Vintage Postcard – Palm Springs, California

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
Looking south along the world-famous Palm Canyon Drive which is a mecca for winter vacationers from all over the world. Along this exciting palm-bordered avenue you will find some of the nation’s smartest shops.
Color photo by H. Lowman

Copyright 1955 Ferris H. Scott, Santa Ana, Calif.
Mirro-Krome Card by H.S. Crocker Co., San Francisco 1, Calif.
PS-24

There is some mighty fine mid-century modern architecture still in place in Palm Springs on Palm Canyon Drive.

Like California? More here:

Oxnard California

San Clemente California

Redondo Beach

Vintage Postcard – Oxnard California

View of 5th Street, Oxnard, Calif., one of California’s fastest growing cities.

Schulze News Co., Ventura, Calif.
Plastichrome by Colourpicture Publishers, Inc., Boston 15, Mass., U.S.A.
Color by Walt Dibblee

This lovely vintage card is unused.

The building on the corner, Oxnard Cut Rate Drugs, was located at 105 Fifth Street. And there still is a pharmacy there, but the building is not the same. In 1946 (Oxnard Press-Courier) has an ad for the Oxnard Cut Rate Drugs with Y.A. Reyes & Sons listed as the owners. Ynez Aragon (Y.A.) “Joe” Reyes passed away in November 1987. His wife was Antonia and he had sons Charles C Reyes and Robert A. Reyes. Joe was a pharmacist. Antonia passed in 1978.

Oxnard is 30 miles west of LA.

Like California? More here:

San Clemente

Redondo Beach Pier

Skyways Hotel

Vintage Postcard – San Clemente California

SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA
U.S. Highway 101 passes through San Clemente from Laguna Beach and San Juan Capistrano, to San Diego.
GW 39

Published & Distributed by Golden West Color Card Co
2583 Maine Avenue, Long Beach 6, California
© MCMLVII by Geo. E. Watson Color Photographer

The Online Archive of California has this image from 1949 of The Travel Inn.

Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to track down the current view of this location. The Travel Inn seems long gone.

Happy National Postcard Week 2016. Seems I’m a bit behind on everything, so no custom-made cards this year. Hopefully I will get myself together in the meanwhile. I appreciate your continuing viewership of catobear.com!

Update!

My dear friend James found the current view of the location for us:

He noted “the Travel Inn would be where the Baskin Robbins is, and the Sea Shore Cafe would have been where the parking and sign for the plaza are.”

Love it! Thank you so much, James.

Like California? More here:

Mission Inn

Downtowner Inn

Skyways Hotel

Vintage Postcard – Redondo Beach Pier

SCENE ON THE PIER
REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA
Showing some of the Fish Markets, Gift Shops and Restaurants on Fisherman’s Wharf.

Curteichcolor 3-D Natural Color Reproductions, REG. U.S.A. Pat. Off.
RB3 – Western Publ. & Nov. Co., 259 So. Los Angeles St., L.A., Calif.

This lovely vintage postcard featuring the Redondo Beach Pier in all its glory was mailed using a 3-cent purple liberty stamp, cancellation date unclear. It was mailed to Mrs. R.O. DeHart, 1687 Main St. Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. It reads:

Dear Mrs. DeHart,
We are having a great time. Got to Jerry’s 5 o’clock in the morning last Tues. Have been to Knotts Berry Farm, San Diego Zoo & down to Tijuana Mexico so far. Are going to Disneyland this week sometime. Will see you when we get home.
Love, “The Ockers”

The stamp, plus the fact that Disneyland is open, suggests this card was likely mailed in 1958. Tony’s restaurant has been in location since 1952, per their website.

I tried to pull a google street view of this location, and technically it is still there. But honestly, it was so depressing and so unlike the original, I couldn’t bring myself to post it. Tony’s is still there. That’s something, I guess. If you can stomach the rest of the location, it looks like it’s somewhere you might enjoy a good meal. Their website is here.

RO DeHart was Robert O, 1879-1950. His wife was Clara B, 1887-1974. I was thinking the Ockers were Harry and Cora, but since Cora passed in 1954 it could have been one of the sons – Edward, Donald, Harry Jr or Jack and their spouse. All lived in Cuyahoga Falls, and would likely be friends or neighbors. Nailing it down a bit more, the author of the postcard mentioned they got to Jerry’s at 5am. Jerry could likely be Edward’s son, Jerald Norman Ocker as he was living in California at the time. Want to see an image of Jerry? Check out his marker here. Anyhow, I put in the address for Clara DeHart on Main Street, and here’s her house:

Like California? Check these out:

Bahia Motel

Skyways Hotel

Holiday Lodge

Vintage Postcard – Bahia Motel – Anaheim, California

Bahia Motel
821-823 South Beach Boulevard
(on Highway 39, 1 Block No. of Ball Rd.)
Anaheim, California
(714) 527-8432
The BAHIA MOTEL is the last word in Luxury and Convenience. Air Conditioning, TV, Thermostatically Controlled Heat, Heated Pool, Kitchen Units, Adjacent Restaurants and Recreation Room. Minutes to Disneyland, Movieland Wax Museum, Marineland and the Beach. Family Accommodations.

Kolor View  *  Los Angeles California  * Bradshaw 2-8615
KV936

This card is postally unused. The Tiki Room has a post on this fantastic motel, and notes that it became the Razzmatazz. It’s now the Covered Wagon. From Google Street View:

The motel is listed with 70 rooms, built in 1961. It may be closed now…there are some notes that it is currently being remodeled. We can only hope the owners work to restore it to its mid-century glorious tiki self.

