Pasadena Explore: Part 1 Walking Tour

I love architecture and the town of Pasadena is a treasure trove of wonder and we wanted to discover it all. Our destination, for today, was The Gamble House.

The Gamble House was designed in 1908 by architects Greene & Greene. It was commissioned by David and Mary Gamble, of Cincinnati, Ohio, as a winter residence. We began at this entrance gate, constructed because Mr. Gamble wanted to prevent the relentless onslaught of tourist buses who, because of it, could no longer fit below the signage.

David Berry Gamble, a second generation member of the Procter & Gamble Company in Cincinnati, had retired from active work in 1895, and with his wife, Mary Huggins Gamble, began to spend winters in Pasadena, residing in the area’s resort hotels. By 1907, the couple had decided to build a permanent home in Pasadena. In June of that year, they bought a lot on the short, private street, Westmoreland Place, passing up the more fashionable address, South Orange Grove, known at that time as Millionaires’ Row.
At the same time the Gambles were selecting their lot on Westmoreland Place, a house designed by the firm of Greene & Greene was being built for John Cole on the adjacent property. Perhaps meeting the architects at the construction site, and certainly impressed with the other Greene & Greene houses in the Park Place neighborhood, the Gambles met with the brothers and agreed on a commission.
Part 1 of our day was a Green & Greene Neighborhood Walking Tour. "Enjoy a guided walk around the historic Arroyo Terrace neighborhood, a National Register historic district that is home to nine Greene & Greene houses as well as the works of other noted architects such as: Myron Hunt, Edwin Bergstrom, Elmer Grey, and D. M. Renton."

A little about Greene & Greene. Charles Sumner Greene (1868-1957) and Henry Mather Greene (1870-1954) were brothers born in Brighton, Ohio, now part of Cincinnati. The boys spent part of their childhood living on their mother’s family farm in West Virginia. The brothers developed a love of nature during those West Virginia years that would be ever-reflected in their art.

Their father decided for them that the two should become architects, and at his urging, enrolled at the School of Architecture of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In 1893, their parents, who had moved to the “little country town” of Pasadena, requested that their sons move out to California and join them. The brothers did so, and the cross-country trip proved fortuitous: while passing through Chicago, they stopped at the World’s Columbian Exhibition and for the first time saw examples of Japanese architecture. Their immediate admiration of the style would become a strong influence on their later designs.

Soon after their arrival in Pasadena, Charles and Henry set up shop together, and the architecture firm of Greene & Greene was born. Their art would culminate between 1907 and 1909 with the construction of the “ultimate bungalows” — one of which is the Gamble House in Pasadena.

As we strolled around the neighborhood, we were given lessons about the unique components of a Greene & Greene house. So dang cool.

One famous element was Clinker bricks. These unique building tools are produced when wet clay bricks are exposed to excessive heat during the firing process, sintering the surface of the brick and forming a shiny, dark-colored coating. Clinker bricks have a blackened appearance, and they are often misshapen or split. Clinkers are so named for the metallic sound they make when struck together. They are denser, heavier, and more irregular than standard bricks. Clinkers are water-resistant and durable, but have higher thermal conductivity than more porous red bricks, lending less insulation to climate-controlled structures. They were everywhere. We found ourselves on a clinker brick hunt.
Their fascination with Japan was found throughout, too.
Our guide, Tina, was exceptional. I loved it as she shared images of before & after.




Our tour took us through the Park Place–Arroyo Terrace Historic District, a residential historic district which includes eleven contributing houses built from 1902 to 1912. Most of the houses in the district were influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement, which was popular in Pasadena in the early 20th century; particular styles in the district include the American Craftsman house, the Craftsman bungalow, the Colonial Revival house, and the Prairie School house.
The Jas Culbertson House (1902) intrigued. It began as a two-story English country style home that was converted to a Craftsman in 1906. In 1914, it was transformed into an English Tudor, and was a continuous project until JC died in 1915.
Then in the 1950s, Whitney Smith was hired to remove the entire second story to turn the home into a mid-century modern. Wild!
One of the famous architects we 'met' on this tour was Myron Hunt (who is mentioned in the writings of Frank Lloyd Wright and other Chicago architects of the era as an early member of the group which came to be known as the Prairie School). Above is his Jesse Hoyt Smith home (1909).
In 1903, he moved to Los Angeles, where he entered into a partnership with architect Elmer Grey (1871–1963). Opening an office in Pasadena, the firm of Hunt and Grey soon became popular with the well-to-do denizens of that city, who were building many costly houses during that period. They were soon designing large houses in communities throughout Southern California. The above is his personal residence, built in 1905.
The Greene brothers eventually split up, with Charles pursuing an artist life in Carmel. He seemed to be the creative part of the team. This home, designed by Henry, appears to lack the specialness of traditional Greene & Greene homes.
This Dutch Colonial Revival (1904) was designed by Hunt and his partner Grey. What a different look.
This Queen Anne is the oldest in the neighborhood (1895).
And how different is this mansion? Robert Farquar designed the 1906/1907 residence for Eva Fenyes, a patron of the arts and a prolific artist herself.

