[SaveJFC Admin]

This thread is for personal experiences, memories, images, etc., of visits to JOHN's Imperial Beach, whether the visit was today, yesterday, or during the filming.

[SaveJFC Admin]

This email was sent to me by Kathy Baldwin:

Hello Trishah,

Just wanted to let you know that I cruised by the old El Camino Hotel/Motel that they used in the series. It is still standing, although it is now boarded up, and there is a chain kind of gate spread across the driveway with a No Trespassing sign on it. The building that is also on the property, the Little Vienna Bar & Lounge is also still standing, but all closed up. The buildings and property have For Sale or Lease signs on them. Makes me sad, as back in the
60's those were very popular places to stay and hang out. The grounds were kept up and the little pool was sparkling clean as you drove by. There was also some really cool 50's/60's lawn and patio furniture by the pool and on the grass, as well as some quirky animal statues and garden decorations.

Everything up at the pier is pretty much the same as it was in the series. They had just done a lot of refurbishing at the beach/pier area in the years before the series. All good at the beach and pier! :)

My family moved to Imperial Beach in June of 1960. It was a really cool little sleepy beach town. There was a bowling alley named Palm Bowl. Now it is a Super 99 Cent store. ;(= There was also a roller skating rink called Rocket Roller Rink and very close to the El Camino was a movie theater that, of course, was named The Palm Theater, I guess because it was on Palm Avenue, which was the main drag that ran up to the beach. I have seen many a change, not all for the good, and so many more people. Yikes! It is still a cool beach town compared to so many others, but if you could have seen it back in the day!

Feel free to share my info on the web site. More to follow!

Some things I know...
Blessings,
Kathy :)

[Sven2]

This  information is a bit misleading, as Imperial Beach is in San Diego County and Imperial County, that HP lists as the most affected by depression, is farther to the east, not on the ocean.
I'd assume that San Diego, being a central military base for the whole region shouldn't be in the most stressed category, but of course, that assumption is just a guess.
I'd love to be a squatter for a day in Snug Harbor though!

[skordamou]

You are right, of course. I was not functioning on all brain cells, the Imperial caught my eye.