Monday, January 18, 2010

When Tumbleweeds Drew City Boundaries

Anonymous talks about her memories of growing up in Orange County from the late 1960s to the late 1970s, and lists out a laundry list of items she recalls...

Hi, I've grown up in OC all my life. From the late 60's on...

I remember up until the late 70's you could drive down Beach Blvd. and head north and see where each town began and ended. There would be a few small buildings, then tumbleweeds, then more buildings, then tumbleweeds, and so on...

as a little girl, I had seen the "caller" the old man who would jump in the street and yell at you to go to the Pottery Shack in Laguna Beach (jumped out right in heavy traffic too); Farrell's and A&W on Beach Blvd.(with real glass frosty mugs, tray hung from your window as you ate in the car; Back Alley Pizza at Magnolia and Adams-the inside was all mirrored with a road and real curbs on the floor, great pizza; Japanese Village and Deer Farm in Buena Park; Movieland Wax Museum; The alligator farm; the old drive-in movies on Beach Blvd and on Brookhurst sts; when you could go to the beach and park across pch on the sand,there was nothing there just a street light to cross the street; Lion Country Safari (now wild rivers)Naugles in HB became Arby's on Brookhurst, when they started building "restaurant row" of fast foods there.

You used to see horses being ridden up and down Magnolia in HB (and the tumbleweeds)until the OC bus system went in... Leonards dept store; Toy City; Kmart across the street-when you enter the store, there was a greeter, and a counter where they sold sub sandwiches, butter toffee peanuts, etc. and a cafe at the back of the store where you could have taquitos, burgers etc. and get a dessert ice cream in a plastic football helmet-my brother collected a lot of those... Farrell's pig's trough-my brother got the ribbon...

2 comments:

  1. The Laguna Beach "caller" was none other than Eiler Larson, aka "The Greeter." I grew up for a while in Laguna Beach and my mom would often stop and talk with him, with me in tow. I shook his hand many times. I will -never- forget his booming voice as he yelled "hellooooo" to the traffic while pointing his finger at you.

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  2. many fond memories of Farrells Ice Cream Parlor on Beach as well as Sam's Pizza next to Luccis Deli at Magnolia & Adams. The Naugules at Gothard and Center Dr. next to GWC was a hot spot after hours.
    My friends and I used to go to Japanese Deer Park to dance in the 70's. What a great time it was. There was a band that played Chicago songs. Wow, fell in love with the lead singer!

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