In 1860 a stagecoach pass was hacked through the California wilderness over the mountainous San Marcos Pass to connect Mission Santa Barbara to The Santa Ynez Rancho.
A rest stop was built along the stage coach route high up on The San Marcos Pass, next to a naturally running cold mountain spring.
This stage-stop was, and is still called, Cold Spring Tavern.
Back in the day the tavern served hot meals and alcohol.
It still serves both today, and the experience of eating here is one we return to enjoy whenever we pass by this area.
There was a bunkhouse,
a small store, a stable, and several small homesteads, forming a town called Gopherville, which is now a ghost town.
The town even had a jail which could hold up to eleven (crowded) souls…. rowdy cowboys and such, who likely drank too much whiskey…..
Cheers to you from Cold Springs Tavern & the still wild west~
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how wonderful seeing
it’s still standing
beautifully 🙂
It is wonderful. Thank you!
Reblogged this on charles french words reading and writing and commented:
Here is a wonderful post from Cindy Knoke on Cold Springs Tavern!
Charles. Thank you for this. I appreciate the ‘pick me up’. We are in the desert now. We were visiting our new twin grandbabies in NorCal when a faulty shut off gauge in our main water control valve malfunctioned and flooded The Holler with an endless stream of nice cold drinking water, which we found when we walked in the door on return. The Holler is now essentially organized disaster, as teams work on it, and no one can live in it. We left to the desert which I have always loved in the summer, with it’s 112+ degree heat. There are few people here, but mountain goats, roadrunners, deafening cicadas, lizard, bugs, night time bats, and other wild friends. And don’t worry about us. This is only a slightly bad thing to happen to someone in the scheme of our lives. Thank you Charles for being such a good person and friend to so many of us.
So ghosty
Yes. Love the ghosts, even though refuse to meet me.
Thoroughly enjoyable post Cindy, and very colourful and detailed pictures, you have successfully bought a part of history to life in your post.
Kind regards.
Ah, so nice of you. Thank you.
Love the name, ‘Gopherville’! Nice story’. Don’t you love Americana?
I do love Americana, and the town called Gopherville.
This is fantastic! Thanks for sharing, Cindy.
Thank you more for appreciating!
😘🥰
My goodness, so much history in those fascinating images, Cindy! 😊
Happy you see this. These places are precious, aren’t they.
Yes! So little gets preserved and yet folks are hungry for authentic preservations like this. We’ve a “few” places left here in Austin, thank goodness 🙂
I agree with you. I would love to seem them in Austin.
Relatively speaking, not as much to see preserved here as like in San Antonio, but the Old Bakery where I have art work is a grand example of early 1800s Austin; gorgeous limestone walls & big windows with views of the capital! 😊
I have heard Austin is beautiful, but I have never been. I would love to see this.
The best is still places like around Barton Springs, both Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center & Zilker Botanical Gardens (latter is close to Barton Springs), Laguna Gloria Museum area. Butler Park and the Hike & Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake (both near Zilker Park & Barton Springs) make up the best I’m familiar with, but there are several other spots, like Mt Bonnel, if u can find parking 🙂
I have heard of Barton Springs. My maiden name is Cindy Barton so I took notice. I must visit! Thank you for the info.
Of course, and what a treat it’d be to visit your name-sake, whether really related or not, right?! 😊 My last suggestion (I think) is don’t come in the summer, lol! Mid spring and late fall have the best number of wonderful days 🙂
Reblogged this on Vijayagiri views.
Ahhh, thank you for your kindness!
We have a Cold Spring Village here on the East Coast….it’s near Cape May, NJ.
I would love to visit.
This place is so interesting via your lens, Cindy. So sorry to hear about your flooded house. How painful to see professional journals and other things got ruined…Hope cleaning and repairs are going smoothly.
Thank you Amy.
Charming town. It does bring back memories of old tv shows of the wil west. Thank you for sharing. Enjoy your trio.
Thank you Beverly <3
Love this place! We stopped here a couple of time on trips north to Santa Barbara and Solvang.
It is wonderful isn’t it. So glad you have experienced it.
https://superduque777.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/purple.jpg?w=950
Muchas gracias mi amigo.
A fascinating look into the past, and of course with gorgeous photos. Enjoy! <3
Hugs to you sweet friend <3
Hugs back. <3
I don’t remember seeing this going to Solvang or Santa Barbara. It is truly my kind of place. So appreciate this post. Thank you for sharing. Always happy to see something older than I am (chuckles).
Oh so funny…..Thank you for making me laugh. It is always a relief to me too, to see things older than I <3
have they served cowboy supper 🙂
Amazing, Cindy! Feeling like home. This is saving traditions. I just saw that you have a quote from Rene Descartes in the header. Did you know that Rene Descartes was a mercenary here in the Bohemian area during the Thirty Years’ War? I think it probably shocked him so much that he made that statement. Lol Best wishes, Michael
Thank you for such interesting information. I knew he enlisted in his early twenties, and after an onerous battle, had a “night of visions,” where he came up with his core philosophy which really implies, “I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am”
I imagine the war he witnessed may have contributed to his connection of doubt with thinking, and both with identity and existence. He is a fascinating person. I love the idea that doubt and thought are the core of our existence. Thank you for adding to my knowledge Michael.
What a strange place, but it tells the story.
It does indeed, better than words.
What a fabulous spot, Cindy. I was surprised when you wrote that they are still serving meals, judging from the outside of the tavern, but they are being true to the historical feel of the place!
The food is good too and the environment is definitely genuine rustic, no “custom distressed” wood products here.
Cindy, I love this. I can imagine sitting there with my laptop and seeing what happens on the blank document… Such places have many stories and poems. 🙂 ❤
Cindy, I love this. I can imagine sitting there with my laptop and seeing what happens on the blank document… Such places have many stories and poems. 🙂 ❤
It certainly would inspire your prodigious poetic gifts Lea & I would love to read the results <3
Cindy, you are too kind. Thank you. <3
Just the truth ma-deah’
You do inspire me. Perhaps it is time to dust of the page and see if I can find any poetry lurking among the cobwebs…?
Oh, wonderful! Look forward to reading…..
Ah, but first to immerse myself in some poetry. These French poets are so inspiring…
<3
❤
What a fascinating Wild West Location! Would love to be there…
It is quite special to visit. No development around, so it feels like the wild west. Have a great weekend.
Its too beautiful ..like a real spring 🙂
So happy you enjoyed & cheers to you!
Nice to see the Tavern is still standing and enjoyed.
Thank you and I agree with you!
I loved seeing these photos, very interesting.
It looks very interesting from the outside! Did you order some hot meals inside?
Yes you do. The food is yummy and they have a bar.
Will have to visit. Just my kind of place 🙂
Please do, and tell us about it too.
Reblogged this on ckbooksblog and commented:
What to visit Gopherville? I do!
Anyone who likes Gopherville is a good friend of mine <3 Thank you.
Beautiful shots!!
Honored. Thank you Leyla.