travel | From A Bird's Eye View

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The ‘Why?’ Cruise, continued

October 9, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:6 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Well, no jumping overboard for me – Alcatraz is too close! Fortunately, there was no need to jump as the trip was ready to get more interesting. Wednesday morning, we woke up in San Francisco Bay, opened the curtains in our cabin and looked out on the best view I’d had all week: the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower and Alcatraz. It was overcast, but what did we expect in San Francisco? However, temperatures were in the 70s, which for this time of year in ‘The City’ is ‘HOT’! We walked over to Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square then decided to take the hop-on-hop-off bus around the city. It was awesome! We never hopped off but just enjoyed the views from the open upper deck of the bus, of places like North Beach, the Golden Gate Bridge, Union Square, Haight-Ashbury, the Financial District (Where Suzanne used to work) and Golden Gate Park, where we drove past old Kezar Stadium, where at somewhere around 8 years old, I watched my first 49er game. It was also the place where I played my last game of college football. The whole tour was very enjoyable and very nostalgic. We got off the bus at Fisherman’s Wharf and had an awesome dinner at Fog Harbor Fish House – clam chowder, Linda had lobster, and I had crab and just to stay with the theme of the cruise we both had some California wine. I have to say ‘The City’ looked awesome, and Newsom didn’t even know I was going to be there!

Teammate and roommate Ken Poulsen and me at our last game in Kezar Stadium

The ship’s entertainment was generally pretty good; the program I enjoyed the most was an interview with Taj Jackson. No, I didn’t know who he was either, until I did a little research before going to his on-stage interview. He is the first of three sons of Tito Jackson, member of the Jackson 5 and brother of Michael and Janet. Taj and his two brothers formed a group years ago called 3T, (All their first names start with ‘T’ – Taj, Taryll and Tito Jr.). They were mentored by Uncle Michael. Taj says that the group is more popular in Europe than here, but they are still touring and selling lots of music here. We had a chance to personally meet Taj after the show, and he is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He took time with everyone to answer questions (mostly about Michael) and was just a super person. I’m not familiar with their music, but I’m definitely going to give them a listen.

Meanwhile, it’s another day at sea as we head down to San Diego. We did get to watch the 49er-Ram Thursday night game on TV – Yay 49ers!!! We had such a good experience in San Francisco with the hop-on-hop-off bus that we decided to try it in San Diego. But don’t call it a hop-on-hop-off bus, it’s a ‘trolly’! While the venues weren’t as memorable or nostalgic for me as San Francisco, we did hit the high spots of San Diego, which were interesting – Gaslamp Quarter, Coronado Island and the Del Coronado Hotel, Balboa Park, Little Italy and Old Town, where we got off to have a delightful Mexican lunch . . . complete with margarita! We decided that since we live so close, we need to get to San Diego more often and spend some time at some of these fun and interesting places!

Back on the boat for our final night and the short cruise up to L.A. (that took all night). So, our plan of flying to Vancouver and taking a boat ride home turned out to be surprisingly good, once we got to San Francisco.

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The ‘Why?’ Cruise

October 6, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:6 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

You regular blog readers may remember that we took a cruise last November to countries that neither of us had ever been to, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong – Very Exciting! And in July we did a family cruise to nowhere, the boat went from L.A. to Ensenada, but we never got off, so we really didn’t go anywhere – Family Fun! Now, as I write this, we are on a cruise to places that I’ve not only been to, but have lived around – Why?

To be honest, I’m not sure. Other than the excuse my wife gives that while I was looking at our yearly calendar last January, I said, “Doesn’t look like we have much going on in September?” Apparently, that was her cue to find a cruise for us. She knew I wouldn’t mind traveling . . . anywhere! However, ‘anywhere’ this time turned out to be a ‘West Coast Wine Cruise’. When she told me, I was a bit surprised, as I was born and have lived on the West Coast most of my life, and have consumed a good deal of West Coast wine most of my life. And while I have enjoyed both, I really didn’t see a point in cruising to places that I was very familiar with and drinking wine, that I was even more familiar with. But I think I figured out why Linda even considered this trip; it’s on Princess Cruise Lines and she has plays a lot of Princess slot machines, so Princess wants us, well, not so much me as her, to come back. So, we got a deal on the cruise to familiar places, drinking familiar wine.

