It may seem that I've been slacking on the blog front lately. On the contrary dear reader, I've been diligently assembling another post-a-day Halloween countdown, so stay tuned. Actually, I
have been doing a little slacking though. This weekend for instance, I took a tip from a friend and visited a semi-secret fun spot near Gore, Oklahoma. Now, as a retro-lovin' human, I always have my eye out for places that match all of the following criteria...
-Built in the mid twentieth century
-Has
not been severely updated and/or modified
-Has been exquisitely maintained
You guessed it, I found a new-to-me example of such a place. That's right, the
Fin and Feather Resort! How did you know? Oh, right, the photo at the top of the post. Oh, and the title too. Well, this place has been a backdrop for family vacation slide shows since 1960. And now I'm looking forward to investing some of my own vacation days there. So I thought I'd share a quick photo tour of my new favorite lakeside hideaway. My pictures make it appear deserted, but that's only due to some strategic timing. Believe me, the place was brimming with folks looking to unwind on this mid-September weekend, including a sizable group of proud, sweatshirt-wearing scrapbook enthusiasts.
So, did you catch the mis-aligned, dare I say
wacky lettering on the sign above? I tell ya, words couldn't look friendlier. And if you weren't all that impressed then maybe this other logo will float your boat...
And there are additional logo styles within. I'm not mocking; that's a good thing for this type of place. It indicates a non-corporate mentality and exudes a sense of history. Ah, just the sight of it gets me all relaxed again.
Does it make me some kind of nerd for getting excited about a plastic typeface on a metal awning sporting royal blue fringe?
The entrance I spoke of so fondly is for this stone-faced building that's home to an enormous buffet, a burger joint, and of course, a gift shop.
Does it make me some kind of dork for getting such a charge out of a table full of Autumnal brick-a-brack?
Their ample waiting room felt like a rich grandma's sun room.
There's logo number three.
The faux white wrought iron tells you that this is a place that is extremely comfortable with its identity. The main draw of the evening was "1920's Night" at the buffet. Although the only thing '20s was the flapper outfits worn by the waitresses. I took this shot right before the doors opened to a hungry stampede. People were lined up a half hour beforehand. We waited at least a half hour before getting into the 200 seat dining hall and the winding line hadn't shrunk a bit by the time we'd finished eating. It felt like we'd gotten in on some big secret. And the secret was.. really good food.
An organ like this on the edge of a dining room is always a good sign. And thankfully, it provided the soundtrack to our meal. Again, no 1920's music, but a solid collection of standards
à la
Autumn Leaves and
Strangers in the Night, the sort of music that my grandma might have purchased on an LP at the grocery store in 1964. Bliss.
The dining hall emptied into a well-thought gift shop. And oh, my soul, if it isn't a 20-peg display of genuine S.S. Adams novelties.
But the true character of the Fin and Feather shown through when my son busted the head off of a 20 dollar souvenir figurine in the gift shop.. and they refused our offer to pay for it! It's that kind of place folks.
Back out on the campus we spy a walking trail and one of the cabins, complete with a low stone wall for proping up your feet while porch-sitting.
Why, yes there is a Frisbee Golf course.
Further proof of the Frisbee Golf course.
The Great Hall was full of unbridled scrapbooking. You know, I wouldn't mind metal buildings so much if they were all done in alternating red and white.
During on-season you can rent skates and play sweet video games at the Fin Bin. However, it served as yet another scrapbooking arena last weekend.
This is one of the few places where you can see both a catch-and-release fishing pond and a four story birdhouse without having to turn your head.
They've got the metal, two-tone umbrellas.
Of course they've got the metal, two-tone umbrellas!
And finally, an after hours peek in the Fin Bin.
Does it make me some kind of dolt for taking great comfort in simply knowing that this part-time skating rink with the carpeted walls was abuzz with scrapbook makers until dawn's first light?
Well, if that wasn't refreshing for you then your soul must be shriveled and dead. Check out the Fin and Feather
web site for more info.
Contributors will be credited and receive a gift. The details of this endeavor are under wraps right now, but I promise it will be cool. When more info is available I'll announce it here. Feel free to spread the word to your freaky collector friends too.
Contributors will be credited and receive a gift. The details of this endeavor are under wraps right now, but I promise it will be cool. When more info is available I'll announce it here. Feel free to spread the word to your freaky collector friends too.
