It's The Holiday Season

Monday, December 19, 2016

Holiday Season 2016 - The Skyroom

Saturday, December 17, 2016

I recently heard that the hometown department store, Dayton's, would be closing sometime this coming year. Actually Dayton's closed a number of years ago but all of it's stores are now owned by Macy's which is actually what will be closing. The downtown and Southdale locations were so distinctive that I still often slip and call them Dayton's. Noel and I decided to make one last holiday season pilgrimage to the downtown store. Growing up we saw a number of holiday shows in the store's 8th floor auditorium which is also were you could visit Santa.

We decided to go to the Oak Grille, Dayton's restaurant since about the 1940s, which Macy's continued to operate. We were told upon arrival that the wait would be about a half hour so we chose to check out some stuff. Neither of us had been in The Skyroom in years. The cafeteria style restaurant is popular with the downtown lunch crowd. The views are spectacular.

The Skyroom circa 1949.

Holiday Season 2016 - Escalator Riding

Saturday, December 17, 2016

While continuing to wait to be seated for lunch I took an escalator ride down to the 8th floor to scope out the auditorium show. No line. Stopped to take a selfie between floors. I remember back in the day riding to escalators and there was merchandise on all the floors up through 7. Now the store doesn't go much above the 3rd floor. One floor was, I believe, entirely devoted to furniture and rugs. The auditorium was on 8. I believe 9-11 were offices and the 12th floor was the Oak Grille and Skyroom.

Holiday Season 2016 - The Oak Grille

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Lunch was worth the wait. We started with the Oak Grille's signature popovers. I had a cheeseburger and Noel had the trout.

Holiday Season 2016 - Dayton's 8th Floor Auditorium Show

Saturday, December 17, 2016

After lunch at the Oak Grille, Noel and I headed to the 8th floor to see the auditorium show. The line to get in wasn't horrible but it was backed up to the entrance. Looking in we could see quite a traffic jam of strollers and decided to forego the whole thing but not without taking a peek at the animatronic figures of the first display - just for old times sake.