Retro Dads I grew up wanting to emulate

I always had a sneaking suspicion that I was going to be a Dad when I grew up. With that ever present in my mind, there were certain TV Dads I watched while growing up that made quite an impression on me.  Here's a few of them..


Hugh Beaumont
aka - Ward Cleaver

Who didn't want to have a family like the Cleavers from Leave it to Beaver? From a very young age, I realized that if a father tried to embody Ward Cleaver's parenting style, they couldn't go wrong. He was stern, empathetic, and showed humility when he needed to. A little stiff perhaps.. but he had a sophisticated manner about him, and he oozed class. Most folks don't realize Hugh Beaumont was very educated, had a masters degree in theology, and was licensed to preach for the Methodist church. Come to think of it.. it wouldn't surprise me if he incorporated a bit of himself into his Ward Cleaver character!




Robert Young
aka - Jim Anderson

I used to love watching Father Knows Best. In fact.. that sitcom title happens to be my personal mantra!! I used to love the intro of the show with that perfect looking house and white picket fence. I always got a kick out of how little everyday problems would get to Jim Anderson like anyone else, but he always did a pretty good job staying as even tempered as he could. The attention he gave to his kids problems always impressed me as well. Now as a married father of three, I adore how the producers of the series always made a point to show that the "magic" was still alive and well in Jim and Margaret Andersons relationship, even in the midst of raising three kids.



Andy Griffith
aka - Andy Taylor

I always enjoyed observing Andy Taylor's parenting techniques. He may have been a simple country boy, but was also as sharp as a tack. He would practice creative problem solving, and raised his son to be moral and compassionate.

The very first season of The Andy Griffith show portrayed Andy Taylor as a giddy country bumpkin. From the second season on however, Andy Griffith personally made noticeable changes to the character he played, resulting in a more serious and level headed Andy.

I know it may sound funny to some, but I immensely respected these fictional characters as a child. To tell you the truth, I still do! Maybe I should clarify that statement by saying it's not so much the characters that I respect, as it is their ideals, morals, and integrity. It's always a good thing to try and improve upon yourself and become a better person. As a father of three, I can't see how you could go wrong with trying to emulate any of these three fictional Dad's parenting techniques!

Looking back on it, are there any fictional characters that helped to mold your personality or ideals?

Adventures in thirft store shopping

You never know what wonders you may come across when shopping at thrift stores.  Here's some pics from one of my recent thrifting excursions..

 I miss the old Disney albums

Classy Ice Bucket just like Mom and Dad used to own

Stanley Steamer

Groovy 70s Orange Fondue set!

I'll bet this old unit works just as good as a new one.

 Time card punch clock

I almost bought this just for the heck of it

1975 Seal-a-meal

Still made to this day

AM/FM Radio/Alarm Clock/Telephone combo

Kodacraft Metal Printer

Haven't seen one of these since 7th grade photography

Dunno if I've ever seen a Banana Ball before

Retro Canister set like my Mom used to have

Presto Vertical Broiler

(this would probably cook fish and steak really well)

High tech Super-8 video camera

The newer streamlined Auto Load Super-8 camera

Andy Gibb 8-track

I love thrift store shopping.  I dig that I can look, touch, and buy items that I haven't seen in decades.  Some items I'm very familiar with, others I've never seen, many I may never see ever again. I don't always end up buying something during my retro treasure hunts, but I always have a heck of a good time.

My nifty 8-Track collection

Last year my old man gave me a collection of around 300 8-tracks along with two 8-Track players.   You remember 8-track cassettes don't you kids?  They were magnetic tapes used for recording and playing music.  They eventually replaced reel to reel magnetic tapes, and were a precursor to smaller compact cassette tapes.

The same day I hauled my new collection home, I set up the 8-track player in my garage, and have been jamming out to some far out retro tunes ever since.  Here's just a small sampling of the great stuff in my new collection of 8-tracks..

 Unopened Bee Gees 8-track

Unopened Kenny Rogers 8-track

A few of the many Linda Ronstadt albums I now own

 Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii

via Satellite

Henry Mancini TV themes from the 70's

Dig that Groovy 70s artwork!

SNL Skits

from the original not ready for prime time players

StevieWonder  
Songs in the key of life

Tunes for next Oktoberfest!