By the way, the photo at the top was not put in to show you how few people there were lounging by the ship’s pool, but rather to show you the first time, in three days, that we saw a little blue in the sky.

We started our journey by flying from Orange County to Vancouver, Canada, a place we started our Alaskan cruise not that long ago ago – in fact, we stayed in the same hotel this time as we did then – just keeping everything familiar! What we were not familiar with was the rain. But what did we expect in the northwest in late September/October? We boarded the Royal Princess on Saturday and while we found the ship’s main gathering areas nice, it was all a bit ‘tired’ as the ship was first launched in 2012. There were several inconveniences like not having an electrical or USB connection next to the bed or in the bathroom! Yes, nowhere to plug in anything in the bathroom! Additionally, our small balcony would be crowded if we were both on it. But hey, we were cruising and damn happy about it.

We spent most of our time on Saturday in the sports bar watching college football and the Ryder Cup. By Sunday, we had made it all the way to Victoria Island (about 60 miles) and decided that the only thing we would want to see there was Butchart Gardens, but we’d already seen it, so we stayed on board watching NFL football and the Ryder Cup. So, to summarize the trip thus far, we had not seen the sun, the ship was just OK, Linda’s Vikings and my 49ers both lost as well as the U.S. Ryder team – not a great start, but we figured that the further south we go, the better!

We then had two days at sea to make the one-day trip to San Francisco. I guess they just circle around in the ocean or maybe the captain is fishing off the back of the boat, who knows? I think they just make it longer so we can drink more California wine.

The rest of the story on Thursday . . . if I haven’t jumped overboard by then!

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Alberta, Canada – Where My Golf Balls Go to Die

August 25, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:7 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

I never tire of losing golf balls in Alberta, Canada. This year’s golfing trip to Banff marked our fourth golf excursion to, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful places on this planet – the Canadian Rockies. And while the scenery, weather and company were magnificent, the golf left something to be desired. But, hey, I didn’t go there for the golf, I can golf miserably at home, and, in fact, often do . . . on many occasions. I went there for the scenery.

The group that witnessed the passing of sleeve after sleeve of my golf balls included Jack & JJ Budd, Bud & Carol Laughlin, John & Judy VanBoxmeer and my lovely wife, Linda. We stayed in two VRBO condos in Canmore (more about Canmore later), which we can highly discourage anyone for ever staying in; its only saving grace was that it was a short walk to the liquor store.

We weren’t sure if we would even get in our first round of golf, as it had been raining for several days and was still sprinkling as we traveled to our first course, Silvertip. It is a visually spectacular golf course, nestled beneath the majestic mountains and cut through forests and valleys; even the scorecard is beautiful (see photo). I thought twelve balls for the three rounds of golf we were scheduled to play would be plenty for the trip. My supply was half gone by the end of the first round. But I take some consolation in knowing that they are resting in peace in a beautiful place.

The next day we took a break from golf and scheduled a gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain, just outside of Banff. Once at the top, we had spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies, Bow Valley, the historic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and the Bow River, where in a couple of days hence, would provide a watery grave from several of my golf balls. After the gondola ride we had lunch at a rooftop restaurant/bar in Banff. After lunch there was some differences of opinion about what to do next, so they guys got in one car and drove back to Canmore looking for a place for dinner, which was code for bar hoping, while the girls stayed in Banff and shopped.

As I mentioned, this was Linda’s and my fourth trip to Canmore/Banff, and we thought the city of Canmore was nothing more than a couple of restaurants and gas stations along the road to Banff. But we discovered that ‘downtown’ Canmore has a really cute main street, filled with quaint, local art shops, restaurants and bars . . . and a great ice cream shop made from an old yellow school bus. We all walked back to our condo with an ice cream cone.

