BajaNomad

Rancho El Manana

fishbuck - 6-29-2016 at 02:16 PM

Does anyone know any history of this place. It was on or near Santa Maria beach in San Quintin. And the present day location of Cielito Lindo.
It was owned by Mark Armistead, a Hollywood type, in the 60s.
Possibly part of the origin of the runway there.
It was a Hollywood hideout for a while.
Any more clues?

Page 145
https://books.google.com/books?id=35WQOduN1F4C&pg=PA145&...

[Edited on 6-30-2016 by fishbuck]

Rancho de la Mañana

David K - 6-29-2016 at 04:03 PM

Rancho La Mañana is listed in my 1967 Airports of Baja California and also in the 1969 edition, as Rancho de la Mañana.

In the 1973 edition, the same airport and location name has changed to Cielito Lindo.





There is no mention of it in the Auto Club, Cliff Cross, or Gulick guidebooks.

fishbuck - 6-29-2016 at 04:59 PM

Ahh. As I suspected. I know a little more history. I think I know who built the original runway. And why.

David K - 6-29-2016 at 05:13 PM

Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck  
Ahh. As I suspected. I know a little more history. I think I know who built the original runway. And why.


On the San Miguel ruins thread, I responded to your sidebar question... may be more related to this thread?:

A side note. The heir's family of which I mentioned sold the Los Pinos people their land. I think his grandfather did. The grandfather owed the entire valley at 1 time.

[Edited on 6-29-2016 by fishbuck]


Does the name Rafael Orendien or the family name (also spelled) Orendein sound familiar?

In The 1969 Airports of Baja, Arnold Senterfitt writes that family was granted all of the San Quintin Valley, and the area near Cielito Lindo and the El Presidente (now Misión Santa María) Hotel was the last slice of land owned by the Orendein Family and Rafael has a hotel under construction on it (1969). This was on the airport runway named Playa de Oro, just south of the Cielito Lindo/ Rancho de la Mañana runway.

fishbuck - 6-29-2016 at 05:18 PM

Yes Rafael. I didn't want to drop names but yes. I believe his father built the Rancho El Manana runway.

willardguy - 6-29-2016 at 05:25 PM

Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck  
Yes Rafael. I didn't want to drop names but yes. I believe his father built the Rancho El Manana runway.


i think it was built by ol' four finger al gaston.....you know, in case he needed to get out quick ;)

fishbuck - 6-29-2016 at 05:28 PM

They still own a chuck over in that area. It has an classic "hacienda"style compound right directly on Santa Maria beach. I've been there. It's a bit of "faded glory" but no doubt had big plans at one time. Sadly, Rafael's father died rather young I think and whatever it was meant to be died with him. All still there but basically empty and unused. It is possible that his father was Rafael also but I'm not sure.
Anybody know anything else?

fishbuck - 6-29-2016 at 05:32 PM

Quote: Originally posted by willardguy  
Quote: Originally posted by fishbuck  
Yes Rafael. I didn't want to drop names but yes. I believe his father built the Rancho El Manana runway.


i think it was built by ol' four finger al gaston.....you know, in case he needed to get out quick ;)


Different runway I think. Are you refering to the runway behind Old Mill? Wasn't that built by the Flying Sportsman Lodge back in their day?

David K - 6-29-2016 at 05:41 PM

Flying Sportsman Lodge was in Loreto.
The Santa María Sky Ranch is what you may be thinking of?
It was between the El Presidente and where the original Highway One made the first curve in about 40 miles or so!



Perry Mason creator, Erle Stanley Gardner at the Santa Maria Sky Ranch (just south of San Quintin) waiting out bad weather.
Note the clam shells on the roof.

fishbuck - 6-29-2016 at 06:24 PM

Wow. How cool. More stuff to learn about.
I guess I got confused about the Flying Sportsman. I thought I read about a fly in lodge being located at the site of what is now the old mill and that maybe Lorenzo's runway was part of that.
But I might have made that up.

fishbuck - 6-29-2016 at 06:42 PM

Link showing old Santa Maria Sky Ranch. Looks like part of the old runway still exists.
http://earth-3d.com/?eid=3984066_MX_SAIRF_02&title=Santa...

David K - 6-29-2016 at 09:00 PM

Later/ tomorrow I will post the sky ranch runway and location then and now so we can see where it once was. Dave and Juanita of Cielito Lindo took photos of the sky ranch as Los Pinos bulldozers were demolishing the historic inn.

fishbuck - 6-29-2016 at 09:14 PM

Juanita is mentioned briefly as having bought Rancho El Manana from Mark Armistead.
She may have a wealth of information regarding the area prior to her arrival.
And maybe not. Never meet her so don't know.

Page 145
https://books.google.com/books?id=35WQOduN1F4C&pg=PA145&...