 I dunno!

Music for those who "go steady"
I actually dig this album as it features some Les Baxter tunes

Dino!

Tony Orlando and Dawn

This particular 8-track has gotten a lot of playtime this recently, and brings back lots of great memories.  My Mom and Dad used to love Tony Orlando and Dawn, and would never miss an episode of their variety show that lasted for a few seasons back in the 70s.  I remember regularly watching the show with my folks, and seeing them get a kick out of the guest stars, skits, and great musical acts.

Lots of tunes from 'The King'

One of the greatest flamenco guitarists of all time

How can you NOT be curious as to what's on this 8-track?

Neil Diamond

The 3rd most successful adult contemporary artist of all time

So that's literally just a few of the 8-track tapes in my new collection.  I still have tons to sort through and test, so I just may be sharing some more unique finds I come across soon.

Mom's old cookie Jar

I went to my Mom and Dad's house recently and saw something I haven't seen in over two decades.  My Mom's old cookie jar!

Mom brought it down from the closet and placed it on the table recently.  Her mother gave it to her years ago before I even came along, so I'm thinking this cookie jar is from the 60s.

Seeing this kitschy ceramic turtle once again, certainly brought back a lot of good memories.  From Mom's homemade oatmeal raisin cookies she used to fill the jar with, to the way I could skillfully replace the lid without making any noise whatsoever. Seeing my old green pal instantly had me reunified with great memories that I had all but forgotten about.

Vintage canisters and containers

Check out the retro goodness that lurks within my old man's garage.  Mind you.. these have been in my Dad's possession since I was a wee lad!

Calumet Baking Powder Can

 Vintage Bearing Grease

These cans were already old when I used them to grease my bicycle bearings in the 70s!

Red Devil enamel circa 1960s

Durham's Water Putty

I can't believe the Old Man still has these, and a few of them even still house their original product!  I remember admiring these (old cans) when I was a kid.  I used to dig the colorful artwork and font types, and still do to this day.

My Dad always had a tough time throwing out containers that could be re-purposed. He's definitely a throwback to a simpler time when folks tried harder to be thrifty and less wasteful.

Golden Oldies.. the music of my parents generation

In the late eighties, an oldies radio station was born in Denver Colorado called KOOL 105. They played all kinds of great music from the 50s and 60s, and it was a favorite radio station of my old mans. While I was on the road the other day, I happened to tune into KOOL 105 and was shocked at what I heard. They were playing a Prince song from the 80s! Really? 1980s songs are now considered to be oldies?!?  Wow.. I'm getting old.

I guess there are 30 years separating the decade of the 80s from today, so maybe young people do consider music from bands like Fleetwood Mac and Hall and Oates to be oldies. In the 1980s, the music of the 50s that my parents grew up on, was considered goofy oldies music by a lot of kids. I guess I was pretty naive to think that the music I grew up on, would never be referred to as oldies at some point.

I now have a great affinity towards my parents music that is now referred to as "Golden Oldies". Just look at the titles of the following catchy classics that will forever be burned into my brain.   Notice how a couple of these titles have become phrases and sayings that many still use to this day..

See ya later Alligator - Bill Haley and the Comets
Barbara Ann - The Beach Boys
Purple People Eater - Sheb WooleyYakety Yak - by the CoastersTutti Fruitti - Little Richard
All Shook up - Elvis Presley
The Twist - Chubby Checker
Chantilly Lace - Big Bopper
Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino
Poison Ivy - The Coasters
Splish Splash - Bobby Darin
Alley Oop - Hollywood Argyles
Johnny be good - Chuck Berry
Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett
You talk too much - Joe Jones
Hound Dog - Elvis Presley
Rock around the Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets
Charlie Brown - by the Coasters

The playing of these songs would instantly put my old man in a great mood, and I've got to say that they do the trick for me as well. The songs of the 50s and 60s were so much more simpler, upbeat, and innocent. The music was made to get you moving and feeling good. It makes me laugh to think that my grandparents thought of this music to be rebellious noise. I guess some things will never change. Folks will always reminisce about the music from their youth, and some will scoff or detest new music that just doesn't suit their taste.

So how about you? Are there oldies that your parents or grandparents loved, that you find yourself humming or singing from time to time?

