The mountain resort town of Idyllwild has a population of about 3,500...
...and seemingly more hippie style gift shops per capita than anywhere in the world...
...including the Artspresso Fine Art Gallery and Divine Scents Candle Gallery.
According to a Wikipedia article, after the invention of the automobile, "the town presented itself as an alpine village, and hotels and businesses had German or German-sounding names, but this practice ended during World War II."
The article continues: "In the late 1960s and 1970s, there was an influx of hippies in Idyllwild, which changed the nature of the town and alarmed many longtime residents."
There is an arts academy nearby for teenagers, which Jolene from "Saturday Matinee" attended, and downtown hosts "The Rustic Theatre" which is a combination hot dog stand, video rental store, movie theatre, and performing arts center in a tiny little building.
This is no small town backwater, though. They were even offering a special midnight showing of the latest "Harry Potter" movie on the day it was opening nationally.
There is also a local newspaper called "The Town Crier" (click here for an online version) that is a model for local news.
I love the squirrel on the Rotary sign.
ReplyDeleteDear Patrick: There's something called the Idyllbeast that might also amuse you.
ReplyDeletehttp://idyllbeast.blogspot.com/
I don't think this place has changed in twenty, no make that thirty years. It's still as charming as I remember it. I think that horrible road keeps all but the most idealistic and determined away and I'm glad to see that it hasn't fallen pray to modernization complete with fancy condos and rich folks who make a place too expensive for everybody else. I had a friend who lived in Colorado - 45 years ago? She got driven out to the outskirts of town when it became the playground of the rich. Of course, they kept the poor folks around to clean up their houses and watch their kids but never paid a living wage.
ReplyDeleteOK - rant over.
Gorgeous photos of a delightful place - glad to see that it hasn't changed.
Thanks Mike for posting about my very favourite place in the whole world
ReplyDelete