Random California Scenes
I have had two random scans in one of my folders for a long time, and decided that they would work for an "Anything Goes Saturday".
First up is this mystery view - or at least it was a mystery until I saw the shop, "Gladys McCloud". Google told me that Gladys' store was in Carmel, California,, on the corner of Ocean Avenue and San Carlos Street. The decorative arch to the right evokes the California missions, and Carmel has a good one.
There seems to be many Carmel residents who have fond memories of Gladys McCloud's store! I love this vintage receipt from 1973.
Google's Street View shows that the area still looks charming and remarkably unchanged.
I titled this April 1963 slide "Hemet Parade"; Hemet Sr. High is participating in this parade, but of course this could be the main street of some nearby town. (Hemet is in Riverside County, in the San Jacinto Valley). I'd hoped that Roe Shoes on the right might help, but they were apparently a chain, so it didn't narrow things down at all. Still, I like the "classic Americana" vibe of it all.
18 comments:
Someone is gonna have fun identifying cars. I think those flowers on the balcony are geraniums; the color and shape seems right. Although, they look a little too perfect, too uniform in color and shape. The blooms were probably grown in the same plastic factory as the flowers in Disneyland's Flower Market. The building looks nice.
"Carmel-By-The-Sea", says the logo on the receipt; poetic. Looks to be an upscale young ladies' clothing shop. A place for debutants, no doubt.
In the Street View: HEY! The geraniums are gone! They must have flown south for the winter. We have a couple of plastic flamingos and cement pelicans in our back yard that do the same thing. Actually, they go into a shed during the rainy winter months.
In the Hemet Parade photo, the writing on the building behind Roe Shoes says (I think), "Automobile Club Of...", then, what looks like it could be "San Luis Obispo", or perhaps "South [something that ends with 'po']".
Looks like there's a parade float coming up behind the marching band. I can't tell what it is; a covered wagon, perhaps? Major, you need to wait for the band to pass-by and take another photo so we can get a better look at that float... Go ahead, I'll just wait here.
Thanks for the random, anything goes pics, Major.
While all the pictures are interesting, I have to agree with JB. The cars in the first picture are what get my interest. I’m no expert, but I like to jog my memory with that stuff. Even if I’m wrong, it gives me a chance to learn or remember some trivia. From left to right I see:
Mid 1960’s Chevy impala ,1965 maybe
Dodge pickup, not sure of year. Probably 64-68
White ford falcon? Not sure if there is enough detail for this one.
Mercedes Benz w108 sedan. Probably 1970, but they made these same cars for many many years
The back of a triumph. Tr6?
Not enough to I’d the car peeking it’s fender in from the left. A mercury? Maybe?
1964/65 mustang coupe
Chrysler wagon behind it. I think. Not much to go on.
Is that the nose of an M-G in see behind the mustang?
1968 el Camino. A favorite
Not enough of the red or white car for me
Brown 1972-3 Cadillac Eldorado.
How did I do? Put me straight, someone.
Carmel is a magical place, and if you have the opportunity to stop, I would. Either people love it, or it's far too charming for them....or far too expensive. In any case, it's a delightful village with businesses who have dutch doors, lovely and charming restaurants, lovely places to stay...an awesome off-leash doggie beach....amazing California Coastline views...I could go on. Doris Day (and others) called this "home", and Doris had a small pet friendly boutique hotel here, where (literally) you have to step over dogs lounging to get to your room. I did a project here for a couple of weeks and my team was thoroughly enchanted...one ended up moving there. Great place to be (with an expense account.) Basically (and purposefully) unchanged. This is not an ad. Near by is Pebble Beach with it's amazing 17 mile drive, Monterey, Pacific Grove and Salinas Valley home to the best artichokes in the US. Stop at the road side stands for some deep fried artichoke hearts on your way back to bay area. The girls and NASA guys look great marching down Main St. Hemet USA. Those AAA buildings were so very charming...not sure if any are left. I was always fascinated by the AAA guides and maps...such great reading...do these even exist anymore? Is is ROE shoes or RDE? Really Deep Elevator Shoes. Do they still make elevator shoes? We all want to know...I could use an extra inch or two on my platform shoes...of course my big bouffant hair-do always makes me look taller. Thanks for the trip to California Major!
