Sisters, Oregon, named for the nearby Three Sisters Volcanoes, is one of those formerly sleepy historic mountain towns that is 99% of the way to being a classic modern tourist trap destination. It’s the kind of place you take the mother-in-law when she comes to visit, so that the ladies can peruse its famous quilt store. Before you feel sorry for me, the drive there, via the McKenzie Scenic Highway, is about as fine a driving road as it gets hereabouts. And the return trip via the Metolius River and a dip in Scout Lake made the stop in Sisters well worth it. And what did I do during the half-hour they were in the quilt shop?
Actually, I wasn’t intending to shoot any cars. For one thing, I was enjoying a day away from CC after a particularly busy week; CC Burnout does happen from time to time. And secondly, I wasn’t the least bit inspired. It turns out we hit town on the Sunday afternoon of the Sisters Folk Festival, the busiest day of the year. Well, folk music ain’t exactly what it used to be, in terms of its typical social/political roots and appeal. The kind of folks that drive to Sisters for this event, which is much more than “folk music”, arrive in a sea of very recent Lexus hybrid RX400s, Volvos, Mercedes, Acura MDXs, Subarus and so forth; in other words, affluent older folks looking for a way to spend their time (and money) on a superb late-summer Sunday. And here they are, turning the town into a sea of look-alike cars (sorry, no picture). So why would I even take the camera out of my pocket?
Because within a few blocks of my walk around the town (to stretch my legs and get away from the absolutely jammed main drag), I started finding the cars that the musicians, vendors, retail workers and few remaining old-timer townspeople drive–and it’s all too obvious which ones they are, including this old Isuzu P’up pickup carrying a mighty big camper on its back.
No worries; these are tough trucks, and this one had the long bed. Just don’t take the mountain curves too fast.
Sisters has exploded since we first visited some eighteen or so years ago. Back then, Main Street, where Hwy 20 runs through town, already was mostly touristy. Now there are blocks and blocks on either side, full of recent look-alike “Westerny” retail buildings (all commercial buildings are required to look “Westerny”). But in between, a few old timers are still hanging on, at least until they get a crazy offer for their run-down cabin, I assume. And this is what just about everyone in Sisters drove twenty years ago.
Here’s that truck in front of its home, no doubt, surrounded by the Sunday invaders.
Here’s another straggler, probably also belonging to a worker at one of the endless retail shops. What do people buy at these places? Never mind; you’re asking the wrong person.
No, these folks weren’t here to shop for souvenirs or overpriced anything else. And the kids and dog seem to be enjoying the open-top motoring their open-top old Blazer affords.
No self-respecting town in Oregon doesn’t have its share of old Toyota pickups.
This BMW 525i (E34) is straddling the fence. With the kayak racks, it’s undoubtedly owned by younger folks.
This little boarded-up shack (on right) and its barn are one of the last of its kind, especially since it’s just a half-block back from Main Street. This time next year there will undoubtedly be an art gallery or such here. The low MGB makes the cabin look bigger than it is; the front doorway is so low, I’d have to take my head off to get in.
Befitting a sunny summer Sunday, there were a number of “classics” out and about, but only this one caught my eye (and ear). It’s a rather rare ’63 Rambler American coupe, and the sound of its exhaust made it all-too obvious that it still had its original six; or some variation of an AMC six. Now if only it had been an IKA Torino with the souped-up OHC Tornado Willys six. Sure sounded like it could have been. Sixes are ear sex.
As I walked away from the main retail area a few more blocks, I encountered some local residents’ houses, as this one make obviously clear. Vintage 4x4s, of different persuasions.
In the blocks behind the main festival area, lots of campers were to be seen. The musicians’ and vendors’ home on the road, undoubtedly. The four cylinder in this Toyota motor home gets a good workout, but they’re up to it, if one’s expectations are realistic (slow).
Lots of conversion vans too, including a slew of diesel Sprinters. Still, my beating heart…I know; they can be a bit high-maintenance, but in so many ways they’re so appealing. Mike mine a long body, high roof early version of the gen1, before they got the more complicated emission controls. And with a Sportsmobile DIY conversion kit. Thank you. Our ’77 Chinook is just getting too old (more on that another time).
If I had to guess, this is the parking lot for a place that attracts younger/cheaper folks. Nice Saab 9000. Not so nice Malibu Classic, or whatever they were called at the end of their road.
This is a nice display of all three of Isuzu’s main SUV products back in the day. And in red, white and blue, no less.