Our next golf experience was the following day at Stewart Creek Golf Club, which provided plenty of flora and fauna to hide several balls from various errant shots. If you’re thinking that by losing so many balls I must have shot some really bad rounds of golf, you’d be right, but it was beautiful. I found solace when I lost balls that son Jeff had given me for Christmas with a photo of their daughter, Brooklyn, on them. Jeff, please know that she is resting in a most beautiful place!

Bow River a little higher due to the number of my golf balls in it

Our final day of golf was at the Banff Springs Golf Course, which is a beautiful course with magnificent views of the Banff Springs Hotel and the Bow River. The round of golf for both Linda and me, and a top for Linda and a Banff ball marker for me (she told me they were of about equal value!), the round cost us over $1,000.00! But I was told that that was in Canadian dollars, so I was reminded of how much I saved not being in America! On this course it was the Bow River and the surrounding pine forest that collected the last of my golf balls, but Hey, I was going home the next day anyway, so I was just making my golf bag lighter . . . significantly lighter.

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Ship Chef: “Hey, It’s Hard to Cook for 5,000 People!”

July 28, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:11 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Given the interest there was in readers wondering about my sanity, booking a cruise with 2,500 kids on board, I thought I would report back to let you know just how everything went and if my sanity is still intact.

Let’s first discuss the positives. No, let’s do the negatives so we can end on a positive note.

The obvious is there were lots of kids, but there were also so many kids’ areas – kids’ pool, kids’ clubs, kids’ games, etc. So, yes, lots of kids, but I never felt they were under foot/in the way.

The food could have been better, much better. There was plenty of it and a good variety, but, based on other cruises, this was below expectations. When we mentioned something about food quality at one of our dinners, the chef came out and explained to us that it was difficult to cook for 5,000 people. Duh!!! Isn’t that what you signed up to do? Isn’t that your job?

The only other disadvantage that I experienced, was when I went back to the ‘adults only’ section of the ship and looked for a place to sit down, by the pool, anywhere on the deck, with a view, any seat! – all were taken. Apparently, a lot of parents were looking for some ‘quiet time’ away from their chaotic kids.

What I liked about the cruise was . . .

The ship, Royal Caribbean’s Ovations of the Sea, was much better than I expected for a large ship with 5,000 passengers. Great layout, lots of restaurants with a variety of cuisines, lots of bars, lots of shops, excellent show venues, did I mention lots of bars?
Lots of things to do, especially for kids, basketball, pickleball, bumper cars, roller skating, rock climbing, surfing, various rides, arts & crafts, arcade, ping pong, etc., etc., etc.
Fun casino that both giveth and taketh away
We had a nice room that allowed all 13 of us to gather a few times
The staff, the Filipinos, were especially nice
Heard the gym was very well equipped.
We didn’t get off the ship in Ensenada
The thing I liked most was that we had our whole immediate family on board with everyone enjoying all the activities and the adults enjoying the kids enjoying all the activities . . . and the drink package!

Some family photos . . .

Grandkids: Dylan, Mac, Addison, Emma & Brooklyn

Original Sparrows: Linda, me, Steph, Jeff & Dana

I promised beautiful Emma
I’d put a photo of her in the blog.

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2500 Kids on Board! Really?!

July 14, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:10 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Ovation of the Seas – Kids pool with North Star in upper right corner

While we’re on the subject of cruising after reading Suzanne’s blog last week about ‘Senior Cruising’, I thought I would mention that Linda and I will be leaving this Tuesday on what could be called ‘Junior Cruising’. Our three kids, Stephanie, Dana and Jeff, their spouses, Jason, Joe and Pam AND our five grandchildren, Dylan, Emma, Addison, Mac and Brooklyn, will all be boarding the Royal Caribbean ship, Ovations of the Sea for a four-day cruise from L.A. to Ensenada, Mexico and back to L.A.

