Tagus Ranch & Perry's Coffee Shop Revisited - Tulare, CA

Among my older posts (aren't they all?), one that continues to garner new looks and comments concerns a former dining and dancing destination located on dusty Highway 99 just to the north of the fine city of Tulare, CA: World Famous Tagus Ranch.

The site of this magnificent ruin has always piqued my interest whenever I'm motoring past, and several times at the urging of my kids I have stopped to document the old building's current state of decay. I last did so on August 6, 2010, and here are some pictures from that 100 degree day:

Was that a BBQ pit to the back left?

A Warning sign:

A few Urban Explorers have made it inside:

Menace said:

"Hello there Walter,
I may have not been alive to [see] this place in it's glory days but I did go see this place recently. I was filming a short film for my video class and we all decided to go to Tagus Ranch. We heard it was haunted(because we heard at least one girl was murdered there) so we were all frightened. Well we all went inside that place and it was really dark even in the daytime, we came upon the room with the pentogram(star) with strange symblos and an eye in the middle and we all freaked. Our video turned out crappy so we have to reshoot but this time at night!"
DECEMBER 18, 2009 6:57 PM

I sure hope 'Menace' made it back and will share some of the pics from the second outing.

Here's a closeup of the ghost-sign-brand 'TR' that used to adorn the exterior and can be seen in the postcard view from my original post.

Stacy Hargrove mentioned in her kind comments that she had been inside and that "...even the old Tagus Ranch symbol was there." Stacy: Would the symbol that you saw be the same one that used to grace this wall?

Ahh, the Great Sign:

Here's a souvenir for you smokers out there:

Long time Tulare residents will remember Perry’s Coffee Shop. Here’s a link to my previous post regarding “The Best Cup Of Coffee on Highway 99”, along with a postcard view of the interior from the 1960’s:

One happy couple enjoyed their time here very much, and wrote their friends Mr. & Mrs. Norman Anderson of La Puente, CA to tell them so:

“Dear Folks – We enjoyed our brief visit with you so much. Having a wonderful trip. This is a lovely dining room & a nice motel. Temp here is over 100 degrees but nice inside. We hope to see Sequoia National Park & Yosemite tomorrow. Regards, Florence and Tony Zelir”(?)

Postmarked Tulare, July 28th, 1962.

I looked up the Anderson’s address on Google, and (yay!) it hasn’t been demolished. But I do wonder if they still live there after all these (49) years? I suppose there’s a pretty fair chance that the Anderson’s have gone on to that great Coffee Shop in The Sky, in which case I hope to meet them one day to discuss this card :)

Unfortunately, the former Perry’s Coffee Shop building was demolished a couple of years back:

Here’s a bit of the terrazzo floor to contemplate. Too bad we can no longer perform this contemplation with fresh pie and hot coffee in hand…

Further north on the 99, we pass the ruins of the Mammoth Orange in Fairmead. We used to enjoy the best ‘Alaska Sized Burgers’ and squeezed-right-in-front-of-you Orange Juice Shakes at this historic roadside stand which was the last of its kind. Too bad the exit was closed which killed the business.

Take care and drive safe…and see you next time.

Bowling in California

The bowling alley once played a much bigger role in the fabric of growing communities. Today, many of these great gathering spots are living out their final years, and I sincerely hope that the wrecking ball will continue to pass them by...

First up, it's Freeway Lanes on Golden State Blvd (old Hwy 99) just North of Selma:

Nice wall detail:

Restroom tile work circa 1958:

About 220 miles to the south, Palos Verdes Bowl remains in fine form and without bumpers if you please:

The locker room:

In Northern California, Monterey Lanes continues to offer safe haven to the occasional gutter-baller...

The entry driveway:

Interior ceiling panels:

Classic exterior patterns:

In Santa Fe Springs, we take a fond last look at Premier Lanes...Which closed in May, 2008. These pictures are from June, 2006 and I wish they weren't so washed-out.

Encore Room R.I.P.

I want some of these lockers in my hobby room (I also want a hobby room):

Last but not least, and still quite impressive in scope, here is wonderful Covina Bowl in West Covina...

The great sign:

Alas, The Egyptian Room is long gone, unfortunately...

See you next time!

