There is a ghost ranch adjacent to The Holler.
It’s in a nature preserve and is named Rancho Lilac.
Rancho Lilac has a interesting history.
It was originally settled as a 2300 acre homestead in 1865.
It passed through several owners over time who turned it into a working cattle ranch.
In 1945 it was purchased by Col. Irving Salomon, an undersecretary to The United Nations who built an extensive rancho home where he hosted rural retreats for world leaders like Dwight Eisenhower, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mahatma Ghandhi, and Golda Meir.
This is the Salomon home ranch complex . There is an abandoned pool and tennis court and a caretaker living on the property. The rancho is currently preserved as an historical landmark.
There is a year round creek running through the property making the habitat critical for wildlife sustenance.
1600 acres of the ranch property have been set aside as a permanent nature preserve.
This is the old road that connects The Holler to the Rancho.
The Rancho is like a time capsule, unique, pristine, and full of precious and vulnerable wild life. We hope it stays protected into the future.
Cheers to you & be careful and safe~
Share this:
Discover more from Cindy Knoke
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Sorry I’m late! I’m here for the boos. LOL! Spooktacular shots, my dear friend! ～((Φ◇Φ)‡
ฅ(*ΦωΦ*) ฅ (ﾉ*ФωФ)ﾉ (●♡∀♡)
I definitely should plant some pumpkins around for Halloween! 🎃🎃
That’s a faBoolous idea. Life is gourd!
(Ɔ ˘⌣˘)♥(˘⌣˘ C)
დდ
Very interesting history behind the ranch. Looks beautiful even if it is no longer in its prime.
You can clearly see the faded charms…. დ
Cindy, the Holler is magical. I enjoyed the history you gave of the ghost ranch. I’m a little envious of the caretaker. Your photos are beautiful as ever. Hugs on the wing!
Yes, the caretaker has an awesome job! დ
I can only wonder if it is a ‘working’ ghost ranch, Cindy. On dark, stormy nights do you occasionally hear Ghost Riders in the Sky. Like the international retreat part of the story, too. I can imagine some very interesting conversations took place there. –Curt
I actually would brave the rattlers, coyote packs, poison oak and black widows to go there at night if I could talk with the ghosts of Eleanor Roosevelt and Gandhi! დ
I’d do it just to see a ghost! Admittedly, Roosevelt and Ghandi would kick it up a notch. 🙂
😉 😉
Danke für die interessanten Bilder!
Gern geschehen Ernst. Ich hoffe du bleibst in Sicherheit und mein Freund. დ
What a cool place to be able to explore. This year has shown how important it is to be able to find outdoor space to get out and breath.
So true and important დ
I really feel for those that don’t have access to this in the best of times but it’s critical now.
It looks like a lot of places around the World are abandoned. The modern life is concentrated mostly in the huge cities. Sometimes ago I’ve met very interesting thought – in the nearest future countries and states are disappeared and all the life will concentrate in the mega polices.
We in the US are certainly not building towards a better future….
Cindy, it happens everywhere, not only in US. If you go to blog China Dream or Smartphoto 78, you can find plenty of abandoned places in Canada (Ontario only, I do not say about all huge country) and Germany. It is common tendency in the World.
Very true დ
Wonderful to have silent neighbors, and interesting history here, too, Cindy. Thank goodness for nature preserves, and how pleasant to be next door to one.
Ghosts and wild critters for neighbors suits me perfectly too!!! 😉
Thank you for the very interesting post complete with wonderful photos. It is a place I could very easily live in. Too bad it is now a ghost town. But what a neat place to take a walk and be in nature. Have a great weekend. “”__””
Yes. I would love to travel back in time and pay a visit to the ranch. I could even go look at the orchard where we now live….
What a beautiful place to live, Cindy. I often think of those former days but a buckboard and horse don’t appeal to me much. We have a tourist town called Buckskin Joe near the Royal Gorge bridge near Canon City, CO. It was originally built as a movie set in the 1950s to film Western films. The boardwalk, the jail, shops, etc. I recall taking a ride in the stage coach – so bumpy and dusty. But it was cool to conjure up life there with the “bad” guys walking into the saloon by the swinging doors! We traveled to many ghost towns when I lived there. A slice of history. Thanks for your post replete with memories!