There will be nearly 5,000 passengers on board, half of them kids, so this is not a cruise for relaxation, in fact there are so many things to do on this ship, that we may not get to them all in the four days we will be on board. Below is a list of activities available to the kids/grandkids, OK, and maybe us too.

At the SeaPlex, at varying times, one can ride bumper cars, play basketball, volleyball, soccer, go roller skating or attend a circus school with a trapeze.
Go on North Star, which extends 300 feet above the ship for a 360-degree view of the surroundings.
Ripcord is a skydiving simulator the gives the sensation of free falling.
FlowRider is a surf simulator that lets you ride a surfboard or a boogie board on real waves.
Rock Climbing on a simulated rock wall on the side of the ship, safety lines included.

In their spare time, kids can participate in the Adventure Ocean youth program where age-specific activities for Aquanauts (3-5), Explorers (6-8) and Voyagers (9-11), and a Teen Lounge for those ‘older’ kids. There is also an Adventure Science Lab and a fun-filled Water Park, with mini-slides, water cannons, fountains and pools.

In between activities I’m sure the kids will find ‘all-you-can-eat-pizza’ and ‘all-you-can-eat-ice cream shops.

But the ship also recognizes that adults may need a break and a treat or two, so there is an adult-only section where one can go to get relief from the constant chaos, a casino, where I’ll look for Linda if I can’t find her, a Bionic Bar where your drink is made to order by a mechanical bartender, no tipping just oil him once in a while. There are Broadway-style shows nightly as well as venues with music and dancing – not sure how much dancing I’ll do, but it’s nice to know it’s there in the event I get the urge! There is also a place called Two70, it provides a 270-degree view from the back of the boat. This multi-level lounge transforms from a daytime observation space with panoramic views into a nighttime theater featuring a unique blend of digital art, robotics, and live performances. There are also plenty of restaurants and bars that will help us to maximize our drink package! Oh yeah, there’s also a gym, but don’t expect any photos that might catch us perspiring.

We’re not sure we want to expose our grandkids to Ensenada at their age, so we’ll probably not get off the boat when we’re in port, but we’ll see, maybe they want to discover what a real Mexican taco tastes like.

That’s all for the cruise preview, if anything happens that’s blog-worthy, I’ll give you an update next time. Until then, wish me luck in keeping my sanity around 2,000 sugar-high kids!

Yes, I’ll have another Margarita, thank you!

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Old Friends, Mansions and Amazing Scenery

May 19, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:6 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

A wide-eyed “Wow” was my most-used word last week on our trip to South Carolina, where we visited old friends and previous next-door neighbors, Dave & Sharon McKinley. The McKinley’s moved next door to us in 1986 and moved out in 1990; I guess it took them a few years to realize that moving next to us was a big mistake. Dave, now retired, was a brilliant business leader who dressed for success and was very, very successful! He is someone that anyone would want to work for or with – just a standup guy! Sharon was a stay-at-home Mom to Jocelyn and Dusty , and is now the ‘Hostess with the Mostess’ and a gourmet cook. They are both trim and fit. Early Saturday evening, they picked us up at the airport and took us to downtown Greenville; its name is well deserved as there is greenery wherever you look. The fact that they get 51 inches of rain a year, might be a factor. We even experienced a little of that while we were there. It was my first time in this bucolic Southern city, which the Reedy River runs through in spectacular fashion; and because it was a Saturday night, the main downtown street was cordoned off so that merchants could set up their tents and offer their wares – everything from masterpieces to moonshine. A street band was playing some great music as we walked to dinner. We ate at a restaurant called Soby’s, where I acted like I belonged there and ordered a combo plate of grits, shrimp, corn and crabcake along with a local brew. Actually I just ordered what Dave ordered.