Like this? There’s more nearby:

Hody’s Lakewood

Vintage Postcard – Kent Inn Motel – Los Angeles

Kent Inn Motel
920 So. Figueroa St. Los Angeles 15, Calif.
626-8701
Hotel luxury at motel rates, just 2 blocks So. of Statler-Hilton in downtown Los Angeles. Free garage parking — Elevator to your room. Complimentary coffee and refrigerators in every room. Conference room — kitchens available.

Made by Dexter Press, Inc., West Nyack, New York
Pub. by Reed White, Box 1212, Studio City, Calif.
82982-B

You know I am a sucker for a night-view motel postcard. This one does not disappoint. It has not been postally used. At some point, it became a Best Western. Unfortunately, it looks like this location is now a parking lot, according to Google satellite. There do seem to be quite a number of hotel keys for this location on ebay, if you’re interested. This site talks of the history of that area as well.

More LA here:

Skyways Hotel

Holiday Lodge

Vintage Postcard – Downtowner Inn Bakersfield, California

DOWNTOWNER INN
13th & Chester
Bakersfield, California
52 Rooms. Tubs & Showers. Privately owned, downtown Bakersfield. Walking distance to Civic Center, business district & restaurants. Under cover parking. Beautifully appointed rooms, Cable TV, Direct dial phones, heated pool. Continental breakfast, evening snack tray. Major Credit and most Oil Cards accepted.
Joe Loretta, Mike Fahey & Claudia Meier
Owners & Operators
Phone (805) 327-7122

Fran Hunt Color Productions, Inc.
P.O. Box 1405, Laguna Beach, California 92652
119456

This lovely vintage postcard features the AAA and Member Friendship Inns of America logos. It is unsent. Part of the description on the card is marked through, but using a flashlight I was able to determine the evening snack tray and previous owner information.

Well now. The Downtowner still stands, at 1301 Chester Avenue.

The reviews are not good (well…some of them are excellent. Did they stay in the same place?). And the photos the motel itself put up online? I don’t think it’s the same place. You may wish to avoid it.

Vintage Postcard – Skyways Hotel LA

Skyways Hotel
9250 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif.
5 minutes from L.A. International Airport. Ideal for air traveler. Beautiful landscaped. Two heated pools, luxurious rooms with RCA T.V. New, modern coffee shop. Free airport limousine service.

“Plastichrome” by Colourpicture, Boston 30, Mass. – 6270 Mosely Ave., L.A.
P28016

This lovely vintage postcard has the AAA logo and a logo for Lee Hotels. It was mailed from Los Angeles October 3, 1966 using a purple four cent Lincoln stamp (S36- Scott #1036A) to Mrs. Alfred Lewis, 2611 90th St. Sturtevant Wis. It reads:

Hi:
Arrived in LA safe and sound (3pm Monday). Trip was nice but didn’t see much but desert. Few Mts. were beautiful. We’ll try a different way back. Los Angeles is all freeways it seems. A big, big town. Had no trouble finding the airport or motel. Our place is right close by. Car will be parked for us inside. Love Dorothy & Phil.

This is a gorgeous card. Two bathing beauties, and two slicks in suits. Also some random woman, fully clothed, on a beach chair. The colors are just lovely, though. I love this card.

Joy of joys, the building still stands and is now a Super 8 (Google Street View):

This pool view is from the Super 8 website:

Courtesy of Super 8 Website

It actually gets decent reviews on Trip Advisor and Yelp!

More California sights:

Holiday Lodge

Carolina Pines Jr.

Hody’s Coffee Shop

Vintage Postcard – Mission Inn Riverside California

Mission Inn Entrance
Riverside, Calif.
One of the most beautiful hotels in the Southland, covering an entire city block in the heart of Riverside.

“Plastichrome” by Colourpicture, Boston, Mass., U.S.A.
Distributed by Mitock & Sons, 13561  Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, Calif.

This lovely vintage postcard was mailed using a 4 cent Lincoln log cabin stamp like this one here. It was sent to Miss Catherine Robbins, 231 Washington St, Riverside, New Jersey from Los Angeles February 2, 1966. It reads:

Greetings –
I just got away in time to miss all that snow. Having quite a bit of the flu here though. Take care now. Affectionately Priscilla
Spent week end at this Inn. Beautiful place. Many thanks for valentine.

You’re in luck…the Mission Inn is still open for business! It is on the National Listing of Historic Landmarks and the Historic Hotels of America. From Wikipedia: “The property began as a small, cottage hotel called the “Glenwood Hotel” built by civil engineer Christopher Columbus Millerin 1876. In 1902, Miller’s son Frank changed the name to the “Mission Inn” and started building, in a variety of styles, until he died in 1935.” It is sometimes compared with the Winchester House, due to the number of rooms and winding passageways. And, like the Winchester House, it is thought to be haunted.

Here’s a post on ghost hunting at the Mission Inn. You can apparently take a tour of the catacombs beneath the old hotel. Here’s another blog post; apparently, the Mission Inn is quite popular among paranormal enthusiasts. This blog post gives some nice history about the place, plus a video/photo slideshow. Ten US presidents have stayed at the Mission Inn through the years.

The place gets fantastic reviews. It holds six restaurants and a lovely spa. If you’re in the Riverside, California area, do check it out. And send me a postcard!

Like this post? More California postcards:

Holiday Lodge

La Casa Del Mar

Surf Motel