Road Trip: Downtown Olympia

Experience a weekend in historic Olympia, WA, a city packed with vintage finds

By Danelle Jaeger October 21, 2014

road-trip-olympia-scott-stedman

This article originally appeared in the November 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.

[addtoany]

Where: Downtown Olympia. Why: To experience the thrill of the hunt at the city’s vintage and antique store circuit. What: Twenty-five eclectic shops, most of them located within walking distance of each other, offer everything from sassy vintage cocktail dresses to decorative knickknacks and historical collectors’ items. Begin at Courtyard Antiques (705 Fourth Ave. E; 360.352.3864), where owner Mary Corso presides over more than 70 vendors selling a vibrant mix of flannel wall pennants, birdcages, drawer knobs, early-19th-century typewriters, hard-to-find glass apothecary bottles, rustic shutter shades, loads of furniture and more dig-worthy scores. Grab a map of neighboring shops and ask Corso to point out best bets for home decor, furniture, clothing and other thrifty finds. Antiques Olympia (203 Fourth Ave. W; 360.786.9234) boasts a superb array of one-of-a-kind Native American gathering baskets, dating as far back as the late-1800s, while Psychic Sister (109 SE Fifth Ave.; 360.943.9595) promises an impeccably organized collection of vintage clothing and accessories, including jewel-toned glasses frames and Mad Men–style luggage. While you’re there: Try a not-too-sweet mocha from Olympia Coffee Roasting Co. (108 Cherry St. NE; 360.753.0066)— you’ll need it to stay alert for treasure hunting.

 

Follow Us

Summer of Aquatic Bliss

Summer of Aquatic Bliss

Dive into diverse delights

To celebrate this summer of aquatic bliss, we rounded up providers that deliver all the nautical thrills at a fraction of the overhead. Along the way you can also encounter indigenous lands, marine mammals, and distant islands...

Food Flight

Food Flight

The best portable meals to grab on the way to Sea-Tac

Crunching through a fresh bánh mì at the far end of Terminal C at Sea-Tac International Airport or unwrapping an oversized cemita during boarding sits just at the edge of acceptable airport behavior. Not because someone shouldn’t be able to enjoy some of Seattle’s finest sandwiches or slices en route, but simply because...

Hidden Washington: Leavenworth All Year

Hidden Washington: Leavenworth All Year

This Bavarian-style village in the Cascade Mountains offers more than just Oktoberfest and Christmas celebrations

Beyond the beer and bratwurst and lively seasonal celebrations — notably Oktoberfest with a “K” and Christmas with a heaping dose of Nutcrackers — Leavenworth is a fabulous place to spend a long weekend...

Got to Get to California

Got to Get to California

The state’s stunning beauty is on full display in these pastoral midsize cities

Just like the 1987 Seattle Supersonics, California has a Big Three. Xavier McDaniel, the “X-Man,” is Los Angeles, flashy and often spectacular...