My first real ‘Wow’ came when we arrived at the McKinley Mansion in 6 Mile, South Carolina. It is spectacular! It is built on a forested lot on man-made Lake Keowee. Actually, it could have been built on two lots as they bought the one next to them so no one would build there and spoil their view. Their home is a little over 8,000 square feet, 12,000 if you count the covered porches on both levels of the home. The kitchen has every modern convenience imaginable and there is a ‘grandkids bedroom’ with bunk beds and amenities that would make any grandkid want to move in permanently. The recreation room has a pool table, a shuffleboard table, a big screen TV and lots of comfortable couches. There’s another bedroom on the third floor which also houses Dave’s art studio; he’s quite an artist. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the house has an elevator and a bookshelf that opens into a hidden ‘safe room’. I’m sure I missed lots of stuff, but you get the idea. The home is elevated from the lake, so there is a beautiful, winding stone path, past a sitting area with a circular stone firepit, to their dock and boat. It is a spectacular property!

Lake Keowee – see small arrow left of the compass to locate McKinley house

Sunday morning we got on their boat (I don’t know boats very well, so I can’t tell you the make and model, but, surprise, it was very nice!) We did a tour of the lake, well, only a partial tour, it’s 26 miles long! Dave said that we would be embarrassed to come back to their home once we saw the really spectacular homes on the lake. We obviously weren’t embarrassed, but I have to say, it provided me with my next several “Wows!” I’ve seen a lot of magnificent lake homes in my day, both here and abroad, and in my opinion, no place could match this. I suppose that’s part of the reason why people like golfers Jack Nicklaus and Matt Kuchar, and Oprah Winfrey, Kevin Costner, ex-NFL quarterback, Dan Marino, Darius Rucker, Bill Murray and many other celebrities are all rumored to have property on this lake.

We retuned home for lunch (delicious!) and drove to a park with amazing walking paths, one of them leading to my favorite type of scenery in nature, waterfalls. I think I’ve mentioned how magnificent the greenery is around here, but . . . yes, lots of “Wow!” moments occurred as we reached Whitewater Falls (the photo doesn’t do it justice).

We returned home in time to get ready to go to the club house of one of the seven golf course they belong to, for Mother’s Day dinner. Not surprisingly, the views of the golf course and surrounding greenery was amazing and the food was delicious!

Monday was supposed to be a day to play golf, but the weatherman said we were going to get some of those 51 inches of liquid sunshine. So, Plan B was to visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, about a 90-minute drive from 6 Mile. The Biltmore was built by George Vanderbilt in 1897, after he purchase 125,000 acres to create a country estate that would include a working farm. It is the largest privately owned home in America at 178,926 sq. ft. of floor space. Paintings by Renoir, Whistler, Monet and many other artists are displayed in this four-story plus basement home. It remains one of the most prominent examples of Gilded Age mansions, and provided lots of “Wows” throughout our several hours tour of the home and grounds. I could go on and on, I’ll just say if your ever back that way – go see it!

Back to McKinley’s humble abode for another of Sharon’s gourmet dinners and a delicious dessert that I had not only had never had, but had never heard of, Semifreddo. “Wow! I got the recipe!

It was a most amazing trip to a beautiful place to reconnect with great old friends. I have reported back to the neighbors who knew the McKinley’s when they lived here, that they seem to be doing just fine!

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Monuments, Mormons and Mulligans

April 7, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:6 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Southern Utah is the United States’ only area that offers five National Parks – Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef, and thus has the highest concentration of natural scenic wonders found anywhere on Earth! Which, of course, made it much more difficult for me to find my golf ball when, for whatever reason, it ended up outside the boundaries of the golf course I was playing. Along with Lake Powell and the Colorado River as water hazards, I’m glad I brought plenty of balls on this trip. This area also boasts four State Parks, two National Monuments, plus Monument Valley, famous for its iconic mesas and buttes often featured in Western movies . . . as well as providing scenic hiding places for my golf balls.

Yes, my travels last week took me first to the city of St. George, in southern Utah, to play golf at The Ledges, Coral Canyon, and Copper Rock, but let’s not talk about my golf game when southern Utah has so much more to offer than my ‘Aww shits’ and “Can you hand me another ball?”. This home of the Mormons, who make up about 70% of the cities’ population, is a most unique and beautiful place. The first Latter-day Saints (LDS/Mormon) temple, built west of the Mississippi, was not built in Salt Lake City, but in St. George in 1877.

