Title:
Mountain Passes, Northwest Cities, and Coastal Camping, 1958
REEL ID:
L018R016
RUN TIME:
0:06:34
FORMAT:
16mm motion picture film
FILM TYPE:
Kodak Kodachrome
SOUND:
Silent (no synchronized sound)
Description:
This home movie from 1958 documents an extended road trip through the Northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest, combining mountain travel, city scenes, forest camps, and coastal recreation. Shot on color 16mm film without synchronized sound, the reel captures the freedom and variety of midcentury automobile tourism.
The journey opens in high mountain country at Logan Pass along the Continental Divide. Cars wind along steep mountain roads as expansive alpine views unfold. Wildlife appears when a bear is spotted near the roadside, underscoring the remoteness of the terrain.
The route continues west into Washington, where dam infrastructure and river landscapes reflect large-scale midcentury development. Camping scenes follow at Lake Chelan, with apple orchards nearby—trees heavy with fruit and close-ups of apples marking the agricultural character of the region.
Urban life contrasts sharply with the rural scenes in Seattle, where a busy downtown intersection shows traffic and pedestrians moving through the city. The reel then turns to wilderness again with footage from Mount Rainier National Park, followed by a logging train hauling freshly cut trees—documenting the timber industry that shaped much of the Northwest.
Forest campsites appear next, before the journey crosses into Oregon. Along the coast, ocean waves roll steadily onto shore as the family enjoys a picnic lunch by the sea. Car-camping scenes show dinner preparations, including corn on the cob cooked at the campsite. Lodging and roadside travel culture are reflected through views of Etchen’s Log Cabins, along with various motels, inns, and hotels encountered along the way.
Additional vignettes include bee houses near camps and farms, a camper parked among trees, and neighborhood scenes in Salem—bringing the journey back to everyday residential life after weeks on the road.
Together, these scenes preserve a rich midcentury travel record—where mountain passes, national parks, logging operations, cities, and coastal campsites come together through one family’s 1958 road trip.
Tags:
1958, Home movies, 16mm film, Color home movies, Silent film, Road trip, Logan Pass, Continental Divide, Mountain roads, Bear, Washington State, Dam, Lake Chelan, Apple orchards, Seattle, Urban street scenes, Mount Rainier National Park, Logging train, Timber industry, Forest campsite, Oregon Coast, Ocean waves, Seaside picnic, Car camping, Camp cooking, Corn on the cob, Etchen’s Log Cabins, Motels, Inns, Hotels, Bee houses, Camper, Salem Oregon, Neighborhood life, Midcentury travel, Americana, Analog film, Nostalgic footage, Archival home movie
