The Lake Tahoe Historical Society's docent, Lee, has developed a historical walking tour of the neighborhood of Al Tahoe.  Today, for 3 1/2 hours we were lost in the past.

The "Al" in Al Tahoe comes from resort owner Al Sprague who combined modest luxury and simplicity to create another of the lake’s family vacation spots. In 1907, he built the Al Tahoe Inn, a three-story hotel with cottages and cabins scattered amongst the trees. Easy pathways led to the beach and the quarter-mile fishing pier where the steamers docked. A large dance pavilion, built in 1911, played host to summer evening dances and concerts. In 1916, electricity came to the Al Tahoe and a phone line connected it with Gardnerville, Nevada.

Al was not the first in these parts to sense its touristic potential.  In 1868, a small community named “Rowlands” was formed in the area at the northwestern end of the current Lakeview Avenue.  It housed shops, a schoolhouse, saloon, dance hall and a hotel.

A.H. Goodrich, a school teacher who came to the Lake in 1876 (and later became Placer County’s third superintendent of schools) built this original cabin.  The photo above is AH's great granddaughter, Kathy, who we happened to catch outside her family home.  She shared historic photos with all of us and had us mesmerized with her interesting history!

The Goodrich cabin circa ~1876.

When Frank Globin bought the Al Tahoe Hotel, in 1924, the name was so closely identified with the business that he called the resort “Globin’s Al Tahoe.” Globin customarily opened his hotel each year on the last day of May, provided Echo Summit had been cleared of snow. “If it had not, he and residents of the town took shovels and snow plows and opened it themselves. When the trend turned toward year-round tourism at Lake Tahoe, many resort owners fell victim to the unsolved problems of upgrading their establishments to meet the new demands of an ever-changing clientele. The early 1960s saw a number of “farewell parties” given for old resorts with Globin's closing in 1968 and Frank passing a year later.

Our tour ended at the Old Historic Cemetery, a sad remnant of a once great resting place.  The cemetery originally occupied part of the Thomas Rowland estate, which covered much of the South Shore. Land for the community cemetery was donated by Rowland in the late 1800s.  When the land sold, the Al Tahoe street grid and lots were laid out without regard to the old cemetery, which occupied parts of eight different lots.

We were disappointed to learn that years of vandalism, theft, apathy, decay and natural weathering, as well as development and construction in the area, have destroyed or damaged many of the original cemetery markers, and many graves and their occupants have been lost to the passage of time. Over the years, trash had been thrown into the cemetery property.  Its safely has now been entrusted to the Lake Tahoe Historical Society and from what I know about this group, this history... this place of so many pioneers, will be kept safe to be shared with all of us who hunger to know more about this magical place we all home.

We totally time warped last night as the Valhalla Boathouse Theater hosted the Rocky Horror Picture Show for the very first time (and our first time seeing it too).  What a fun, weird phenomenon our night was (which ended at 1 AM).  I wouldn't have missed it!

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)  is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s.  Still in limited release nearly 37 years after its premiere, it has the longest-running theatrical release in film history. It gained notoriety as a midnight movie in 1977 when audiences began participating with the film in theaters. The reference in the movie poster, "a difference set of jaws", has to do with the fact that three months earlier, Jaws, the film had just been released.

I came as a Transylvanian party guest with costumes being a free-for-all.  I loved it.

Carl and Mike cracked me up.  It was Carl's idea to bring Rocky to Tahoe and during the entire movie he was the voice that kept yelling from the audience.  What a hoot!

There was a costume contest and I thought this man was Super!

There is a great deal of "cross dressing" in the film, and this boy, whose mom probably wasn't even born when this movie came out, kept in character the entire evening and was a crowd favorite.

Every guest was given a goodie bag of props.  While putting them together, I had no idea what any of the items were for:  a rubber glove, newspaper, playing cards, etc.  As the movie progressed, I understood, and I especially liked, when everyone illuminated the boathouse with their candles.  It was amazing and difficult to explain but  what an astounding night!

We were here for the day and decided to sight-see and discovered some fun history nearby.

This Starbucks, located in an old Taco Bell, caught my eye instantly.  Taco Bell and I both turned 50 in March.  I miss the old style of architecture and I get a bit nostalgic when I see something, besides a Taco Bell, in the very distinctive and familiar buildings.

This plant opened in June, 1936. At that time, the only product produced by the company was Coca-Cola in the green glass, original shaped, 6-1/2-ounce bottle.  In 1927, Nathan Sellers opened the Sacramento Coca-Cola Bottling Co, as an independent bottler.  The company was, and still is, owned and operated independently of The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta.  Maybe that's why the building is still so very vintage looking.