The city of St. George was founded in 1861, notwithstanding the fact that for some thousands of years before that, the area was inhabited by the Ute, Goshutes, Paiutes, Shoshone, and Navajo Indians. But the city was founded as part of the Mormon ‘Cotton Mission’ under Brigham Young, which aimed to establish in Utah, a cotton-growing region in the face of the Civil War, as northerners believed that they would no longer be getting cotton from the South. Even though cotton growing proved to be an unsuccessful venture, this area became known as Dixie. It remained being called that until 2021, when the ‘woke folk’ decided that the name was racist.

There is controversy about how St. George got its name, but I’m going with the story that it was named after George Smith, first cousin to Joseph Smith, founder of the LDS movement. George settled in the area and encouraged residents to eat raw, unpeeled potatoes in order to cure scurvy – it sort of worked, as potatoes do contain some Vitamin C, but the cure probably came from the oranges they ate after they ate the potatoes to get that raw potato taste out of their mouths. Either way, it earned George the name, ‘Potato Saint, thus Saint George. George may not have been a real saint, but he was a real Mormon who had seven wives and 20 children. Of course, polygamy is not legal today, but it is said that you don’t have to be Mormon to have one too many wives.

My golf game gave me plenty of opportunities to explore the flora and fauna of the surrounding area, and it is, indeed, beautiful; not my golf game, but all the places I looked for my golf ball.

The rest of this week will be spent losing golf balls in an area where I’m more familiar with losing things . . . Las Vegas.

“Fore!!!!!”

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A Most Unusual and Brilliant Desert Denizen

February 24, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:6 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

It’s no secret that I’ve spent a good deal of the first quarter of every year since 1992 in the southern California desert, Palm Desert to be exact. In fact, as you’re reading this, I’m in the desert this week. And, of course, I’m always looking for something new and different to write about. We all know that stars like Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Bob Hope, Dinah Shore, Marilyn Monroe and many others spent lots of time in the desert, but I had no idea that the greatest scientist of all time, Albert Einstein was also a ‘desert rat’.

In 1933 Einstein and his second wife, Elsa came to Palm Springs as he was fleeing from Nazi Germany and Adolph Hitler. They stayed briefly at the ‘Willows’, which hosted many Hollywood and Wall Street stars; it was the elegant home of attorney and “Hitler’s Bitterest Foe”, Samual Untermeyer. At the time, LA Magazine said, “Staying at the Willows is like getting the keys to a well–off friend’s country estate.” The Willows has entertained such guests as Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, Joseph P. Kennedy, Marion Davies, Shirley Temple, and many more. After a short stay, the Einsteins were lured away from the Willows by Warren Pinney, the big boss at the neighboring El Mirador Hotel, which was just down the street and had entertained a few Hollywood types of its own, like Paulette Goddard, soon to be the third wife of Charlie Chaplin, and a young B-movie actress who would go on to captivate the television world decades later in a program called “I Love Lucy” – Lucille Ball. The hotel also played a role as a hospital during World War II.

And while we’re mixing Hollywood stars and Einstein, you may not be familiar with a quote from Marilyn Monroe about him. She said, “We could have a baby together. He would come out beautiful like me and smart like you,” to which Einstein replied, and I paraphrase, “What if he came out with my beauty and your intelligence?” Which sounds like a self-deprecating statement about his not-so-handsome looks, as well as a dig at Marilyn being a dumb blonde. However, the joke was on him, Monroe’s IQ was measured at 165, about 5 points higher than Einsteins’!!! The photo at the right is probably a phony, as there is no evidence that Einstein and Monroe ever met, despite rumors of an affair, although he might have been smart enough to hide such a thing.

Tony Burke, ‘Realtor to the Stars’ and publicist for the El Mirador Hotel and Palm Springs in general, made sure the Einsteins had a wonderful time AND that most of the world heard about it. Who knew that when in the desert, Einstein loved sunbathing, so when sitting on his veranda at the Willows and the El Mirador, he would often take off his shirt (unheard of at that time) – in fact, sometimes he would even take off his pants! It seems clear he had a secret desire to be in ‘show’ business.

