BajaNomad - A land mark of old

A land mark of old

Baja Bernie - 9-5-2006 at 08:37 PM

The A Frame at La Salina served as a landmark in the late 60's and thru the 70's Most of the old timers will remember telling friends that once they had spotted it that they were only about 20 miles out of Ensenada.

Just heard from friends that they started demolishing the old place this morning. What a fun house where hundreds of Baja Friends partied at the drop of a hat.

So happy that most of the guys and gals are now in another place where they will not feel the pain of its passing.

1964-2006 RIP

If I were still drinking I believe that I would have more than a few shots of Tequila as I saluted its passing. A lot of my heart was tied up in that goofy place.

Taco de Baja - 9-6-2006 at 07:31 AM

How Sad!

I spent several fun weekends there when my sister worked for the people who owned it, and one of the job perks was use of the house.

Probably termite damage, that or some gringo wants to build an ocean front mansion

elgatoloco - 9-6-2006 at 08:11 AM

Bernie, I'll have a shot for you.

Was down south this weekend for first time in a month.

Won't be long before they need to change the toll road from 'Scenic Road' to 'Back of a Big High Rise view road'.

Latest rumor has a Mr. D opening a restaurant bar at the Cantina in La Salina?

You did not hear it from me. :biggrin:

Yep

Baja Bernie - 9-6-2006 at 09:26 AM

They are planning on an underground/above ground mansion on the beach much as a couple of others that have totally changed the neighborhood. It used to be a most friendly place--now it is somehow different.

Mateo, the Cantina has always been aliving, growing thing!--Please have at least two for me.

Smiley??

John M - 9-6-2006 at 10:16 AM

Bernie - when we had a place at Angel's Camp in the early 80s, we would, on occasion, head to the cantina and remembered there were two guys who played music - I think on weekends. One we seem to remember had the name or nickname of Smiley - and the other - can't recall for the life of me.

Can you help?

John M

fishbuck - 9-6-2006 at 12:41 PM

My extended family had a trailer there at La Salina. I visited there before the mansions at the north end and any houses were built in the marina. What a beautiful little beach when not crowded.
I think one or two mansions were just being started at the north end and I had the feeling that the beginning of the end was near for a simple and pleasant form of baja. As I travel baja I see that happening in other places too. "Old Baja" won't last forever so enjoy it while you can.

John M

Baja Bernie - 9-6-2006 at 02:41 PM

Smiley and Bang Away---Dancing to them required that you be able to shift beats at any given moment. Smiley played the Piano and Bang Away, well he banged on the drums. Fun guys.

DENNIS - 9-6-2006 at 03:24 PM

Bernie ---

Years ago, I had an aquaintence who ran the bar at La Salina. I read your book and know you despise him. Aside from that, do you have any information on his wellbeing? Jack Rotar. I heard he died,------ I know you wish that to be true but, I knew him long ago when he had more redeeming qualities.
Any info would be appreciated.

Later .... Dennis

Hook - 9-6-2006 at 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
Bernie ---

Years ago, I had an aquaintence who ran the bar at La Salina. I read your book and know you despise him. Aside from that, do you have any information on his wellbeing? Jack Rotar. I heard he died,------ I know you wish that to be true but, I knew him long ago when he had more redeeming qualities.
Any info would be appreciated.

Later .... Dennis

If that's the same Jack Rotar who owned the Swallow's Bar in San Juan Capistrano, he's definitely dead. I want to say he died about 5 years ago; sold the Swallows a few years before that.

DENNIS - 9-6-2006 at 05:12 PM

Thanks for the closure, Hook ---

Sorry to hear about that. Actually, he only owned a part of the Swallows. Jack Thatcher and family actually owned most, and then, all of it. Rotar went to tending bar around town for quite a while before he ended up in La Salina. Bernie didn't like him but Bernie didn't really know him. All Bernie knew is that he made a mess out of his sacred bar.
In retrospect, I think Bernies published words on Jack Rotar were cruel.

Again, thanks ...... Dennis

David K - 9-6-2006 at 06:42 PM

Funny, not only did I read Bernie's book... but wrote a review for it and never got a hint of any hate towards anyone in the book ('Mi Baja: No Hurry, No Worry').

Now, I wasn't one of the regular alcoholics at La Salina... in fact, I had no reason to pull off the road there UNTIL Bernie wrote a book about it! Anyway, maybe there was some code words in Bernie's book that only La Salina regulars could recognize as 'hate', but Bernie as a human, hates nobody in Baja and does so much to help others.

As a newbie, maybe you should back off attacking established Nomads until we know you better??? Now, can't we all just get along? :?:

DENNIS - 9-6-2006 at 07:25 PM

Yeah, we can get along just fine as long as you get over the feeling that I havn't been around long enough to voice my opinion. If the Bernie book that you reviewed was about life at La Salina, I suggest you go back and look at it again. Swaim made sharp comments about his disdain for Jack Rotar and how he defiled the saloon in his misguided attempt to drum up business. Perhaps, since you're such a qualified fan of his writing, you could ask him to refresh your memory, but dont tell me what Im allowed to talk about. If anything indecent was written, it was Swaims evaluation of Jack Rotar, not my evaluation of Swaim.

