Broadway - Portland, Oregon

I'm back in Portland after a trip to Hawaii, hoping that the sunshine I stored up will carry me through the cold, wet winter.

Here's an old view of Broadway in Portland, Oregon and the same view today.  There are no longer streetcars on Broadway, but bike lanes have been added.  The first building on the right is the Benson Hotel, which has changed little over the years. The Liberty Theater, with its Statue of Liberty (on the right, under the American flag) and its Wurlitzer organ is sadly no longer there.

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Veterans Day

When we think of U.S. veterans, we usually think of soldiers who served in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or more recent conflicts. But here's a card commemorating the efforts of veterans in 1909, well before we ventured into those bloody wars.

The veterans we're talking about here were veterans of the Civil War. The Sons of Veterans was a fraternal organization that grew to 200,000 members by 1904. In 1922, the name was changed to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Although membership has declined to about 7,500, you can still join if you are a male 14 or older and:

1. Are directly descended from a Soldier, Sailor, Marine or member of the Revenue Cutter Service (or directly descended from a brother, sister, half-brother, or half-sister of such Soldier, etc.) who was regularly mustered and served honorably in, was honorably discharged from, or died in the service of, the Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Revenue Cutter Service of the United States of America or in such state regiments called to active service and was subject to the orders of United States general officers, between April 12, 1861, and April 9, 1865;

2. Have never been convicted of any infamous or heinous crime; and

3. Have, or whose ancestor through whom membership is claimed, have never voluntarily borne arms against the government of the United States.

Here's the back of the card, addressed to Perley Thomas of Gouverneur, New York. It's an unusual name, and I had hoped it was the industrialist and entrepreneur who developed the famous Perley Thomas streetcar, but I don't think it's the same person.

Halekulani Buffet - Honolulu, Hawaii

Help yourself. Then afterward you can go for another paddle in an outrigger canoe in front of the hotel. You can still stay at the Halekulani today. It's a lot more elegant and expensive than these cards might suggest. If you go there, you may want to stay in their royal suite, which is quite a bit larger than my house. I wonder if the personal butler does any cooking or if you have to bring your own cook.

ROYAL SUITE  
The 4, 066 sq. ft Royal Suite features the ultimate in privacy, luxury and service: two bedrooms, dining room, dressing area, 2.5 bathrooms, kitchen facilities, large wraparound lanai and state-of-art entertainment enhancements including a 50" Plasma Screen and wireless portable television, A personal butler and airport limousine services are included for the Royal Suite. The furnishings and accessories are simple and classical, and celebrate the various Pacific and Asian cultures that are a part of today's Hawaiian community. The color palette is a subdued range of sunset colors that contrast with the brilliant greens and blues of the ocean, sky and landscaping just beyond the balcony.

 And here are the backs of the cards in the same order.