A Schusssing We Shall Go...

Back in Anaheim, we now visit the Alpine Inn. The Alpine was one of the earliest of the motels that sprouted up to surround Disneyland after it’s 1955 opening. It was/is located at 715 Katella Avenue near the now closed South entrance to the old Disneyland parking lot. Each room had it's own phone and free TV, and also featured refrigerated air conditioning. This postcard shot dates from the late fifties based on the cars in the lot.

Here’s the Alpine in 2004. The sign now conforms to the new Anaheim Resort code, but this old motel is definitely still kicking. I’m not sure when the well-themed snowy roof and log siding was added, but one could argue that the Alpine looks better now than when it was new some fifty years ago. I think I’ll dial KEystone 5-2186 and book some rooms for my annual June trip...

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...