David K - 9-6-2006 at 07:36 PM

Dennis, we may or may not meet... but it generally takes a little time to know people 'on line'... and I mean know them for what they post here... With only 15 posts on Nomad, you start saying unkind things about a very kind man, and the rest of us have to wonder what your motives are?

I hope that you are here to share your Baja adventures or seek some answers about a Baja place and not to pick on Nomads, be them published authors or just story tellers. There must be a positive way you can tell us about this Jack Rotar instead of only talking about how (you think) Bernie slammed him?

Tell us your story about Jack... what did he mean to you... what did he do in Baja... what did you do in Baja??? Enquiring minds want to know. :light:

Give us the side of Jack you think should be told, and we will all have a good reason to then re-read Bernie's version, perhaps?

Good evening! :saint:

DENNIS - 9-6-2006 at 08:32 PM

Bernie didn't slam him in any manner that Jack didn't deserve. It's how it was done that bothered me. Jack was a conflicted person who tried way too hard to run his life, and everybody's around him like it was a circus. I mostly couldn't stand to be around him for any period of time.
I knew him, first, in San Juan Capistrano when he was a hospital administrator. Very successful ... very proper. He changed his priorities. He wanted to be in small town show business. He wanted to be on stage. He wanted attention. We were never close friends but it was a small town.
He bought into a country-western saloon and dug out his third grade violin and called it a fiddle. He drove everybody nuts with it but, that was Rotar.
He ran his bar in as bizarre a manner as he could imagine. He would have nailed a cow to the wall if he thought it would get him attention.

I moved south and lost track of Rotar until one day I ran into him in Ensenada. At that time he was running the La Salina restaurant/bar.
He brought his crazy bullchit with him and made a mess of the operation in La Salina. He left, went back north I think. I never saw him after that. In fact, I only saw him at La Salina once.

Bernie was right. Jack made a mess of it all. I didn't realize the extent of the mess until I read Bernies book. Bernie pulled no punches when saying Rotar was the worst thing that ever happened to La Salina.

When I read that, I really felt bad. Not for that stinking bar or Swaims ideal neighborhood, but for Jack. He made a mess of things. It was over. He was gone. Everybody Jack knew would read that book because they knew Jack. Without being there, I know how that hurt him. Rotar made mistakes. Bernie gave him a vindictive, cheap shot which could easily have been avoided.

That's what I know about Bernies book --- the epilogue had one entry too many.

Dennis

Baja Bernie - 9-6-2006 at 08:48 PM

I never really knew Jack Rotar and when you made the statements you did I went back to my book, Mi Baja No Hurry No Worry, and found these words in the chapter, ?Stewards of the Cantina??This is all I said about him.?"Jack Rotar became the manager under the new owner Larry Speer. Mr. Rotar tried to increase business by making it a "counter culture" type Bar.
Gone were the soft comfortable touches?replaced by filthy writing all over
the walls. Most people in camp quit frequenting the place under Mr. Rotar."

That was it! Nothing nasty or otherwise about the man. Just the facts.

Dennis, are you the very slim guy who used to live over at the trailer park. I seem to remember you as a somewhat pleasant guy unless they stopped your retirement/disability checks. I remember that you were always hooking a ride with someone to head back to the States and get it corrected. The last thing I heard about you it was that you had moved because they raised the rents and that you had moved further south.

If I am correct in thinking about who you are?what happened?you used to be happy most of the time.

If you are this guy then I will vouch for the fact that you are really a fairly old timer in Baja and should not really be treated as a newby.

Re-reading your posts I remember how testy you could become over nothing.

Dennis you said a bunch of the things about the man that I was aware of but I never put them in my book--I just don't treat people that way, No reason to say bad things about folks.

I really don't think the book hurt him much because I believe he had left the scene before the book came back from the printer.

Dennis, is that the bar Darlene used to work in--now I understand her license plate holder--surfers and cowboys.

Really small world, thanks for bringing back mostly postive, fun memories.

DENNIS - 9-6-2006 at 09:13 PM

No Bernie, I dont believe we have met. Never lived in the La Salina area.
Dont believe I know Darlene either.
Yes, Jack was gone when your book came out. He had a large network of friends in California who read your book.

I started here in '75, La Bufadora. Moved down full time in '86.

You're right about one thing for sure, I get testy although Im the last one to think it's over nothing.

Well, there is one upside for you after all this nonsense. Now I have to buy your book again.

Later ..... Dennis

P.S. ----- I am happy most of the time

AmoPescar - 9-6-2006 at 11:44 PM

Dennis...

Did jack Rotar run the private hospital in Capistrano Beach which was up on the hill? If so, do you know what years he ran it? I may have known him in the early 70's.

