You’ll experience a different kind of spirit when Centralia embraces the holiday season. The downtown is a dream come true for shopaholics, especially those looking for eclectic gift ideas. Centralia’s three antique malls house more than 350 dealers. Collectors can easily spend a full day perusing used books, vintage furniture, and more recent curiosities such as ceramics made from the volcanic ash of nearby Mount St. Helens. (Shoppers in search of modern bargains from the likes of Van Heusen and Bass should trek to the Centralia Factory Outlets just north of town.)

RIDE THE RAILS Take Amtrak from Portland to Centralia for a perfect day trip. The popular Cascades line between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., stops at the town’s 1912 depot. (360) 736-8653, (800) 872-7245, www.amtrak.com.

You’ll find a somewhat larger antique—a 1916 Baldwin steam locomotive—to the south at the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad, which offers scenic rides and dinner trips in the summer.

When your stomach starts to rumble, quiet it down with a sandwich or salad from Berry Fields Cafe or a huge milk shake ($3.25) at Papa Ray’s Family Cafe. These old-fashioned ice cream treats come in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, but the black raspberry steals the show.

And finally, there’s McMenamins Olympic Club Hotel & Theater. This restored 1908 inn, with its 27 guest rooms, once played host to ramblers, painted women, and even gentleman train robber Roy Gardner, who was captured on the premises in 1921 after an intensive manhunt. Today, you can enjoy a glass of wine while watching a movie. Or check out the brewpub, trimmed in mahogany and brass and showcasing ornate stained glass lighting and the original 1908 billiard tables. The Oly’s a real gem with its own share of Centralia artistry.