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When it comes to old stuff, Aurora is where it’s at. The rural town just 24 miles south of Portland has actually had three big booms: its flourishing as a utopian community for German immigrants beginning in 1856 and its heydays as an outpost for artists and makers in the 1950s and, arguably, right now. Today, it’s a wonderland of antique shops, vintage stores, and a growing architectural salvage empire that’s a favorite of area designers.
Morning
Personal style is largely a matter of knowing yourself. Caffeinate before the hunt at Chug Coffee, a locally owned drive-thru, then take a quick tour through the Aurora Colony Museum to get inspired by people who really knew how to do their own thing—the first of Oregon’s more than 300 communal experiments (more than any other state, by the way). Then plan for a good two hours at Aurora Mills Architectural Salvage, whose warehouse of antiques, industrial objects, vintage curiosities, and Oregon-salvaged lumber is worth the trip alone. The selection is constantly evolving, but a recent visit generated finds like a 19th century carousel zebra, a set of plastic mask molds, dozens of letterpress boxes perfect for housing a tchotchke collection, and lighting from a funeral parlor. And with the addition of a giant, new 10,000-square-foot building, expected to open in late Fall, expanding the operation by one-third, it remains the reason for hunter-gatherers to head to Aurora.
Lunch
Don’t show up late for lunch at White Rabbit Bakery, the town’s favorite lunch spot and a haven for gluten-free (and wheated) sandwiches and baked goods. If you aren’t taken in by the words “seasonal cupcake,” see if you can count the white rabbits while waiting for your scone, cinnamon roll, quiche, or artisan sandwich at this hopping (sorry) local joint. The GF menu rivals that of big-city operations, and seating that reminds you of your favorite aunt’s parlor makes you feel right at home. Try the Herbivore sandwich with fresh-made gluten-free focaccia, tomato, avocado, hummus, spinach and cucumber.
Afternoon
Take your pick of a dozen antique and vintage shops clustered in the city center, each with its own vibe and specialties. Warning: Many of their names feel interchangeable, so your best bet is to just walk around and hit them all. The ladies behind Three Daisies Vintage have an eye for Americana (stay downstairs for ‘50s kitsch, old signs, holiday décor, local crafts and houseplants), but head upstairs for the showroom of PDX Estate Services, the town’s best collection of more recent finds from area estate sales (think ‘70s vinyl, ‘80s brass shelving, and ‘90s style for your Friends-inspired apartment). A stroll through nearby Aurora Antiques is made for the magpie—shiny ‘80s hanging pendant lamps, collectable porcelain table settings, estate jewelry, and figurines are the main draw. If you insist that everything in your house be over a century old (and why not?), Home Again Antiques is your place—time-worn crocks, hand-painted furniture, New England baskets, wooden bowls, and other Early American country primitives.
Dinner
If you haven’t spent all of your budget on that combination Victorian swivel seat and ice cream bench, finish the day at Filberts Farmhouse Kitchen, which draws on the farm-to-table ethos of 150 years ago with comfort food like pork chops, meatloaf, cornbread, and chicken and dumplings. True to its name, the mighty filbert plays a special role in its dishes—so much so that those menu items get their own filbert asterisk. You can lean back in the bright, casually elegant dining room, part of the 1865 Mohler Farmhouse, and raise a glass to your exceptional style finds.
This story also appears in Willamette Week’s Home Guide Magazine, Nester, published October 2022