A tribute to Hee Haw Valley in Vista California

A couple decades ago.. before practically every kid had access to the internet and home video game systems, life was a lot different.  It was a lot more simpler, and we as kids relished a broad array of pastimes.  I myself used to love fishing, flying kites, and I practically lived on my bicycle whenever the weather was good.

The activities folks used to participate in with their kids were quite a bit simpler as well.  My family used to love going to a petting farm and attraction located in Vista California back in the 70s called 'Hee Haw Valley'.  My brother remembered more about it than I did, as I was only around 5 years old at the time, but I do remember bits and pieces about our visits that have stuck with me throughout my entire life.

My big brother and I getting ready to set off
on the adventure that was.. The Hee HawValley Pacific!

I have written briefly about Hee Haw Valley before, and couldn't believe the history lesson I've since received, from past patrons, workers, friends, and family of the owner Bob Tupa.  All have fond memories of the farm, and feel a deep sense of nostalgia whenever they talk about it.

The attraction opened to the public in 1957 as a burro farm, and closed in 1974 as something altogether different.  Over the years it transformed into a petting zoo, and later added a miniature railroad.  In 1969 the price of admission cost a quarter, and bags of feed to give to the animals were a nickel a bag. 

 

Many kids (like me) loved wearing Western duds to Hee Haw Valley.  I believe my brother wore his Indian headdress a couple of times.  

The farm featured a train ride, burro rides, a petting farm featuring goats, chicken, geese, turkeys, a talking blackbird named Jim Crow, a caged racoon, and many more animals.  It seems like folks from all around California flocked to Hee Haw Valley on the weekends so their kids could experience a piece of country life in a fun setting.

And now for the main reason I wrote this post.  I'm happy to announce that a very nice fellow I met through this site named Leon, has put together a nice tribute site to Hee Haw Valley.  His web-site features history, pictures, magazine articles, and most importantly.. great memories.

If you remember Hee Haw Valley, make sure to visit his site to reminisce.  If you have any information or stories of your own to share, Leon would love to hear them so he can further add to his treasure trove of rich Hee Haw Valley history.   If this is the first time you've ever heard of Hee Haw Valley, drop by to get a sense of the kind of wholesome entertainment us California kids enjoyed back in the good old days!

A Tribute to Hee Haw Valley

(Where the Donkeys don't wear pants)

Adventures in Retro Treasure Hunting

This is a post I'm moving over from my old site.  It pertains to one of my favorite hobbies.. retro treasure hunting!  The pictures below are from an excursion earlier this year.  A lot of the items I came across had me reminiscing and feeling nostalgic to no end.  Hopefully some of them will have the same effect on you.

A great roadside attraction pennant featuring Robbie the Chimp.. obviously a staple at Ghost Town in Idaho.  Not sure if "Ghost Town" still exists, but it reminds me of countless tourist traps that I begged my parents to stop at during family road trips we took when I was a wee lad.

Kit Cat clocks!  I wanted one of these so bad as a kid.

Casper Board Game from 1959

It had been years since I'd seen one of these

Meat Grinders Galore

Hot water bottle just like Grandma used to have.

I used to see a lot of Nick Knacks like this growing up.

 The Magical Burger King - circa 1970s

The stuff nightmares are made of

 1950's Goodyear Highway Patrol Bike

Awesome Kitschy Florida Souvenir

Awesome Hawaiian Shirt

Loved it even more..

 when I found hidden Disney characters in the print!

Great Zenith AM radio

More wicked cool radios

 Ceramic Whiskey jug

Polynesian Wahine and Menehune sculptures

2 liter German Beer Stein.  I so wanted to buy this, but didn't have nearly enough clams on this particular day to do so.

This Stein was a steal at $4.00 

and ended up making its way home with me

1960s Bonanza Ponderosa Ranch tin cup

A couple of really old bikes.  I'm such a bike geek, that I didn't notice the creepy statues in the background until I looked at the picture more closely before uploading it.  I have the Doctor Who TV Series to thank for giving me the heebie jeebies when I see "statues" like this now.

A 1960s metal sign.  This is a legitimate sign and not a reproduction or novelty piece.  Kind of funny and morbid at the same time huh?

That's it for now.  Rest assured I will be posting more pictures from my next retro treasure hunt right here.  (hopefully sooner than later).