Amo

DENNIS - 9-8-2006 at 02:17 AM

Amo ---
The only hospital in that area, up on a hill, which comes to mind would be a psychiatric re-hab type place in Dana Point near the coast highway, adjacent to Capo beach. Upscale, confidential treatment was what they offered.
I dont know if he was involved there as a professional although, in his later days, he would have benefted from being treated there.
He was in that field in the early seventies.

Dennis

Dennis

Baja Bernie - 9-8-2006 at 06:27 AM

Glad you were not that guy!

Thought I would let you know I have a third book that will be delivered from the printers today. I don't believe that I am mean to anyone in it either--Title, just in case you want to check, THINK you know BAJA.

I think you will enjoy a ride on, my "Magic Flying Serape," which is powered by hi grade tequila. It allows me to go back in time to visit places in Baja that no longer exist. Hang on because it can become a rather bumpy, but fun trip.

Not on my site yet because Doug has been a bit busy for the past few days.

DENNIS - 9-8-2006 at 07:00 AM

Thanks Bernie, Im looking forward to it. I ordered a couple of your past books yesterday.
By the way .... The lady you mentioned ? I may know who you're refering to although, if we have the same one in mind, her license frame would have to be about two blocks long.

Later .... Dennis

David K - 9-8-2006 at 08:57 AM

Well great... much better to talk to each other as friends! Welcome to Nomad Dennis!

Bernie, I will be in your town today... I will pop by to see the new book!

David

Baja Bernie - 9-8-2006 at 11:08 AM

Look forward to seeing you.

DENNIS - 9-8-2006 at 11:55 AM

Thanks David. Sorry I snapped at you. Not why ..... just that I did. Hope you understand.

Later ... Dennis

cat127 - 9-8-2006 at 02:24 PM

Not to change away from Jack Rotar - BUT Wow! I am feeling like an old timer. Although my first trips to Baja were with my parents when i was a wee'un... my later trips were with a guy from Dana Point who introduced me to the Swallows... being just barely 21! The guy worked at Black Bart's and went to Baja often - he took me to Gonzaga, and Papa Fernandez'. The I ventured out on my own to CSL!

Looking forward to going back in a few months after 20 years, this time to Mulege (and yes I am taking our power tools and plenty gas for the air compressor.)

-Cat

Baja Bernie - 9-8-2006 at 03:31 PM

Great attitude--you be a Baja dude!

DENNIS - 9-8-2006 at 03:42 PM

cat127

Was that Black Barts dive shop? Wow sweetie, you are an old timer but, you sound young at heart. [ Jeezo....I hope you're a girl ]

Did you know Rotar? If you were within a million feet of him, you had to know him, in a way.

Good plan with a good heart, your trip to Mulege at this time. They will appreciate your help.

Later..... Dennis

The book is out???

thebajarunner - 9-8-2006 at 04:13 PM

Bernie,
Is the book really back, in finished form?
Did you change any of the spelling after we got through poofing (sic) it???

Anyway, if my credit is still good send me one...

I tried to buy this in 1983

Juan del Rio - 9-8-2006 at 04:31 PM

This was one of the first pieces of property in Baja that I ever tried to buy. I made an offer of $30,000, paid an attorney named Peter Thompson $250 as a retainer and to do a title search. Once the offer was made, the family rejected it and took it off the market. I still have the file after all these years with the photo...

scan0001X.jpg - 32kB

It was a great spot

Juan del Rio - 9-8-2006 at 04:31 PM

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Even Got a young Carlos Fiesta involved

Juan del Rio - 9-8-2006 at 04:34 PM

La Salina was a blast. The last time Carlos Fiesta and I visited the cantina last year, it was full of raging drunks having fun. They sure did serve a good margarita! Thanks for the update.

scan0003X.jpg - 29kB

Polaroid Photos have held up well for 23 years...

Juan del Rio - 9-8-2006 at 05:04 PM

I took my friend Joe to see the place and get a second opinion. He thought the place was such a dump. All I saw was a great oceanfront piece of property that I could never afford in California Alta!

La Salina RearX.jpg - 32kB

I juander now...

Juan del Rio - 9-8-2006 at 05:09 PM

...how much that oceanfront view has increased in 23 years?

[Edited on 9-9-2006 by Juan del Rio]

La Salina Ocean ViewX.jpg - 26kB

DENNIS - 9-8-2006 at 06:38 PM

Juan ----
Great shots. I still have all my old Baja fotos and like yours, they mean a lot to everybody as history lessons. When the memory is still intact, it stops the hands of time.
Thanks for this.

Later .... Dennis

Sick I am!

Baja Bernie - 9-8-2006 at 07:02 PM

Runner I am sending you ten copies to get you off my back--and because you did such a great job where I needed it.

This run is over! Enjoy!

David K - 9-8-2006 at 09:31 PM

I was at Bernie's today and was the proud recipient of book #1!

I was about to post the cover on the Nomad Literature Forum, but I see it belongs here too!

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