New Year’s Eve at the El Mirador

I finally acquired an establishing shot of the long defunct El Mirador Hotel in Palm Springs. This March 1963 image was taken just nine years before the property was converted into the Desert Hospital. Ray Ryan bought ownership of the rundown El Mirador in 1960 from his other investment partners and spent over a million dollars refurbishing the property in an attempt to return it to its former glory.



Not sure why there’s a Hans Cristian Anderson sign on the palm tree. Perhaps it was tied to what appears to be the hotel’s “Copenhagen Smorgasbord” listed on the sign.



Below is a March 1960 shot of the hotel. While the rest of California shivered from low winter temperatures, the smart ones flocked to Palm Springs to enjoy the dry heat.



Back in the day, the El Mirador was a haven for Hollywood celebrities, like Spencer Tracy and John Wayne, as seen in this 1934 photo:



From the accompanying caption:

MOVIE LUMINARIES AT DESERT RESORT

Some of the colonists recruited from cinema ranks at the Mirador, Palm Springs, California, Desert Oasis, are Spencer Tracy (left) and Mr. and Mrs. John Wayne, shown reposed on the brink of the El Mirador Plunge. Wayne is a star of the “horse operas.”

At the time, Tracy was the bigger star and Wayne was still making westerns on skid row before getting his break in “Stagecoach” (1939).

While Shirley Temple typically stayed at the Desert Inn when she visited Palm Springs with her parents, she does have a connection to the El Mirador.



The following gem of a story is from the Palm Springs Life website as told by Frank Bogert, who created many a publicity stunt for the El Mirador:

“We had Governor Herbert Lehman of New York as a guest at the hotel,” Bogert recalls. “He wanted privacy. No interviews. No photos. But he expressed one wish. He said he'd like to meet Shirley Temple who was staying at the Desert Inn with her mother. I said I'd try to arrange it. And I did. Shirley's mother said she'd like to meet the governor. So they met for lunch beside the pool at El Mirador. I took several pictures and thought I was doing pretty well until little Shirley spoke up and said, 'Look, Mr. Bogert, why don't you stand over there with your camera? The governor can sit where he is and I'll cheat a little toward him. I think that will do much better.' . . . Well, I did what she said and got a picture that went all around the nation. By following the advice of a 7-year-old. But what a 7-year-old!

Below are images from the Temple/Lehman get together at the El Mirador from the Palm Springs Historical Society website:



Temple and Lehman crossed paths again in 1938 in New York when the child star took her famous cross-country vacation.



I hope you enjoyed the final rabbit hole post at Daveland for 2025!

See more Palm Springs photos at my main website.

Wee Wayfinding

Wayfinding is an important part of…well, finding stuff! Even for the non-existent inhabitants of Disneyland’s Storybook Land, the signage was part of the original attraction, as seen in this 1950’s image, most likely from the initial days of the attraction, judging by the barren landscape. 

By 1959, the Giant’s Patchwork Quilt was growing in nicely:



I am constantly amazed by the detail and artistic craftsmanship that went into the Storybook Land attraction:



An aerial view of the scene from the 1950s:



Anyone able to read what is on the sign at left?



A May 1958 shot taken from a Skyway bucket:



This detailed view provides a shot of the “island” known as Peter Pan Park as well as the Fantasyland Train Depot:



Jumping forward to August 2013, Peter Pan’s Park had been renamed London Park. Poor Peter.



This duck graciously posed for me so that I could demonstrate the scale of these miniature buildings!



See more Disneyland Storybook Land photos at my main website.

Christmas Eve: Anticipation

In 1939, Shirley Temple posed for her final Christmas photos at 20th Century-Fox. She would be temporarily retired by the time the next winter holiday rolled around. Even in the day before digital photography made it easy to take hundreds of photos without worrying about cost, the studio shot an abundance of the little girl in this session that attempted to capture the anticipation of awaiting Santa Claus’ visit on Christmas Eve. Taken at the studio, a staircase from props along with a wreath and some gifts gave a slight air of authenticity. I truly love the first one of Shirley pretending to be asleep while the silhouette of Santa looms behind her. Below, the wonder of seeing the tree and presents on Christmas morning is perfectly captured by Shirley’s expression:



A small candle in her hand lights the way:



Four additional shots of Shirley descending the steps are in my collection, showing that the studio liked giving the movie magazines options to choose from:








Hunting through the internet, I found three more:







Had enough Shirley yet? That’s ok, because we are moving on to Christmas 1970. Were my brothers and I dressed for a fancy dinner? No. This was the typical attire for a plane trip from Philadelphia to San Diego. Back in the day, plane travel was a luxury and one was expected to dress for the occasion. I was reading a book on the zodiac, and my oldest brother was apparently planning to practicing his clarinet while we visited our Grandmother in San Diego for Christmas.



