The Times, They Are A Changing...
Several Valley institutions announced they were closing recently. I'm talking long standing, well known places. It seems like an end of an era, somehow.
The first was The Quilted Bear Restaurant. It was started by Dale Anderson in 1973 who also ran the Other Place Restaurant. Quilted Bear was the place you took your Mom to on Mother's Day. We took my Mom, Aunt and Grandma there in fact.
The Pink Pony was the next one to fall. It was a classic old time, dark bar loaded with baseball memorabilia. Lots of the old time players hung out there during spring training.
Finally, Big Surf will be officially closing after Labor Day. It was one of the first huge man-made water parks with a wave machine that people could actually surf on. They later tamed it down and it was more for body surfing and boogie boarding and they also added huge water slides. It's an awesome place for kids. I remember one time in grade school when I lost my glasses in the huge pool. They actually found them that night in the equipment. Besides being nicely polished by the sand, they were in perfect shape. Funny the things you can recall after so many years.
It all makes me sad and I'm not sure why. I haven't been to The Quilted Bear or Big Surf in years and I don't think I was ever in The Pink Pony unless it was as a kid with my Dad. Certainly never as an adult. So, it's not like I'm going to lose a favored current hangout. I think it's more just the thought of losing constants from when and where I grew up.
The first was The Quilted Bear Restaurant. It was started by Dale Anderson in 1973 who also ran the Other Place Restaurant. Quilted Bear was the place you took your Mom to on Mother's Day. We took my Mom, Aunt and Grandma there in fact.
The Pink Pony was the next one to fall. It was a classic old time, dark bar loaded with baseball memorabilia. Lots of the old time players hung out there during spring training.
Finally, Big Surf will be officially closing after Labor Day. It was one of the first huge man-made water parks with a wave machine that people could actually surf on. They later tamed it down and it was more for body surfing and boogie boarding and they also added huge water slides. It's an awesome place for kids. I remember one time in grade school when I lost my glasses in the huge pool. They actually found them that night in the equipment. Besides being nicely polished by the sand, they were in perfect shape. Funny the things you can recall after so many years.
It all makes me sad and I'm not sure why. I haven't been to The Quilted Bear or Big Surf in years and I don't think I was ever in The Pink Pony unless it was as a kid with my Dad. Certainly never as an adult. So, it's not like I'm going to lose a favored current hangout. I think it's more just the thought of losing constants from when and where I grew up.
