Remembering the Tres Pinos Hotel

Standing at the corner of Fifth Street and Highway 25 in Tres Pinos is an E Clampus Vitis plaque commemorating the Tres Pinos Hotel that was there from 1873 to 1958. The hotel was originally known as the Southern Pacific Hotel, which Southern Pacific built when it brought the railroad to Tres Pinos. If I understand the various references correctly, Juan Etcheverry, who owned 1,400 acres of land in and around Tres Pinos, took over the hotel and it became known as the Etcheverry Hotel.

What was the hotel like? Here's what Marjorie Pierce wrote on page 129 in East of the Gabilans:

". . .the hotel was a bustling place. It was to Tres Pinos what the Plaza Hotel was to San Juan. Hay and grain buyers and stockmen would come and stay. The train would stop overnight before going back so the railroad men also were guests. The station was across from the hotel and the turntable was a short distance away. In the kitchen there were three Chinese cooks to handle the busy dining room. There was a pool room, a public room with a fireplace and poker tables, and a bar which was probably called a saloon in those days. . . ."

Fairhaven Orchards

Just after you pass Flynn Road while driving south on Highway 25, you can see the agricultural sign for Fairhaven Orchards on the right side of the highway. It's another sign put up by the Ag in the Classroom project sponsored by the San Benito County Farm Bureau. If you'd like to see a few others signs, check out this post.

Fairhaven Orchards produces cherries and Blenheim apricots. Located on Bolsa Road (aka Highway 25), the orchards have been owned and run by the Rajkovich Family since 1958. To learn more about Fairhaven Orchards, check out its website and Facebook page.

Another View

Yes, yet another view of the Old Elk's Lodge from me.  This one is so much better than the one from the other day.

Coming Up 104!

 

On August 4, Muenzer's will have been in business 104 years. Owned by siblings Jerry Muenzer and Jan Holthouse, the establishment is formally known today as Muenzer's Keys and Teez. It offers locksmith services and sells Haybaler sweatshirts and other apparel.

The business was opened in 1910 by the siblings' grandfather, Joseph Muenzer, who purchased a second-hand store,  got rid of everything but the bicycles, and added locksmith services. Over the years, Muenzer's evolved and adapted with the community's needs and the economic times.

Muenzer's is located at 217 Fifth Street.

Happy Anniversary, Muenzer's!!!

The View from Los Viboras Road

Los Viboras Road is another country lane off Fairview Road. Near the end of Los Viboras, the road is lined on both sides with old eucalyptus trees. And, it is from there, that I took this photo earlier this year. In the distance is the mountain called Three Sisters and Santa Ana Peak.