Growing up my family kept a box that we put in all the postcards we received. At sone point it became “my postcard collection” and it’s still in the closet of my old bedroom. Anyway I loved going thru and looking at those postcards from friends , neighbors and relatives .. and from people I vaguely remember … Al the postcards are from all over the world .. mostly 1960’s and 70’s but there is a large amount of postcards from
CARMEL - BY - SEA …. The place in the mid 60’s Thru mid 70’s seems to have been a mega popular place to visit. Of course CARMEL - BY - SEA was where Brian Keith’s character in the Disney movie THE PARENT TRAP ( the hayley mills version ) had is home and ranch. Dave Smith founder of the Disney archives used to say the most requested letters sent to the Disney Archives over the years were requests for blueprints to that house in The Parent Tramp . It of course was a series of movies sets mostly comprised of former ZORRO “ranchero” and “Puebla de Los Angeles” sets and some facade constructions on Disney’s Golden Oak Ranch.
I bet Brian Keith or Maureen O’hara’s characters took the twins Sharon and Susan to that girls clothing store before heading back to Boston for the “Six Month Split”
THE PARENT TRAP - my phone changes it to THE PARENT TRAMP. It’s one of my top 10 favorite films … my sister’s #1 favorite … she even named one of her daughters “Hayley”
I have vague childhood memories of Carmel, mostly of the mission. I have a close friend from my Air Force career who lived there while he was teaching at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey.
Carmel has a unique street address system - there are no house numbers. Instead of “123 San Antonio Street,” your address would be “west side of San Antonio Street, 3 houses south of 12th Avenue.” Charming…until you have to try to explain it to somebody who isn’t buying it. Caused me a lot of trouble when submitting paperwork for a periodic re-investigation for a security clearance.
I listed my buddy as a reference, and I listed his address as addresses are done in Carmel-by-the-Sea. My unit security manager refused to submit my paperwork until I gave him a “real address” for my friend. We eventually got it resolved, but my paperwork was held up unnecessarily for weeks, with multiple lectures about how I needed to fix my paperwork or I could lose my clearance. In fairness to him, he did finally inquire with somebody up the chain about what to do about my situation, and then when that person explained that I was, indeed, correct about Carmel street addresses, came back and apologized to me for how he had responded.
I think that sign on the building actually says “Automobile Club of Southern California,” which is the SoCal chapter of AAA. There is an “IFO” to the right of the American flag and then an “A” to the right of the light pole. And that helps narrow down the location.
I think this was actually taken in Hemet. The Nov 1958-Sep 1962 phone book for Hemet and the surrounding communities shows the Automobile Club of Southern California had an office at 302 E. Florida Street in Hemet. That address is now a vacant lot, but if you do some wandering in Google Maps Street View, you can come up with an angle similar to the vintage photo at the corner of E. Florida and S. Carmalita. Don’t be fooled by the curve down the street in the modern photo - a look at overhead imagery shows that the current police station was built in the middle of N. Carmalita, which continues on straight north of the police station.
Mike, The Parent Tramp - ranks right up there with that animated classic, Lady and the Trap, which, if I recall correctly, was about an upper-class woman and her dogcart.
@ Budblade-
Nice job-! Let's see what I come up with... A 1968 Chevrolet - either an Impala or a Caprice; a 'Dodge' pickup, is as good a guess as any; Falcon = check; Mercedes = check; [would you believe] a Triumph TR4-?; that "peeking-in" fender looks more like a Chrysler product to me; that's a 1968 Mustang; yes - probably a Chrysler (or Dodge, or Plymouth) station wagon; that could indeed, be an MG; that's gotta be a 1969 Chevrolet El Camino; and finally - a 1968 or 1969 Cadillac Eldorado. Again... good show-!!
@ MIKE & Chuck-
The Parent Trap (1961) is an all-time favorite, which I watch [at least] once/year. Evidently, Lucien Ballard (the DP) 'made really nice' when exposing the Eastman 5250 camera negative; as the 2018 Blu-ray release of that film looks spectacular.
Thanks, Major.
Chuck, by golly yer right! You betcha! Boy howdy! "Southern California" it is. I didn't see the bit to the right of the light pole.
Nanook...from my first observation, I was thinking that Triumph might actually be a Sunbeam. But I just don't see insignias on the rear quarter panel (similar to mine) to justify that thought.
That sales receipt is really a running tab of charges and credits. Back in the day of lay-away I wonder? KS
JB, identifying geraniums from 100 feet away is a skill that not many people have. BUT YOU DO! As a kid I could never hear about Carmel without thinking of caramel. Delicious, chewy caramel. Also: cement pelicans?? I’ve seen plenty of plastic flamingos, but never any cement pelicans. Hmmm, I see what you mean about the AAA sign, but this doesn’t look like San Luis Obispo, I go there a lot because my sister and her family lives there. This looks more desert-y. NOT “dessert-y”, with chewy caramel!