[Edited on 6-30-2016 by fishbuck]

Hook - 6-29-2016 at 09:39 PM

Are David and Juanita still alive? I guess they wouldnt be that old, really.

fishbuck - 6-29-2016 at 10:13 PM

Yeah. She bought the place in the 70s. So she was 40ish? So 90ish...

[Edited on 6-30-2016 by fishbuck]

fishbuck - 6-30-2016 at 02:06 AM

It all starts to make sense to me now.
I figured out who Mark Armistead was. And now with the info about Santa Maria Sky Ranch.
No doubt that is why Rafael the dad built the hacienda. I think it has 10 or so rooms on the grounds. I know that it was intended to be a fly in hunting/fishing very private hotel like setting. But it never opened.

David K - 6-30-2016 at 07:55 AM

Dave & Juanita are "Porky Pig" here on Nomad.

Here is the Santa María Sky Ranch page from the 1969 Airports of Baja California followed by Satellite image (2009) with red arrows added to show runways and blue arrow to show approx. resort location (now plastic covered tomato fields):





Posted by Porky Pig on 10-25-2004:
Today at the Sky Ranch
Today's photo shows Juanita next to the only remaining structure, the old generator building. The old well still exists and is located about 50ft behind the building. Hotel La Pinta is seen to the left rear. Juanita is pointing to the visible foundations of the old cabins where the photo of ESG was taken. Last month we could have sent a photo of the same cabin, but alas, you can see the fresh dozer treadmarks. Tomato fields now cover the area. A new desal plant is being built about 100ft away. As a point of interest, Laura from Wet Buzzard lives at the end of the old 06/24 runway.
Dave & Juanita from Cielito

(the photos are not there, lost when Doug changed servers or ?)

fishbuck - 6-30-2016 at 12:17 PM

Wow awesome.

David K - 6-30-2016 at 01:10 PM

Baja history is awesome! Even recent history.

DENNIS - 6-30-2016 at 02:03 PM


Flying Sportsman Lodge. Knew it well, as well as Ed Tabor. Daughter Nancy too. Man o man...muchos years back before pavement.





.

[Edited on 6-30-2016 by DENNIS]

fishbuck - 6-30-2016 at 04:22 PM

Incase anyone is curious why I'm interested in this is because I realized that that I am actually eligible to retire with full benies next year on my bday. I was eligible for a Voluntary Layoff that the company just offered and it started me thinking...
And this year next month my lots are paid for in full.
So I have allowed myself to start dreaming about baja again.
Although I probably will not retire for 5 years.
But still...

fishbuck - 7-1-2016 at 02:16 AM

This place is haunting me now.
Does anyone know who Mark Armistead was? And what he was known for?

fishbuck - 7-1-2016 at 02:51 AM

http://articles.latimes.com/1989-02-18/news/li-2486_1_el-pes...

fishbuck - 7-2-2016 at 01:08 AM

Quote: Originally posted by DENNIS  

Flying Sportsman Lodge. Knew it well, as well as Ed Tabor. Daughter Nancy too. Man o man...muchos years back before pavement.





.

[Edited on 6-30-2016 by DENNIS]


I think remember seeing photos of their plane. A DC-3. 1st time I went to Cielito Lindo there was a DC-3 parked near a house south of the runway. Seems like it was the only house there at the time but now I can't find it. Maybe 2003-4.


David K - 7-2-2016 at 08:51 AM

I recall some talk about a resident at Cielito Lindo with a DC-3...? Don't think there was a connection with Ed Tabor's DC-3s?
Here's a thread on the Lodge with a photo of the DC-3 and Ed Tabor: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=82686

fishbuck - 7-2-2016 at 04:03 PM

Ya, again I know a little about the Cielito Lindo DC-3 and have met Regelio I think his name is. Probably wrong spelling.
My 1st fly in trip when I landed at Pedregal to scout property.
They loaned me the "pilot loaner" car and I drove over there and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the old "gooney bird" parked there.
I remember that it had belonged to WayCool Bob" who I had never met and never would. He died in a freak "accident" just prior at TJ airport.
Regelio was not rated to fly it at the time so it sat for a while.
I grew up in a DC-3 as my dad was a company pilot in one for a good while when I was very young. I grew up at the airport. Many of them.
I was part of the "minimum equipment list" and that was my DC-3.
Believe it or not that was the "private jet" of it's day.
Of course when lear jets were introduced my dad moved on from "the old Doug" at mach speed. And there is no room in a lear jet for a little boy. But I still got to go sometimes.
But man climbing in that 3 took me back to being 8 years old again and dreaming of flying way into to Canada for... what else... fishing ofcourse.
My dad was the best pilot to ever " kick the tires and light the fires" as we say in the airplane biz...


[Edited on 7-2-2016 by fishbuck]

AKgringo - 7-2-2016 at 04:35 PM

Hope this isn't too far off topic, this post brought it to my mind!
The Free Mexican Air Force!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dlFMKmE7pg