Aurora, Oregon: Old Aurora Colony Museum + antiques shops; things to do

Aurora, Oregon

Alternate route Highway 99E goes right through town, splitting it in half.

Time After Time antiques shop in Aurora, Oregon

Aurora is the first organized Christian communal society established west of the Mississippi.  The 400 original colony members arrived via the Oregon Trail in 1855.  Sharing property and labor with one another, they flourished here from 1856 through the mid-1880s.   The community became known for simple living and for accumulating a minimum of material things, and it produced fine musicians, craftsmen, and scholars.  Though the colony disbanded in the 1880s, many descendants continue to live here. 

Aurora opened its first antique store in 1959.  The town was designated Oregon’s first National Historic District in 1974.  Now, with more than 200 antique dealers, it claims to be Oregon’s antique capital.  What I like best about antiqueing here--besides the generally good prices made even better by Oregon’s policy of charging no sales tax--is that many of the shops operate within restored historic buildings.  But be cautious.  On my last visit I purchased an item that I later found in Portland for half the price! 

merchandise in Home Again Antiques shop in Aurora, Oregon

Old Aurora Colony Museum 
2nd/Liberty.  Fee. 
Five buildings display a collection of kitchen utensils, farm implements, and other artifacts once used in the daily lives of colony members.  Informal guided tours begin with a slide show telling how the mostly German colonists settled first in Pennsylvania, then in Missouri, then here.  The tour also includes the restored 1870s Steinbach Log Cabin and Kraus House.  Browsing the exhibits, we saw some unusual musical instruments--most of which still work--and an elaborate music box sent back to the town by Henry Theophilus Fink, who was the first Oregon student to graduate from Harvard (the whole town helped him with expenses) and who worked at the New York Post as a music critic from 1881 to 1924.  As a Bay Area resident, I found it interesting to learn that the town once operated a busy hotel serving travelers on the road between San Francisco and British Columbia.

Contact the Aurora Colony Visitors Association for more information about antiques shops, restaurants, and lodging.

More things to do along Highway 5 in Oregon.    

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San Antonio, Texas: Naco 210 + Los Patios; restaurants + things to do

Naco 210  

2015 NE Loop 410, (210) 996-1033.  W-Sun 8am-4pm.  

exterior of Naco 210 in San Antonio, Texas

It is difficult to say what is the best thing about this simple Mexican spot.  The spectacular park-like area it is located within--Los Patios--or the atmospheric Naco restaurant itself, with its exceptional Mexican fare.

Los Patios:  

Diners park in a spacious lot and then walk in to the woodsy restaurant through a large park-like setting.  Set on 18 rustic acres with hundreds of mature trees, Los Patios has been a hospitality and special event venue for more than 50 years.  Yet its preserved, natural setting surprises first-time visitors.  Several health-related complexes, a few shops, and an AirBNB also operate here.  

Los Patios park area in San Antonio, Texas

Naco 210:  

Plenty of seating is available indoors, where large windows let in abundant light and a tree grows right through the dining room ceiling, and even more seating is awaits outdoors on an expansive deck surround by shade-providing  trees.  Salado Creek runs alongside the deck, which is the place to be in good weather, and grassy areas invite children to romp freely.  

dining room at Nico 210 in San Antonio, Texas

menu at Nico 210 in San Antonio, Texas

And then there is the food.  Using fresh organic and locally sourced ingredients when possible, Nico 210 is popular for its stellar oversize tacos made with flour tortillas.  My favorite is the popular Diablo version, stuffed with large grilled shrimp and avocado.  The menu offers plenty more, including chilaquiles, tortas, and enchiladas, as well as a few items with unusual ingredients like squash blossoms and huitlacoche (a fungus that grows on corn and is considered a delicacy in Mexico).  A special brunch menu additionally offers breakfast tacos as well as huevos rancheros and several omelets and Benedicts.  

dining deck at Nico 210 in San Antonio, Texas

tacos Diablo at Nico 210 in San Antonio, Texas

Place your order inside at the counter.  Servers bring items to the tables as they are ready, as well as complimentary tortilla chips to nibble on while waiting.  

Olla Express Cafe:  Plan to stop in here after your meal for an unusual coffee.

More things to do in San Antonio.

Great ideas for travel adventures in California and the U.S. and around the world.

images ©2022 Carole Terwilliger Meyers