A Trip to Find the Hula Girl from Hulaville

Traveling along Route 66 during 1965 to 1995 we always  looked forward to seeing the giant beautiful dark haired hula girl standing as the back drop of what was known as Hulaville in Hesperia, California (later to be incorporated by Victorville). Miles Mahan, a carny from his carnival days by the Venice and Santa Monica Piers, founded his corner of the world in 1955 at what was then known as the unincorporated area of Hesperia, California. There, on his half-acre, he began to create Hulaville, a place for tired travelers to stop, rest their legs, get a cool cup of water, and marvel at his giant Folk Art creations.

He lived on his property in a camper behind the huge yucca trees for years as he greeted his weary visitors, offered them cool water, and asked them to sign his petition to build a casino.  His folk art was so well known that it became a California Historical landmark under the Folk Art Environment category.

When Miles Mahan’s camper mysteriously burned down, he continued his life’s mission while he lived out of his old car on his property until 1995. Two years later after his death, in 1997, Hulaville was destroyed. His Hula Girl and Cowboy Welcome sign were preserved and are at the California Route 66 Museum in Victorville. There is also a small scale reproduction of his half-acre heaven in the California Route 66 Museum.

Join us as we visit Miles Mahan’s Hula Girl!

 

Please share your memories below of watching for the Hula Girl along Route 66. It always told us that home was just a couple hours away! I think that she also influenced me to take Polynesian dancing, she is so beautiful.

Route 66 History Slipping Away :( A shared blog.

Once upon a time. This place existed. It was one of those old motor courts located on Route 66, or Central Avenue, in Albuquerque. New Mexico. In fact, it was the oldest, being built in 1932. It was one of the five most important historical motor courts on Route 66. In later years it fell […]

via Slipping Away — STORYTELLER

A gorgeous capture on Route 66, had to share it!! Check out their work!

The theme, or photo prompt, for week 24 from The Girl That Dreams Awake is light. Any light but sunlight. The photo above was lit by the headlights of our car as Lynn stationed herself in the middle of Route 66, blocking traffic both ways. Good thing there was no traffic. Thanks to M for […]

via Night Light — Photos by Emilio

Video on Summit Inn

We found more of the pictures we had of Summit Inn before the Blue Cut fire in 2016. Some of these were taken back in 2006, then 2009 for our son’s high school project, and some before the fire.  We will also share our son’s high school project in a later blog. His project was about World War II and America’s sons coming of age to go fight a war. They met at the Summit Inn to discuss enlisting while having a cup of coffee, and refueling their 1939 Dodge.

We will be adding more as we find them. The Summit Inn served a regular coffee shop fare ALONG with Ostrich burgers. They had great coffee, great service, and were a cool snippet of the history of Route 66.

If you have some memories of stopping at the Summit Inn while traveling Route 66 please share them below. Thank you for helping to keep the memories alive at the Summit Inn on Route 66!

Summit Inn on Route 66

Summit Inn after Bluecut fire

 

Summit Inn

Had a blast exploring Route 66 in our 1966 Purple Mustang! We visited Summit Inn (which, sadly no longer is there, except for the iconic Summit Inn signage due to the BlueCut fire. Legend has it that Elvis stopped in and checked out the jukebox, but when he found none of his songs in it, he kicked the jukebox and left!!

 

 

 

The Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942 a Great Success (2015 and 2016)!!!

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The Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942 was a great success. People were still arriving in 1940’s costume at 7 p.m. when the event officially ended at 8 p.m.! The arrivals were a constant stream of GI’s with heavy equipment such as tanks, half-tracks, ambulances, jeeps, artillery guns and tents all from the forties era. We arrived in style with the L.A.P.D. from the 1940’s (working security for the event), everyone in 1940’s uniforms complete with leather shoulder straps, gold buttons, and pointed caps, a 1940’s black and white car, 2 detectives, and a Tommy gun completed the look. Others brought their 1940’s Dodge and Plymouth’s for exhibit, along with a couple antique tables neatly covered by handmade table linens and an English bone china tea service. There were baskets of food that one would carry with them on a picnic out in the country. Yellow roses adorned the table. Everyone seated around the display was also dressed in 1940’s attire from the top of their heads to the bottom of their feet! Fox stoles, wool coats, netted hats, fidoras, leather shoes, felt gloves, heavy stockings. Every direction one glanced there was someone else with their favorite hobby. An old fashioned Ice-cream man wearing all white, with a black bow-tie and his white pointed cap pedaled his bicycle driven freezer through the streets touting his ice-cream.

Tents and encampments were placed strategically throughout the base. A USO tent offered coffee and cookies. Nurses and the Red Cross walked together over the grassy knolls. Up on a hill, a silhouette of an officer in the traditional uniform of pinks and greens, and a nurse were having an intimate conversation next to a palm tree.

During the day there were many photo opportunities with people who were dressed in their 1940’s outfits with their props, cars, and displays. There were many photo ops with the Satin Dollzs as they walked through in their cocktail length dresses, seamed stockings and dance heels. Later, Dean Moro and the Fort MacArthur Orchestra played 1940 hit songs from Glenn Miller, Ink Spots, Harry James, Andrew Sisters, Tommy Dorsey, while the Satin Dollz sang and danced into the late hours of the event.

World War II Veterans were also in attendance. Wilbur Richardson, Turret Gunner on a B-17 was there with his friends and family, and Ray and I were able to talk with him. He is still full of spunk and sparkle as he recounted his missions in the B-17. Still a handsome man at 92, his original uniform fit him as if it were just issued. Graciously posing for photos, he confided in us, jokingly, that he was “ordered” to continue to appear at these events. It was such an honor to meet a true hero from World War II.

Some Past Adventures

Past adventures of America’s Purple Mustang have given lots of wonderful memories visiting places of yester-yore. Here we have visited some iconic places of the past.

Can you tell by any of these pictures, where we were? Please comment below if you have also visited any of these places 😉 or any that you think you would like to see us travel to.