Lounge Chair Road Trip No 19. Death Valley Scotty's Castle

Well, It's Wednesday, and I'm Tina, and I'm hot, and so I'm going on a road trip to Death Valley because the weatherman/person/devil says it could reach 111 degrees in Sacramento tomorrow so why not go to the desert?  And stay in style?

I have been to this sprawling desert compound before with my husband on a winter's day and even explored the outside where there is a gigantic pool that you can go below and watch swimmers' legs through windows (mermaid shows. anyone?) - except it was empty - and a bell tower (I think), lots of interesting things to see.



I should have been ready for this post with lots of info about Scotty but I wasn't. Sorry.

He must have had a lot of money, and a lot of friends, and a love of the desert!



I enjoy the rustic furniture and the natural wood and the beautiful use of tile and I would love to have the stove in this kitchen!



 

Death Valley has very, very hot days, but it also has some cold nights, so I guess a two story fireplace makes sense. And check out those candelabras! They add some heat of their own!

Okay, next year I think I am taking over this dining room for Thanksgiving (I would do it this year, but my sis-in-law in Denver already invited us to come for dinner). We can fit all of the Gold Country Girls and the extended families in here and sleep them and we will even fill the pool and everybody bring their mermaid costumes!

A whole entire gigantic room just for music! I could have kept my other upright piano! Heidi could move in and keep both her spinets! Lori could have kept her baby grand! We could have lots of Chic Jams here and many house concerts! Just a dream because I still won't live in the desert. No, it's plenty hot here in Kelsey, thank you very much!

Okay, before we leave, we settle down to listen to a piano solo in a plain old sitting room that is comfortably furnished and we might just have some sun tea because that is what is outside, a lot of sun. What a great home.



We don't have to leave, you know. There is a large guest house just waiting for us. At least until we take our next lounge chair road trip! See you then!

Lounge Chair Road Trip No. 18: Newcastle, California

Good morning, Tina here.


Heading out (in my mind) to the north of us to Placer County to the charming Railroad burb of Newcastle, which I will show you through a few postcards.

I remember this little town near Auburn fondly since a childhood friend of mine moved there while I was still in grammar school and we went to visit. We had so much fun!

I remember feeling like we had the run of the town, which was dirt streets, packing sheds, a railroad depot, small stores, and my very favorite of all... old Victorian houses (one which was rented by my friend's family of nine kids).

Here is one of the long packing sheds. Debbie's dad had a business making oak briquettes coated with wax to barbecue with, which I think was very forward thinking for the 'sixties, and packed them for sale in one of the sheds. We thought it was great fun to ride down the bumpy conveyor belts in the old wooden fruit boxes!



I haven't been to Newcastle in a few years, but now it has a couple of stores and a few restaurants and the long sheds hold commercial efforts of various sorts, changing now and then.

Oh what fun it would have been back in the day to ride the train to or through Newcastle!

I guess maybe I should have called this post a Lounge Chair TRAIN Trip...

Because, although the postcard above, the newest I have, is from the 'sixties. just like Mr. Bumpus's briquettes, the train still runs through the historic town of Newcastle.



Lounge Chair Road Trip No. 17: Inverness, California

Good morning. Tina here.

It seems like every time I need to write a post and it is hot, I want to go on a road trip to the coast.
Today is the same.

We are going to Inverness, where they have celebrated the 4th of July in style. This is a mad race from the seventies, below.

The boat below is grounded forever.

They may not be usable any more, but what fun to wade nearby and maybe have a picnic.

Nice cool sand for Fido's paws.

Or we could choose a shady grove for our picnic. And maybe a nap?

In its heyday, this little hamlet was a great place to spend the summer. Darling cottages and shingled hotels dotted the hillsides. Most of these lovely dwellings are still here. Little winding roadways sneak through the tree roots and climb up to find the refreshing breezes and views of Drakes Bay.

Highland Lodge looks like a cozy place to stay, the scent of eucalyptus and pine floating to us in the fog. Ahhh, fog, doesn't that sound nice and cool on a day like today, where it is supposed to be over 100 degrees in the foothills? I think Inverness will have highs in the sixties. I am so there!

Above, my favorite, Manka's Inverness Lodge, lost to fire. I still grieve. The little newer cabins we stayed in are still there, but our upstairs honeymoon room, the sweet inglenook at the entrance where we would have breakfast, and the amazing restaurant with its windows in the treetops are all gone.

The store and post office building above (also shown in the 4th of July race earlier in this post) still stand and have housed various businesses. It is the iconic spot that greets you when you first hit town.

I think I will pull out my old DVD of the movie "The Fog" which was filmed (partially) in Inverness. As a strange coincidence that movie came out in 1980, which was when my husband and I stayed in Inverness on our honeymoon. I am ready to be scared, just so I can imagine that creeping, cooling, darkening fog and cool off a bit. How about you?

Loungechair Road Trip No. 15: Pacific House on Highway 50

Good morning Tina here.

It is a beautiful day, and we are going to lounge and at the same time go up Highway 50 and pay a visit to Pacific House.

This beautiful piece of art above is painted by my good friend, and fellow high school and college art class member Jonni Hill. She trained with George and Carol Mathis and her work is wonderful!

I have always enjoyed seeing this lovely rock-covered building. My mom had a friend who lived on the hill across the highway in a cabin made of rock which overlooked Pacific House. She has passed away and the house burned down.

The postcard above is the same as the one above it however, this one has a description included.

A great postcard showing the inside long ago.

The photo above I was able to get from the internet and unfortunately I didn't put down the photographer's name, and I am so sorry, I would love to give credit.

Above and below are two older postcards I have purchased fairly recently. The lobby, and a lovely rock fountain.

Now we get to the present, the poor place needs a new roof and sits sadly decaying.

Below are remains from the great old two story building that once sat here. I have an old postcard but it is not on my computer so I can't show you right now.

A piece of history crying out for help.

But here I sit in my lounge chair and I am not much help.

Enjoy the great spring day.

Lounge Chair Road Trip No. 14: Dunsmuir, California

Good morning. Tina here. 

One of the things I have always enjoyed about real road trips is going through Dunsmuir on the way up Interstate 5 on the way to Oregon.

 It is different now, you don't get to see as much of the town as you once did.

It is nice when we aren't in such a rush and can take the side road down into town and enjoy seeing the river.

Unfortunately, going north or coming home we are usually wanting to get there and don't take the time to sight see in Dunsmuir.

So I thought maybe I would do a little sight seeing from my lounge chair. I am not in a hurry today.

I love this little old town by the river and the mountains.

It gets lots of snow (well, compared to Kelsey) in the winter, that would be nice too.

And it is close to Mount Shasta, and much closer to the Shakespeare plays in Ashland than we are now!

Maybe someday I will just pack up and move into a cute little old house there.

You never know...

Just in case I do that and you want to visit, here is a map to help show you the way. I'll leave the light on for you.