There are so many fascinating old west ghost towns in the American west. I have been to many, but so many more beckon. They are all magical places to visit and to step back in time to the days of the pioneers. Happy you have experienced this my friend & cheers to you დ
Cindy, we used to camp and hike in the mountains about 45 min. away in Pueblo, CO and even hiked up to an abandoned silver mine and went inside. My mother was not happy to know this when she found out. Pregnant with her 4th child at the time, she opted to stay in the car. However, my Dad’s sense of adventure brought us back to the silver mine a few times but not inside since it had been abandoned. That spirit of adventure remains with me today. Happy hiking to you. oxox
You and I are kindred spirits definitely დ დ
Cindy, I believe we are as well. These days I prefer my own bed to camping but exploring is definitely there still. Now I can explore via your beautiful blog and photos. oxox
Well, except due to covid, my wings are clipped for now, and my exploration has been limited…but I am doing the best I can to get out and about! დ
Cindy, my Jeep could drive the dirt road and over pot holes. I imagine you have something similar. The Holler is a wonderful refuge from life too. Do you have issues with WiFi in such a remote area? I imagine you protect yourself from those rattle snakes which can be mean. Your photos are gorgeous. Be well. oxox
Thank you Maryann. Your jeep would like it here. We do have four wheel drive, but don’t bring vehicles in the preserve. It is all on foot. Funny, you should mention wifi. It used to be horrendously bad with ATT. But now we are connected with line of sight service connected to a mountain which works well until the snows come and ice things up. It was off yesterday however with no snow on the horizon! 😉
Cindy, when it works, technology is great. You really rough it when you don’t have wifi, don’t you. As long as I have a good book, it am fine. I assume tv reception is also not the best. Be well. oxox
🙏🏻😷
დდ
Wow! Fascinating place. It’s a pity it’s abandoned. Wonder how they can make the place productive again.
I think it will be set aside in the preserve as a place of historical interest დ
Beautifully serene
Thank you June and yes it is quiet and peaceful out here დ
Fantastic place to visit, it seems sad though that it didn’t survive.
Yes. It is bittersweet, but thankfully it didn’t get turned into a housing development which was in the plans before the state took it over and turned it into a nature preserve დ
What a beautiful area and such an interesting story behind the ranch. It seems like it’s in the middle of nowhere. How in the world did those famous people get to the ranch?
There is, and always has been, one road in, and out. They would fly into San Diego, and take a nice long drive! 😉
Beautiful …
Grazie mille დ
Must have been so nice to live close to nature!
Yes. The absence of people, and the presence of nature all around, is comforting for me დ
I love your photos and the way time stands still in the Rancho! Have a beautiful and blessed day!
Thank you very much! This is what cameras do, they make time stand still დ
Fascinating place – I love visiting such places. The feeling is eerie in its special beauty.
Yes. You get a continuous sense of lives lived before დ
True
How fascinating! I’m glad you provided this pictorial history of this place, Cindy. I enjoyed it.
Awww, that makes me happy. Thank you Cynthia დ
Looks like the settlers have just arrived there. Wonderful preservation work. Lets hope it will stay this way. Thank you for sharing the information about another nature gem, Cindy. Best wishes, Michael
Awww, thank you very much Michael. Stay well my friend დ
You too, Cindy! 🙂
დ დ
:-))
Oooh! A ghost ranch! Would love to have had chance to visit that! I have a thing for abandoned (and sometimes slightly illegal lol) places. The pandemic has put a stop to much of my in-person exploring and adventuring unfortunately. You get to see some amazing places in your part of the world though!
I also, “have a thing for abandoned, and sometimes slightly illegal places.”
How did you know this was, “slightly illegal?”
We should definitely hike together, and do slightly illegal stuff, as long as Wolfie & Herbert (the cat) are there to protect us.
It is so good to hear from you დ
Such places have a pleasing habit of being so in my experience! It would be fantastic to hike together with Wolfie and Herbert 😉 Slightly illegal stuff is so much fun!😛😅
Done! We just got a stroller for Herbert so he’s down for it (◐⊝◑)
It has been sad to see so much farm land go missing. But at least one of the older buildings is being turned into (I think a realtors office). Sorry has it that a child who lived there couldn’t go out, so a sort of 360 view Widow’s Walk room was built on top of the house. I’m not sure if the child had to be carried up the stairs… I wonder if they’ll also allow folks a little look see when it gets renovated and back in use?
Stay safe and sane, Jules
In French: Cindy, ce lieu, semble avoir conservé une force vitale
In English: Well, Cindy this place seems to have retained its life force
Interesting. It looks desolate, but there probably is a lot of wildlife we can’t see. Nice!
There is indeed and lots of it comes out at night! (◐⊝◑)
This looks like a good source of interesting stories but glad now it is a place for nature.
Yes. It is amazing to find so much space with no humans in southern California დ
Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
Pictures of Holl Ghost Ranch by Cindy Knoke.
You are a wonderfully thoughtful friend Patricia დ
I fantasize living in a ranch.
This is why I moved to The Holler! დ