I was intrigued by this post. Brookside Park was dedicated in 1914. It was renamed in honor of Mrs. Everett W. Brooks, who donated $3000 toward the construction of of a municipal plunge. Notable historic features of the park included the Bandstand, Rocker, the Pergola, and the picnic area. Next time!
This home was built by Buff & Hensman (c. 1970s) who created hundreds of contemporary homes during the postwar housing boom in Southern California. It seemed out of place somehow.
After strolling for an hour and a half, we found ourselves in Old Pasadena at Café Santorini. It was literally a hole-in-the-wall which opened up into an amazing dining space.
I loved my lunch of Roasted Butternut Squash which was stuffed with quinoa, chickpeas, zucchini, cranberries, and shallots.
After this respite, we're ready for Part 2.

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My Big Brother is in Town!

It has been far too long since I've been able to play hostess to Chuck and Hazel. I'm beyond grateful that they extended their Palm Springs escape here in Temecula before returning to Virginia.

For three nights and two days, we'll fit in as much fun and family time as possible.
For Day 1, we just hung out in Old Town- dining, shopping, enjoying!
"Our brothers and sisters are there with us
from the dawn of our personal stories
to the inevitable dusk."
~Susan Scarf Merrell

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Tattoo & Gelato: Oceanside Finds

Sometimes turning down a road less traveled reveals a treasure one would never have found otherwise.

Our first of two very cool stops today was at The Arcade Tattoo a parlor and a museum where "they strive for perfection with an immaculate studio as well as the best artists in San Diego County."
"Oceanside Tattoo is made up of artists who have been tattooing professionally for over 20 years. The Arcade also houses a rare look into the history of tattooing on the west coast, covering multiple eras of tattooing. These images were created in times when America was going through social and political change."
We were surprised by its gorgeous interior and welcoming staff. Wow!
The Arcade namesake is a tribute to the first and Original Tattoo shop in Oceanside. The original Arcade was open from 1938-1982. During these 44 years the Arcade saw action from WW2, Korea, and Vietnam.

Many Famous, but now deceased Tattoo Artists passed through during these war years to cut their teeth on the thousands of marines wanting to get their first tattoos before being sent off to fight in a foreign land. Camp Pendleton, the largest military base in the U.S., is located at the North end of Oceanside providing the Arcade with a great number of customers.

William "Buzz" Claydon (the infamous spike), and "Tahiti" Maurice Lynch were the resident artists who manned the helm during these Golden years of tattooing.
Now 35 years later the Arcade has been re-opened by professional tattoo artist, and Oceanside native, Jason Betz, after years of collecting and traveling thousands of miles in search of artifacts from the Arcade. The entire flash/folk art collection that hung on the walls of the original parlor is now home and on display once again.
The collection of tattooing pens was absolutely amazing. To see the evolution of these tools allowed us greater appreciation of the talent of these artists.

Interestingly, the electric tattoo machine had a rather curious start. Perhaps most famous for inventing the lightbulb and the motion picture camera, in 1875 Thomas Edison also invented an electric pen. Initially designed for making duplicates of the same document using a stencil and ink roller, the invention sadly never took off.

Edison’s pen was a hand-held implement with an electric motor mounted on the top. It required the operator to have advanced battery knowledge in order to maintain it and typewriters were much more accessible to the average person.

However, despite its initial flop, Edison’s motorized pen would set the stage for a completely different type of tool: the first electric tattoo machine. Wild!


"The Powerful Folk art at the Arcade stained the skins of our sons, fathers, and grandfathers before they went to War. From powerful chest eagles, to pigs 'n' roosters, and lovely pin ups, these classic designs speak of times past and hold deep meaning to the tattooers who created them. they will forever hold a sacred place in American tattoo history."



While getting a tattoo is not on my 'to do' list, if I was to embark into the realm of skin ink, I'd totally come here. This place is awesome!
And conveniently next door is the delightful 10-22 Café & Gelateria.
The name of the 10-22 is far from being generic or subjective. It refers to the temperature of the perfect gelato, as opposed to the colder temperature at which ice cream is served. This significant detail is captured on a large gray plaque proudly displayed against the white brick wall, and in full view of the customers entering the shop, waiting for their treat or sitting at one of the tables.




Described as a place which "offers an excellent opportunity to recreate the cozy look of an European gelateria coffee shop. The relatively small space, with a long narrow hallway in the back, lent itself beautifully to this vision. Elevating some traditional design elements to modern status, we created an intimate space with a warm familiar atmosphere, pinpointed by the presence of wood, brick and plants."

Steve and I pictured spending a lot of time here in future Oceanside escapes!

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
-Robert Frost

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