Budblade, my hat (with the pink ostrich feather) goes off to you, I would not even attempt to ID those cars. So many of the ones in that picture are classic gas guzzlers of a certain era. I’ve always loved El Caminos, and wanted one badly when I was a kid (that was before I appreciated vintage station wagons as much as I do now). Funny about Mercedes cars - I know that they are luxurious, but I’ve never been crazy about the way they look. For the most part, there are some nicer models. I’m sure this is heresy to Mercedes Benz fans!
Bu, I’ve managed to not visit Carmel for my whole life. I’m not actively avoiding it, it’s just not on my list! I have been to Monterey though. Dog beaches are nice (there’s a good one just north of Morro Rock), but they have their disadvantages too. Some dogs just need a leash, and that’s the truth. I wonder why Doris Day was so crazy about dogs especially? I love dogs too, but she took it to the next level. Of course she could afford to. I’ve been to Castroville, home of the giant artichoke. I’ve never had a deep-fried artichoke heart, but love artichokes prepared other ways. My mom used a pressure cooker, and then we dipped the leaves in a simple sauce of mayo and lemon. Delicious. I need deep elevator shoes for the goldfish that live inside them. Oh wait, those are platforms. So embarrassed.
Mike Cozart, there was a time when I collected all kinds of postcards, thanks to an aunt of mine who loved to send cards. And it was also an offshoot of my Disneyland postcard collection. Soon I had cards from all over the US, and some from around the world, I especially loved pre-War Europe cards, though I concentrated mostly on the USA. I think I learned the most about Carmel when I was a kid and made a model of the mission out of cardboard and sugar cubes. I barely remember what it looked like, and am sure it was terrible. “The Parent Tramp”, the R-rated version!
Mike Cozart, ha ha, sometimes phones seem to know what they are doing!
Chuck, I have to wonder WHY Carmel decided that street numbers were just not the thing to do?? Are numbers considered to be “low class”? And is it still that way today? Let’s complicate life for everyone! How does the post office deal with it? I agree, I think the sign says “Automobile Club of Southern California”, as I said to JB, the place does not look like San Luis Obispo to me. But we still love you, JB! And whoa, you did some grade A detective work on the Hemet photo, I never even considered looking up the AAA office. By jove, I think you’ve got it! Nice work, Sherlock! “Lady and the Trap”, I’m too young and innocent for that movie.
Nanook, you car guys! I have nothing to add except my jealousy that I can’t ID any cars except VW Beetles. As for “The Parent Trap”, I was told that I MUST watch the Lindsay Lohan remake, and I gave it a shot on Disney+. I bailed pretty quickly, but admit that I am probably not the target audience. I need more sassy robots and Wookies.
JB, I believe it was Kurt Vonnegut who always said, “Be sure to look to the right of the light pole”. The man was a genius.
KS, a Sunbeam! I only know about those from some metal car insignia that I have from Post cereals. We’ll see if Nanook agrees with you!
Major, yeah, cement pelicans. You can get just about any kind of yard decoration made from cement: pelicans, gnomes, bags of cement. Anything! We didn't actually buy them (there are two of 'em), my brother lugged them home in his backpack after finding them abandoned alongside a bike path. So we bathed them, had the vet give them their shots, and gave them a home... We feed them cement fish.
JB, in the aggregate, that sounds like a pretty concrete course of action.
^ Oh, indeed. Rock solid!
Jean Shepherd had an episode about somebody who had a Concrete Mexican in his yard.
JB, I would love to have a cement bag of cement. So meta. Folks would pass by and nod approvingly. “HE gets it”, they would say softly. And then they would go back to playing their harmonica.
Chuck, um…
JB, er…
Dean Finder, it sounds almost as bad as those jockeys that we used to see in people’s front yards!
@ KS-
It really is hard to tell, but some features seem to point to the car being a Triumph, rather than a Sunbeam. (But you never know, at this resolution).
Addendum: Sharron Lee Hale was a local Carmel/Monterey historian and published a book regarding both in 1980: which is available in the normal book buying online places. The building in the Goold Building and has it's own history, and Wikipedia entry. There are many historic buildings in this village, and if you decide to go down that rabbit hole, it takes many interesting turns.
I’ve visited Carmel a few times. It’s too tasteful and self-aware for words.
I always have to visit a K-Mart or a Taco Bell afterwards to get a recharge of “crass”.
Fun pics Major, but as always on GDB, the comments are worth staying for.
JG
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