.

The Inn caught my eye because it’s a historic building in the heart of downtown Durango. The rooms are apartment style and each is decorated with its own flair. I want to return someday and am thinking this might be the place to stay. Charming and nice on a budget sounds good to me.

Besides, they have a great sign and I have found that places that attend to the small details like cool signage are often attentive to other small details.

Here’s one more view of that stretch of street. It’s walkable, eclectic and all the store signs are worthy of consideration.

Fillmore Auditorium

There’s a fantastic auditorium sign just blocks from the State Capitol building in Denver. It’s for the Fillmore Auditorium but this old building hasn’t always been an auditorium.

It actually began life as a roller rink in 1907. Since then it has been everything from an indoor ice rink to a flea market and even a car factory.

It was repurposed over twenty years ago, redesigned inside to replicate the famous Fillmore in San Francisco. It’s now a popular live music venue. While I haven’t been inside, I was infatuated with the exterior as we sat in traffic inching down the street. Consequently, they aren’t the best pictures but you get the gist.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll catch a show there sometime and report back on the adventure.

Do Not Read

An impossible request from a door in Douglas, Wyoming. The same town gave us this other gem.

I giggle every time I read it.

Push Hard

I am drawn to specific things – doors, old churches, vintage signs, weird architectural details, and informal signs.

This one made me laugh.

You’ll find it in downtown Douglas, Wyoming. You can read more about Douglas if you’re interested.

First there was the cool exhibit of Vintage trains.

Douglas looks like a modern Wild West town and I really liked it there.

And then there was the most unique church I’ve ever seen.

Not to mention the rainbow we saw after failing to climb the mountain.

And more about that trip.

Half the fun of traveling is reminiscing about the place we’ve been!

Hi-Road Drive In

They’re a rare sight along America’s roads but a few drive-in movie theaters do still exist. I’m happy to report this one is still operating near Kenton, Ohio.

When I saw the gateway sign for the Hi-Road Theater just off the road, there was no doubt that I would be going back for it. The colors! The lines! The sky!

They’re currently closed for the season but you can learn more about them here!

Springfield Antique and Vintage Extravaganza

On the first day of my fifth grade year, I sat on the school bus next to the new girl in my class.

When you live in a rural community, having someone new move in is kind of a big deal. I was expecting her because our grandparents were friends and my grandma had asked me to be nice to her. I would have been nice to Meria anyway but I’m so glad we met. We’ve been friends ever since.

It’s been a lot of years since that first day of fifth grade (ahem…. no need to count them…) and we’ve been through a lot together. While we don’t talk every day, she’s always there when I need her and we try to do something together periodically.

Yesterday, we went on a little adventure to the Springfield Antique and Vintage Extravaganza. It’s like an outdoor flea market that’s devoted almost entirely to antique and vintage items.

I’ve heard about it for years but never had a chance to experience the extravaganza for myself. I thought the use of the word extravaganza was a little much – that is, till I arrived. This event is massive. It’s held at the county fairgrounds and it’s so large we never found the actual end, running out of steam in the hot sun before we ran out of booths to peruse.

We shopped for a few hours but eventually surrendered to the sun, leaving for lunch and a trip though the Heart of Ohio Antique Mall which is also huge and which I adore.

She’s gluten free and I’m pescatarian so we’re a real fun pair to feed in a place where all the vendors sell meat and deep fried stuff. Next time I’ll pack a picnic!

Anywhoo… we saw a ton of neat stuff with prices ranging from dirt cheap to completely overpriced. But you’ll have that anytime you shop for vintage and antique items. What you don’t have most places is the sheer volume of stuff to look at.

Meria found some glass pieces for her collection and I scored some mid century children’s story books- all in excellent condition for $2 each.

Admission is $10 per person but parking is free. If you plan to shop a lot, bring a wagon, shopping cart or a large tote bag to haul your stuff around in. And, of course, remember that cash is king in this setting.

Next time I’ll probably take a backpack and will absolutely remember to pack sunscreen. I forgot mine and have a nice sunburn today.

Want to learn more about the Extravaganza? Click here!