Papa Tony's Diner - San Bernadio, CA

Mother's Day we went to Tony's Diner.  It's is a kitchy 1950s themed diner with tourquoise booths serving American staples like pancakes, burgers and eggs done anyway.  The diner sits along side the old route 66 which we had the opportunity to travel over in the 1990's

The decore

On the weekends they cook many of the steaks outside on the BBQ,

Around the walls there is lots of memobelia .
9/11

James Dean,  this is a copy of the stamp in his honour.

Audrey Hemburn

Some quite old LP's:  Linda Ronstat.

Van Morrison

We enjoyed good old American fare.   Eggs easy over with bacon and pancakes with maple syrup.

Grilled ham with poached eggs and hash brown.

Accompained by a traditional diner milk shake.

As it was Mother's Day we were given the chocholate coated strawberry.   After eating the above meals we left this behind.

It was a experience.

Cheers,

Ross and Beverley 

Glen Helen Regional Park

We have ben staying at the Glen Helen Regional Park which is located in San Berndadino, Calafornia.  Its adjacent to the Cajon Pass.  Today its the site for festivals of the earlt 80's.  It also is the home to Clen Helen Amphitherater, the largest outdoor ampitheatre in the USA. 
The Park has somthing for everyone who enjoys the outdoors.  In a couple of weeks time they will be restocking the catfish for the many keen fishermen who enjoy a spot of fishing.

There is a huge swimming poll.

We are staying across the road at the RV Park which is surrounded my mountains.

We have also had the opportunity to enjoy some of the native wild life.   This evening it was a bird.

There ars also a lot of gophers to be seen.  They are Pocket gophers, referred to as just gophers.  They are borrowing rodents of te family Geomyidae.  There are some 35 species, all endemic to North and Central America.  They are known for their extensive tunnelling activities and their ability to destroy farms and gardens.

Throughout the park there are many of these gophers who like to stand up staight on a rock before scampering into their holes.

Tomorrow we depart for Barstow.
Cheers,
Ross and Beverley 

Palm Springs, California

We arrived in Califonia a few days ago and we are staying to a very pretty RV Park in Indio which is about a 17 miles outside of Palm Springs.  It is a very nice to stay.

Today we visited Palm Springs, which is a city in the Sonaran Desert California.  Its know for its hot springs, hotels, golf courses and spars.  It is surrounded by the Coahella valley which offeres many outdoor activities.  It is also the home to many Hollywood stars who have had vacation homes in this area.  

It is a very tidy city proctected by huge mountains.    

There are Palm tress everywhere however there is only one particular Palm that is native to the area they many other varities of Palms have been introduced.  

We opted for the Legends and Icons Tour.  It included historic homes , landmarkes, The Rat Pack Hideaway and so much more.  This home was build in 1962 and was to be the venue for Elvis Presley's wedding however, because of the media histeria he and Prescilla high tailed it in Frank Sinatra's plane to Las Vegas.   They married at the Aladdin Hotel.

Another Hollywood Star,  Leonardo DiCaprio owned this home.

We saw many homes who had been owned in the past such as Kirk Douglas, Elizabeth Taylor when she was married to Richard Burton, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, Lucille Ball, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore and list goes on.  We finally got to see inside Robert Stack's home named Casa de Monte Vista.  He played Elliot Ness in the Untouchables.  He was also married to the same woman until his death.  In its day it was the venue for many of the rich and famous.   The grounds are beatufully maintained.

It has an outdoor pool.

With a huge outside bar area.

The home is still used for photo shoots such as for the film Behind the chandelier 

This chandelier used to be at the entry to Liberace's home.   It now sits in the growns of Robert Stack's home.

Following are photos of the many celerberities who frequented during the this period of time.

Here is a vintage Rolls Royce.

The mountains are all much higher than anything we have in Australian.

They also have the largest windfarm we have ever seen.  There are 2,700 all together.  

Cheers,
Ross and Beverley 

Boot Hill

Boothill Graveyard was the Tombstone City Cemetery from 1878 to 1884. It was not called Boothill until the 1920s. Its occupants ran the spectrum of all the cultures and nationalities of early Tombstone. Cowboys who "died with their boots on" lie next to housewives, business men and women, miners, gamblers, ladies of the "red-light district" and all the famous and not so famous occupants that contributed to Tombstone's early history. By the 1920s, Boothill had fallen into ruin with many grave markers lost or unreadable. A group of citizens in Tombstone and Cochise County began the task of researching old burial records, consulting with relatives, older residents, and using all means available to identify the occupants and mark the graves properly. The task took several years and the efforts of many to accomplish. This resulted in the graveyard being restored much as it was in the early years when it was the city cemetery.

1. 

Cheers,
Ross and Beverley 

The Rose Bush Story - Tombstone

There are many interesting story's inTombstone one of which is The Rose Bush Story.  A mist the madness of gun fights of the day there remains The Lady Banksia Rose Bush.  The roots of which date back to 1885 .  It was planted by a young bride by the name of Mart Gee from Scotland.  At the time the property at Fourth and Toughnut Streets was a boarding house.  The woman in charge of  the building befriended Gee who had recieved a box of schrubs and roots of the Lady Banksia Rose from Scotland.  Both ladies planted the the tree and placed it on the patio and it has grown its brachches to welcome Tombstone tourists for over a century.  It spans over 8,000 square feet and for 132 years it has not stopped blooming.  It requires watering , triming and fertilizing

 The home is now a museum.

Cheers,

Ross and Beverley