A little more, Quiet Sunday Hollister....

Next to 'Johnny's Bar and Grill, we have 'Honorable Tatoo'

In the window a 'sample sheet'. Don't sport any 'tats' myself...but find a lot of the artwork interesting.

Also in the window this nice piece of artwork...

In the window of a clothing store across the street was a really old Schwinn bike, fitted with a chinese clip on motor that had been aged to give it some patina to match the rest of the bike...

While looking up Hollister stuff, kept running into a 'Hollister' brand clothing outfit. It was just a bit annoying...

Another corner of 'Old Hollister', Fifth and San Benito

And another... Fourth and San Benito

The Granada Theater

'Granada', like 'Alhambra' is a popular name for theaters in America. There are, or were... I should say...a lot of 'Thunderbird' drive-in movie theaters,as well...

Masonic Temple...Fourth and San Benito

The building I mentioned in previous post that had been restored after the 1989 quake. The bricks are looking good, but the paint could use some help. This building as many on this block, looked like they were between occupants. A commentary on the times and economy...

Renovators Supply is a big outfit back East that supplies lots of neat old replica building hardware...

This shop looked like it was still going...since '51. (Good to see stuff older than me...)

Louie, the 'old fella' I met at the Saloon, tells me the 'Vault' used to be an old Bank of America. It's now an events place and dance floor.

'The Original' Hollister-California, it says. Take that all ye imposters!! (Wondering if this was aimed at the 'Hollister' branded clothing outfit...?)

Next time through Hollister in a few weeks, I'll visit the nearby Corbin seat factory and grab a few shots. Been a few years since I stopped there. He has a few old bikes and stuff in his show room. Can't remember exactly how many years ago they completed the bypass of Hollister on the road to Monterey. I used to stop in  Hollister a lot. Now that my nephews living in town, I'll probably be hanging out in Hollister more. Also going to be spending time at the Off-Highway vehicle park in the hills here. It was good to see that a lot of the old town is pretty much the same as it's been for years. There is a huge new State Courthouse going up, but at least it's away from the old Downtown. So, just warning you, probably more Hollister related postings in the works...

Local motorcycle stuff coming up...some progress being made in that department.

Stopping at Hollister , on a quiet Sunday...

The Whiskey Creek Saloon, On 5th...up a block from San Benito

As I mentioned in the previous post, been traveling through this area for close to 20 years, since my sister and her family moved to Marina (near Monterey))...and my parents later to Castroville (also near Monterey and Salinas...Steinbeck country as Hermit said...). Note: to 'Whitey' Williams...on the road to Monterey from Hollister there is a stand of Eucalyptus, that at certain times of the year, and with windows rolled down, treat the nostrils to their unique vapors...Also know of a grove in Folsom California, and one night when lost in the Berkeley/Oakland hills.....remember seeing and smelling some. Probably planted by wayfaring Aussies...remember someone telling me it was done as an experiment to use them commercially somehow...but it didn't work out...

Entrance to said drinkin' establishment. Didn't imbibe, but did chat up a local, name of Louie that had grown up round these parts. We talked about 'The great quake of '89'...1989 that is. I noticed that an older building up the street looked like it had been re-faced with new brick, and some of the cast vents were reproductions of originals. He confirmed that it indeed had been restored after the '89 quake. I remember driving through Hollister after the quake to see how my family had fared, and seeing some of the houses, that had fallen off their foundations, that I had seen on the news casts...

Mural painted on the side of the Saloon

I believe... a depiction of Wino Willie, of the Booze Fighters. Years ago, (before blogs) a friend and I used to hang out at a local MacD's. We'd have some great conversations with some of the local War veterans. For some reason they took a shine to us, probably because we rode motorcycles and seemed to be interested in their stories. One of the guys was a WW2 Navy veteran that survived Pearl Harbor. When he got back to southern California after the war...he bought a Knucklehead and used to hang out with the Booze Fighters. After surviving Hell and high water, he was sadly killed by a drunken driver. Remember he said his mother was born on the Isle of Man...

About a block away from the Saloon is 'Johnny's Bar and Grill'

Mural on the side of 'Johnny's'...depicting Wino Willie, Brando as Johnny and those fellas from Easy Rider...

According to the Wikipedia article (link in previous post...) this block, 5th off of San Benito was where most of the arrests occurred in 1947. I was happy to see that this part of Hollister has not changed much from 1947.

Have always had a fascination with hatch-doors in sidewalks...(there is a whole 'nother world going on below us...)

The original builders plate was still there,,,wonder if this company is still around...? Next time I'm through I should make a 'rubbing'...

A little musical interlude...."Hermit" and "Whitie" got me thinking of the Dead's cover of this Kristofferson tune.

Johnny

and again...

Be back with more Hollister....(can't seem to locate a bunch of pics I e-mailed myself and down loaded to the puter...off to see if I can locate them....

Passing through Hollister...again

While at a local tire shop getting new rubber for my Toyota in preparation for a trip down to the Monterey area, this interesting rig pulled in.

It's a six cylinder Honda Valkyrie with a Champion sidecar. 

Talked to the owner about it for awhile. He was in for a new sidecar tire. He said it made about a hundred horsepower and easily pulled the trailer he has for it.

Meanwhile in Hollister 1947....

An alternate 'take'...

Some real 1947 bikers...probably about my parent's age...

A picture that was said to have served as a model for characters and the 'look' presented in "The Wild One"

The model for 'Johnny's trophy'...?

The reason for the trip to the coast was to join my sister's family and my mother to celebrate my nephew Wes's birthday at his house in Hollister. I've been driving through or by Hollister for close to twenty years. Everyone's familiar with the 'Hollister riot' of 1947, and it's leading to the Brando/Marvin movie 'The Wild One'.

My nephew has the dream job, in charge of flora and fauna and trails at Hollister Off Highway vehicle park. A job where they provide the motorcycles and four-wheelers. Being about to re-enter the world of dirt bikes and trying my hand at some trials riding and flat tracking...I'll probably  be spending more time in Hollister. Sacramento has the "Prairie City Off Highway vehicle area...but it doesn't hold a candle to Hollister. I'll probably be posting on a trip to the parks in the Fall.

Here is a link to-------------------->Hollister riot

Here is a link to-------------------->The Wild One

Be back with a few pics I snapped in beautiful downtown Hollister....