Has it been a whole year already?!?! To coin a new phrase, time sure flies when you're having fun! I started out as so very anti-technology. A year ago, I had a dated cell phone and wondered why anyone would want to be on Facebook. Now I have an only-slightly dated cell phone on which I check Facebook more often than is necessary and/or healthy. A year ago, I followed no blogs and spent little-to-no time on the computer. Now I follow about one hundred blogs and scold myself for spending too much time gazing at a screen. It took a little goading from my brother to get me to start my own blog because he thought I had something to offer the blogosphere; I must say that I am truly grateful for his goading. Maintaining a blog can be challenging, but in all honesty, it is very rewarding when one realizes that people are actually reading, and maybe even enjoying, the stories of silly things, crazy places, and oddball characters which one documents.
It's a wacky tacky anniversary.
Happy dogs for happy blogs!
(Source)
So, to myself and anyone out there reading, I say, HAPPY BLOG-O-VERSARY! To celebrate the date, January 18, here are some great moments in wacky tacky history.
On this day in history:
1896
The X-Ray machine debuts as a tourist attraction in New York City.
The X-Ray Specs came later.
(Source)
1904
Cary Grant entered the world as Archibald Leach
(Source)
1944
The first jazz concert is held at New York's Metropolitan Opera House.
Luminaries include Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton & Louis Armstrong
(Source)
1946
Tex Ritter's "You Will Have to Pay" is a chart topper.
1950
The Federal tax on oleo is repealed!
(Source)
1992
Nature Boy Ric Flair becomes WWF Champion
(Source)
I hope that this year we're able to bring you even more wacky tacky adventures. It's a big place, and we've only just begun to explore all the wacky tacky that this wide world has to offer. Until then, please help us celebrate our first Blog-O-Versary with these anniversary songs.
"The Anniversary Song" (1960)
Connie Francis
"Anniversary Waltz"
I Love Lucy - "Hollywood Anniversary"
original air date April 4, 1955
And with you, you wacky tacky turkey necks, may I always dance the anniversary waltz!
A vintage view of Blue Skies Trailer Village - Rancho Mirage, CA
Are you sick of our desert posts yet? Neither am I. If you are a stinker (among a small minority to be sure) and you are a little tired of all the wacky tacky bounty that the Southern California desert has to offer, trust me, we're almost done.
Rocky the Rock Jockey says,
"Welcome to Blue Skies."
Part of our recent trip was a reconnaissance mission to Blue Skies Trailer Village in Rancho Mirage. Blue Skies Trailer Village is a private mobile home park founded by Bing Crosby in the mid-1950's. Original investors included many Hollywood stars including Phil Harris & Alice Faye, Jack Benny, and Claudette Colbert. I guess none of these stars really lived at Blue Skies, but the history is there and the park is worth the visit.
Phil and Bing making hot cakes for the opening day festivities.
Since it's November 5, 1955 opening, Blue Skies has lived a pretty uneventful life as a regular, old mobile home park with relatively-low security. But you know we wouldn't bring you just a boring, old mobile home park. There just has to be something wacky tacky!
Several years ago while visiting the desert, I was bound and determined to get into the impenetrable fortress known as Blue Skies. I parked outside and walked up to the pedestrian gate and found that it was as easy as reaching through the gate, running my key between the gate and the post, depressing the latch, and letting my self in. High on my MacGyver-level skills, I walked into the park earnestly searching for the secrets of Bing's old stomping grounds.
This time, the management, somehow alerted to our arrival, had installed protective, metal plates on both sides of the gate thus preventing our stealthy entry to the park. Thank goodness for the kindness of landscapers who saw us trying to trespass and entered the gate code. There is no shame in easy access.
Blue Skies was built around Starlight Circle and a spacious, central, putting green complete with water feature. One of the highlights of the park is the street signs; every street is named after one of the original investors. I am not sure of the exact changes the park has lived through over the years but currently there are fewer streets resulting in fewer star tributes than the park initially offered.
One change is glaringly obvious. Blue Skies is home to ONE parking meter.
Originally, the meter was given pride of place on Jack Benny Rd. as a tribute to his miserly ways.
Benny took a cue from Monopoly and charged a fee for stopping on his street.
Betty Bacall and George Burns & Gracie Allen grudgingly feeding Jack Benny's meter.
Many of the original spaces were filled by travel trailers. Over the years, more traditional-style mobile homes planted roots. It may seem weird, but I love mobile homes. I attribute it in part to the fact that my paternal grandparents lived in a mobile home park for a short time and they made a beautiful home no matter where they lived. To me, however, there is something especially old-timey and neighborly about parks like Blue Skies. Here are a few of the mobile homes for which we developed a fondness.
Clearly, great minds think alike and Jane Wyman
had a fondness for mobile homes as well.
And now for the really good stuff! Part of Blue Skies' unique charm is found in the themed homes that dot its landscape. It is my understanding that there is a waiting list to get into the these homes. As morbid as it seems, the "waiting list" in a 55+ park means waiting for the previous owner to move on to that great mobile home park in the sky.
The Egyptian Temple
When in Egypt...
The most impressive of all is the Asian-themed home.
Pan-Asian details abound and the perimeter is enclosed by a decorative, block wall.
It seems the details including the red, torii gate are mostly Japanese in influence.
A newer addition to the party is the Polynesian Palace
Palms, a thatched roof, and bamboo screens add to the south seas allure.
Sadly, the themed homes seem to be dwindling in number as new residents mainstream their airstreams. Since my last visit, at least two of the once-themed homes have disappeared or have been stripped of their wacky tacky details. I was a little steamed by this so we went to cool off at the pool.
Phil & Alice preserving life.
Bill Holden and friends enjoying
the sunny, poolside weather.
As I mentioned before, the landscapers let us in but we were on our own to get out!
Blue Skies is a particularly-sleepy, little park and we couldn't even find a car to follow out.
Eventually, we found a hidden gate that was unlocked and made our not-so-subtle get away.
Coincidentally, the only blue skies we saw that day were directly above
Bing's Blue Skies. I think he was looking down on us - disappointedly.
Listen to Der Bingle croon
Blue Skies (1946)
It may seem like just another senior citizen trailer park, but to wacky tacky, it is a piece of Hollywood history and we were happy walking in Bing's footsteps (minus the bag of oranges)!