As a matter of fact, Einstein’s personal life fit right in with the Hollywood set in the desert, as he was, by all accounts, a ‘ladies’ man’ and he found his first wife, Mileva Marić, as a student of his and an accomplished physicist and mathematician in her own right, with whom he had a child before they were married. He married his second wife, Elsa, with whom he had about a seven-year affair, three months after his divorce from Mileva. Oh yeah, and Elsa was his first cousin!

Both hotels are still in business, you can get a room at the El Mirador Hotel for as little as $200 a night. ‘The Willows’ is now called ‘The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn’, and only has 17 rooms, which run between $500-$700 a night. Today you can stay in the ‘Einstein Room’ at The Willows for about $650 a night – I’m guessing there’s a ‘smart’ TV in that room!

While in the desert this week, I will see if I can visit either or both of these historic hotels – although they may not let someone like me, not a star and definitely not a genius, on the property.

Posted in Historical • travel

Hollywood, The Mob and Ghosts at Lake Arrowhead

January 13, 2025By Sparrow/WatsonComments:10 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Yes, they’re all part of a most fascinating history of this pristine alpine lake that I had the good fortune of hearing about from an interesting character and owner of the Tudor House and Bracken Fern Manor, John Connor; more about him later.

Notorious mobster, ‘Bugsy’ Siegal got the Chicago Mob to fund the Atkins Brothers building of a resort in the mountains – Bracken Fern Manor, an alpine inn in the San Bernardino mountains just above Lake Arrowhead, which opened as ‘Club Arrowhead in the Pines’ in 1929. It catered to the rich and famous, including many film stars. Back in the day, many from Hollywood came to Arrowhead as Bracken Fern Manor offered gambling, illegal liquor, as this was during Prohibition, and ‘ladies of the evening’. The brothel continued operation through World War II. An interesting side note is that when authorities realized that many of the mafia men spoke Italian, they offered them a ‘get out of jail free card’ if they would use their language skills to spy on the Italians, who were part of the Axis powers.

Gambling continued as a profitable business with a move across the street to the ‘speakeasy’/casino, called the Tudor House and continued operations until 1955. This is the building where our group watched the football games on a big screen on New Years Day and were served drinks, pizza and desserts by John Connor and Bridger Zadina, more about him later too. The Bracken Fern Manor was turned into a 10-bedroom hotel which was said to be haunted by the ghosts of a ten-year-old boy, who was struck by a car and a prostitute who jumped from an upper-story window. Enough hotel guests had paranormal experiences that both OC Ghosts & Legends and Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures have broadcast from the hotel. Owner, John Connor gave us a tour through, what is today, the hotel, starting in the wine cellar and working our way up to the second floor where there was a secret window where one could ‘peek’ into the room and watch the goings on. The rooms were small and shared a Jack & Jill bathroom. We won’t be checking in anytime soon!

While walking back to the Tudor House from the Backen Fern Manor, (It is said there were secret tunnels connecting the two buildings to accommodate brothel customers stealthily moving between them), John showed us where the first power lines that brought electricity to Lake Arrowhead from San Bernardino were put up using live Ponderosa pine trees as telephone poles. Look closely at the photo to see the ‘make-shift ladder’ still attached to the tree. The grounds also include a wedding venue and an amphitheater seating four hundred for summer concerts.

OK, what about John Connor and Bridger Zadina?

John is an 80-year-old energetic man who was born on a farm in Maryland and worked on it until he was 17, then decided that he didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do, but he knew it wasn’t working on a farm. As it turned out, he was quite brilliant and went to Drexel Institute of Technology and earned a degree in particle physics, where he unknowingly worked on a neutron bomb for the Department of Defense. He attended graduate school at Duke University, was recruited by the US Air Force to develop weapon systems during the Vietnam War (he gets pretty emotional talking about this), worked for the Environmental Protection Agency, worked on some of our very first computers, helped with the construction of the Alaskan Pipeline, was on Ronald Reagan’s transition team, started his own tax consulting firm, moved to Montana to retire and do some ranching, then moved to Arrowhead to open the Tudor House and Bracken Fern Manor, making it a theater, restaurant and hotel. During pauses in the action of the football game we were watching, he would sit down at the piano and play a few show tunes – a true Renaissance man and a real character.