South Lake Tahoe/Stateline CA - Part 2

As autumn approaches, recalling the leisure times of the summer just past (or one of its elder cousins), can cheer the soul of those who like to live in the realm of Vacationland whenever possible.

Now, as the trees on my street begin to boast a golden hue, let’s slip back into summer mode and return to the highway for a second excursion over the Sierra’s and into the scenic Lake Tahoe basin for some much needed R&R…

First stop: The Ponderosa Motel


These happy visitors are enjoying some sunny afternoon time by the unfenced pool. What a great place to catch some rays and contemplate anything-but-work!

40 years on, the Ponderosa is now the Alpine Inn & Spa. The pool has gained a fence along the way and that ugly box thing by poolside is the 'Spa' referred to in the new name. Not much was shaking during my early morning visit.

No problem finding the exact spot of the earlier 'then' shot on this one... Once I climbed the stairs to a certain small second floor balcony area, I knew I'd struck paydirt.

A man named Hoyt was good enough to let us know that he and Betty were doing "...well as can be expected." during their cold, October 1969 visit. Betty had to take some kind of pills (Ludian?) to get right, but things were good "...so far." I sure hope things turned out well for the both of them...

The small detail shot is worth a quick comparison:

The Monte Carlo once brought a bit of the Riviera to California:

But many of today's Xtreme crowd couldn't find that place on a map, so a new concept in motel lodging was needed. Now, after spending the day shredding on their snowboards or punishing the trails on mountain bikes, they can return to 'The Block', a place that caters to those who enjoy such 'sick' pursuits.

How would you like to see Augie & Margo at Harrah's in the mid 1960's? It looks like they were opening up for Harry Belafonte, who probably sang 'Banana Boat Song' to tipsy but well dressed patrons:

A little farther up Highway 50 on the California side, but you get the idea:

Harvey's Wagon Wheel Casino (to the left) was at the epicenter of an odd, bombing-extortion plot in the Summer of 1980. A six-ton, chock-full-o'-dynamite bomb was detonated inside the main tower in late August of that year; here is a clip of the explosion.

I can recall watching the live coverage on local Channel 3. Having seen the Harvey's Casino many times during our yearly visits, watching 'live' as the bomb was set off by the demolition team was curious viewing to be sure.

Getting back to the motels; do we find ourselves in Southern Cal?

Here we are at Malibu...Motel that is...I like those finned beauties parked to the right:

The Malibu stayed on task for many years, until the owners shook off the Malibu moniker and adopted a more wink-wink attitude. I now present to you the newly remodeled "Secrets Inn":

Recreation in the Lake Tahoe area can be as simple as renting a paddle boat and taking to the cold, clear waters of the lake itself. Here's a shot of the shoreline looking back:

And here's two of my favorite people bringing the boat back into port:

Going out to breakfast is a great way to start a vacation day, and the best place to do this when in Tahoe is at Heidi's...

This fine old breakfast/coffee shop is situated right next door to the former South Tahoe Travelodge:

The motel is still going strong as a Howard Johnsons, while Heidi's is still welcoming those with an appetite---

Heidi's was a bit more plain back in the day, but the owners added to its Swiss charms over the ensuing decades until this classic, inviting look was achieved:

Sure, Heidi's is right next door and the food is great, but doubts about staying at the HoJo remian until you check out the status of the pool:

It'll do...But if you're up for an adventure, how about stepping back in time at the Green Lantern?

Oh yes...The Lantern is still lit and continues to ply its trade in the heart of the old motel row:

...And the Monaco Inn was (and is) at the corner of Stateline and Pine Blvd.

I'm happy to see that the giant pine tree is still doing well, right in the middle of the complex:

To get to Tahoe you have to hit the road, and from past travels many of you will know that the Mother Road in these parts is Highway 99.

Just south of Lodi on this fine old thoroughfare, the Victor Fine Foods meat packing plant sits dormant. Closed since December 1991, its towering sign still draws the attention of passing motorists such as I:

Check out the classical foot soldier, champion of the Victor Brand:

Some terrific photos of this sign can be found here and here:

I'll be back with Tahoe Part 3 next time, which should include stops at Magic Carpet Mini Golf and the abandoned Tahoe Amusement Park.

Happy Travels---