This is how I remember Sisters twenty years ago. Except the car would have been way too nice back then. Now it’s just picture-perfect.
Station wagons, old and new. Yes, the Outback “wagon” is undoubtedly the most popular new “wagon” in our part of the world. One can’t exactly say that of the ’65 Dodge Polara wagon; these were a wee bit out of the mainstream in its day. A role reversal? The Subaru mainstream; a Dodge not? What’s the world coming to?
The Dodge Polara wagon wasn’t exactly a real outsider, but just not anywhere near as popular as a Ford or Chevy, or even the Plymouth Fury. The “mid-sized” Dodge Coronet wagon was pretty roomy too, so it undoubtedly sucked away a lot of buyers. But the charms of these extra-long-roofs is undeniable.
This one seems to be resting mostly now, until one of those affluent tourists (almost all California ex-pats now living in Bend) knocks on its owner’s front door and offers them whatever it takes to take it off their hands. Or maybe a combination deal for the house and the Polara.
The body is pretty straight, and I can assure there’s not a whit of rust on it. The eastern side of the Cascades is much drier, and cars here are immortal.
It’s got that fine twin-pod Chrysler-esque dash. That alone makes this Polara worth a grand over what a comparable Fury would/should fetch.
My old camera has dust in the lens, and shooting into the afternoon sun makes it very obvious. But this shot of a Mopar-lover’s garage can’t be thrown out on that account.
For some reason, the juxtaposition of the Belveder’s underbite bull-dog face with the Ram’s bared-teeth front end spoke to me.
And an open passenger-side window was an invitation not to be turned down. That’s what we need more of: yellow interiors.
If there hadn’t been an old Subaru wagon in Sisters, it would really have meant the end is near.
More campers, in all shapes, sizes and budgets.
That sure looks like US Forest Service green, although it has nicer trim than I remember these trucks to have. I had a neighbor who had one like this, with a 454 and a giant cab-over camper on it. I had to drive it for her somewhere once; what a beast.
A couple more relics from another era. There’s still quite a number of these Colt Space Wagons/Vistas/etc. around; need to do a proper write-up on them. They were very popular for a year or two, and then the Chrysler minivans showed up. Too bad for Mitsubishi.
Aw shucks…every time I see a white ’61-’63 Beetle, I get a bit misty-eyed and think mine has returned from the great scrap yard in the sky to give me one more ride. I wish….
I get a text: “we are checking out now”. Perfect timing; my quickie circumnavigation of Sisters is complete, and I’m just a block away from the quilt store. I wasn’t going to shoot the cars in the parking lot there, but how often do you see a yellow Crossfire convertible? Back to reality; or someone’s version of it.
On the way out in the morning, we had encountered repeated clumps of Model As heading down Hwy 20 to Eugene, keeping right up with the flow of traffic. And on the way home, they were heading back again, over the pass, I assume, in the late light of day. No problem; these are Model As, after all.
What a fun tour! I enjoyed the walk. Yes, the dash on that 65-66 Polara is a thing of beauty. The Colt Vista/Spacewagon is another car I always kind of wanted to find, but as you say, time has moved on.
Very interesting collection; glad to see Isuzus well represented.
One nit to pick- the Rambler is a 1964 (almost the twin to my avatar). If it is originally powered, it would have the 195.6 OHV lump of a six in it.
Speaking of nit-picking, it might be a 65, too. How can you be sure that it’s a 64 without seeing the grill? The 65 had those extra vertical lines in the grill, but as far as I know, the two model years are identical from the back.
The inside of the taillights are flat on a ’65 and oval on a ’64. Also the side trim is totally different on a ’65, especially on a high trim level. Hardtops were all 440 or 440H models, the top trim level for an American.
I thought I was a Rambler expert. I hang my head in shame…
Don’t feel bad. As a lifelong car nut, and Kenosha resident, I have WAY more AMC knowledge rattling around in my brain than anyone rightfully should.
Love the 65 Polara wagon, aside from the wheels.
+1 on the Polara & Rambler,these are the cars you don’t see at shows or in magazines.Thanks Paul for another good read and pictures
Well it is a wagon so wagon wheels are sort of apropriate, but I agree they don’t do that car any favors, dog dish hubcaps would look much better.
…scrolling through the pics….truck truck truck truck car truck truck car truck car etc. etc. Holy 1965 Polara Wagon!!! Wow!!!
…car truck truck, etc, 3+3 Chevy, Suburban, car…etc. etc. etc.