Wishing you a happy new year from the Lake Arrowhead Hotel

Bridger Zadina is a 30-year-old, who was very unassuming and always had a smile on his face. He mentioned that he helped put on and act in some of the local theater shows that are done at the Tudor House theater. Other than just being a nice guy, he just smiled and made sure we had plenty of food and beverages. What we found out later is that he was born in Wisconsin and came to California to be an actor and model. He’s had TV roles in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Bosch and Better Things; he also starred in the 2014 movie Sins of Our Youth.

An alpine lake, beautiful mountains, memorable characters, and a fascinating history made this a most memorable start to the new year.

PS: The last time I was at Lake Arrowhead was about 30 years ago and it was dead, with vacant buildings and empty streets. No longer – the place was happening; stores opened and lots of people.

Posted in travel

Hong Kong and a Photo Phinish

December 19, 2024By Sparrow/WatsonComments:5 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Hong Kong

Our ship arrived in Hong Kong on a Tuesday morning and the regular schedule was for us to fly home the next day, but we wanted a little more time in the ‘Pearl of the Orient’, so we extended for another day. We were sad to leave our ship, as it was our first time cruising with Celebrity and our first time in a suite; it was great to experience a great ship at a luxury level. Our hotel was right on Victoria Harbour, so we had a great view, although we spent little time in our room. We took about a 30-minute walk to Temple Street, a place Linda had to get to for some shopping, but as we learned later, it was mostly a ‘night market’. We did return the next night and had dinner – again, not sure what we had, but it was very tasty!

Squinting man with attractive blonde at Peak Tower

We scheduled a full-day tour the next day that included a trip on the world’s longest escalator, a ferry ride, a delicious lunch, a visit to the old police station/prison/museum, which displayed the history of Hong Kong, and then a ferry ride from Hong Kong Island to the sky tram to the Peak Tower. At the top of the tram, Hong Kong spreads out before you. Just spectacular!! Back to our hotel, we walked through what seemed like miles of mall to get to the pier for the ‘light show’. The mall had every high-end fashion store in the world, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent,, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Tiffany & Co., and many more; and it went on for what seemed like miles. We knew we weren’t in Vietnam anymore! The ‘light show’ occurs nightly at eight o’clock and features all the tall sky-scrappers on the water lighting up their building in various colors – it was nice, but a little unspectacular.

Hong Kong is a great, modern, bustling city, even the airport has all the high-end shops in the world.

Final word . . .

I have to say, this cruise exceeded our expectations, which were fairly high to start with. Great cities, Singapore, Bangkok, Saigon, DaNang and Hong Kong – each a great city in its own right. Singapore stands out as a favorite. It’s a city that is so clean and so diverse. Linda and I both thought that with a trip of 18 days, we would be so ready to get home, but that was not the case, we loved every day, but it is great to be home!

Because we were traveling alone, we ended up sitting with and befriending a variety of people – a traveling circus owner from Quebec, an interesting couple from Ireland, a Korean couple that lives next to Debo Samuel of the 49ers, and many others, mostly from the UK. Oh yeah, we also met a couple from Yorba Linda!

Unsurprisingly, I reinforced a belief that you can’t diet on a cruise. I did get to the gym fairly regularly, but when the food is so available and good and you get in the habit of having dessert not only for dinner, but for breakfast and lunch, your pants will be much tighter. So, I learned a new phrase on this Asian cruise: Mi Tu Phat

Thanks for coming along!

Photo Phinish

From A Bird's Eye View

Life's Travels and Observations

Category Archives: travel

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Hong Kong and a Photo Phinish

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