Our United Airlines flight had actual curtains on the window!



Eldest brother was reading The Mystery of the Coughing Dragon, part of the Alfred Hitchcock mystery series:



Ah, to recall a time when plane travel was fun and you had room to squirm around in your seat.



The first order of business in San Diego was to visit Santa Claus at the May Company department store in Mission Valley. This modernist building had opened in February 1961. It is currently empty, most likely awaiting demolition.



Christmas Eve at my Grandmother’s fireplace shows our stockings (I still have mine) as well as the annual plate of Christmas cookies and note to Santa.



Note Marlboro 100s box in the background. No Christmas tableau is complete without it.



Christmas morning shows the genuine smiles as we were finally allowed to enter the living room to see what Santa had brought.



I hope you are all able to experience this form of happy anticipation and joy over the holidays and can disconnect from the stressors of 2025.

See more Shirley Temple at the holidays photos at my main website.

The Lafayette at Christmas, 2025 edition

NO place in San Diego decorates for Christmas like the Lafayette Hotel and Club on El Cajon Boulevard. Just take a look at this festively lit grand entrance!



El Cajon Boulevard used to be known as the red light district; thanks to the Lafayette, it can be labeled as the red AND green district.



Two nutcrackers greet you as you enter the premises, wearing the signature purple garb of the hotel:



Inside, an explosion of lights, trees, garland, and ornaments signal the holidays:



This little alcove, which is slated to eventually be a gift shop, is where Santa Claus makes his appearance and lets you sit on his lap. I guess my 6am visit was too early for him.



Atlas at the bar now has to bear the weight of a Christmas tree in addition to his usual globe.



A blowup Frosty the Snowman watches over the proceedings at the pool:



Even the pool floaties are themed for the holiday:



The pool bar looks magical with the lights on:



If you’re into Instagram opportunities, the Lafayette (like any Consortium Holdings property) abounds with them. A sleigh at the pool is ready for your next pose:



…and this sleigh outside the Gutter:



Beginner’s Diner was mild in its decor; just some garland strewn around the booths:



The buckwheat pancakes were devoured quickly:



If you are thinking about checking out the decor at the Lafayette, don’t expect it to be empty like my photos; that would require a 6am arrival time. By 9am, you will be swatting off others with the same goal like flies.
 
See more Lafayette Hotel and Club in San Diego photos at my main website.

Reevaluating The Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego

When it comes to tourism, the Gaslamp Quarter is just behind the beaches when it comes to gravitational pull. Especially at night, tourists flock to this downtown area for the many restaurants and bars that fill the historic streets of this once “colorful” (aka seedy) part of town.



Walking around with a camera, you will find plenty of architectural details to shoot.



The kind you don’t find in the newer boxy high-rises that are popping up all over town, ruining the skyline and character of the quaint San Diego neighborhoods. And let’s not get into what they are doing for the street parking and traffic…



Back to the topic at hand…



Small branded details like this are a huge plus with me:



The fact that gritty art like this can still be found not only harks back to the once not-so-family friendly nature of the Gaslamp, but also helps give a quirkiness that counters the homogenous feel of some of the national chains that have invaded here over the years.



Last weekend, I got out of my introverted bubble to attend the Gaslamp Pet Parade, thanks to my friend Thomas.



Beau is not an introvert.



The parade was adorable. This type of thing is so California.



Santa was on hand…



and one of his elves, handing out candy canes (I wonder if they are organic?):



The pets and their owners were quite creative:












After the parade finished, I snapped a few more shots of the historic buildings that have survived, like this one from 1913:



closer:



…and closer for the interesting details one would typically miss from the street, just walking (or staggering) by.



I have often avoided the Gaslamp for its touristy reputation, but it pays to revisit and reevaluate every so often. I had a blast!
 
See more Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego photos at my main website.