My parents owned a ’54 Belvedere four door, when I was in elementary school, that was the same color scheme as the one you found. If I remember it had a black and white seatcovers (possibly aftermarket) with little ridges that would leave impressions on the backs of your legs if you wore shorts. My dad’s had the PowerFlite auto rather than the three speed manual. I recall that when my father bought another car, he sold the Plymouth to the daughter of a neighbor who needed some cheap wheels. She drove that thing until the body finally rusted so much it was unsafe and had to be scrapped.
Paul, if you’re serious about selling the Chinook let me know. A mini-camper could play a significant role in my near future.
Good read, also. I was just in Sisters a month or two ago and walked around a bit in the same are you did. Beautiful place, tourists notwithstanding.
And not a word about the Festiva. You suck 😀
The red, white and blue Isuzu picture is great, makes you think it was staged, though I know it wasn’t.
Parked in order of age too!
There is a similar ‘increasingly fake’ town in eastern Washington – Winthrop – coincidently on WA Hwy 20. It’s hard not to stop, but it feels good to leave.
Maybe it can be a series? Any other nominees?
Galena, IL falls into this category, too, to an extent, or did when I was last there. Everything is built around catering to tourists from Chicago.
A US 20 road trip is an old dream of mine. I once lived at its eastern end in Boston, and now often visit its western end in Newport. I took quite a few US 20 trips between Boston and the Finger Lakes of NY too. From the Oregon Coast through Sisters and eastern Oregon, the Rockies, the prairie, then Chicago and Detroit (The Henry Ford) and upstate NY to Boston. That would be a CC Scenic Route of a lifetime.
I’d like to do the same thing on US 6, since it runs through my “home” town (Denver, Colorado). The Eastern end also starts at the tip of Cape Cod, making it one of the more unique US Highway routes.
Years ago I visited a town in Finland where new buildings had to be built in the old style in the centre of town. Once you were clued-in it was easy to pick them though – they had knots in the boards, the old buildings did not have a single one!
Nashville, Indiana, it is a little south of Indianapolis, not far from Columbus. There is a fine state park (Brown County) just out of town but the town itself is overrun with cute.
LeClaire, IA is turning into a tourist trap, thanks to it being the home of the “American Pickers” TV show. What was once a nice little river town with a few restaurants and antique stores is now becoming Disney Iowa or some such–and absolutely overrun with tourists on the weekends.
I was in Sisters this July but it was a Monday and I was just there to bike Peterson Ridge so I didn’t pay much attention to the possible CCs. OTOH my 97 Saturn is approaching CC status. especially with 2 bike racks and a bunch of cycling stickers.
I use Sisters as a pit stop on our regular runs to Bend via highways 22 and 20. It seems like a nice enough place but not much work other than government and retail.
@Robadr- Julian, California east of San Diego has become similarly touristy since I moved here close to 30 years ago. It used to be a treat to take an autumn drive, pick apples, and get a fresh pie. But now you can buy a Julian pie in every supermarket in the county..
Then there is always Leavenworth Washington on SR2. It’s now a Bavarian like village, and a tourist trap.
I’ve been to Sisters, well, through on my way to Bend for a job interview in Sept of 1990. It was quite warm, in the 70’s going over the mountains, I believe I took part of the route that skirted over the northern boundary of the Deschutes National Forest and ultimately going through Sisters to Bend, if memory serves.
I drove all the way from Tacoma Washington to Eugene/Salem, and then cut eastward. The car I drove was my 1978 Ford Fairmont. It did the trip fine, and was quite comfortable for the length of the trip. However, once up in the mountains, they were working on part of the highway at the time, so lots of stop and go, and when I did stop, I’d get smoke and heat rising up from under the car as the vent system left a lot to be desired when stopped as the transmission had a slow leak and would drip tranny fluid onto the cat…
Once I did the interview, it was check out the town, then headed right out of town back home, this time heading up 97 to where I could cut NW to Gresham, and into Portland before reconnecting with I-5 back to Tacoma. Overall, a lovely trip and have wanted to see Eastern Oregon since then. Some day…
I found Bend lovely, and it was obvious then that the touristy schtick hadn’t taken hold as yet so it was just a nice little town.
Is the team of horses pulling the vehicle in the lead photo? Is that a 1920s style hybrid ? 🙂
What a goldmine. You see similar stuff in some Texas small towns. Cater mostly to old trucks though. Drove through the PNW a few years ago. Had I seen much like this I might not have gone home.
Thanks for going to the trouble of taking those great photos, Paul. What a lovely little planet! I hope to get a chance to visit it one day…