Howard Johnson's Caravan Inn - Then And Now

Here's the pool area of the former Caravan Inn (now Arena Inn) in Anaheim. From a 60's postcard:



Now, here's the same view from June, 2006. There was a city warning on the pool gate regarding a violation of the health code.

That ladder on the second floor appears to have survived these past 40-odd years. A few of the balconies were filled in and the cool signage is long gone (anyone no anything about the ice rink located nearby?) There was once a coffee shop facing the pool and a cocktail lounge to boot.

This tired old inn appears to have slipped into monthly rental mode and looks ripe for the bulldozer...

Calico Motel Then And Now

Here's a 1960's postcard view of the Calico Motel at 500 Beach Blvd in Buena Park(?)
And here it is today (June 2006):

Because motels produced postcards for advertising and souvenir use, tracking their decline over time isn't too difficult. Comparing the postcards sunny view with the run-down condition of today is a poignant affair.

The pool was located in front of the office and had been filled in by the time I visited. A filled in or drained/mucked up pool is a good indicator of where an old motel is in it's lifecycle.

Gullywhumper Still Sinking

Anyone have a paddle...or a bucket maybe?

Ever since this former Keel Boat was anchored she's been slowly taking water and no one seems to care. This KB was the one involved in the accident that triggered the final closure of the ride. Glad I got to ride it back in the 70's.

From June, 2006