QUESTION: What’s a memory from your hometown that always makes you smile?
© Copyright 2007 – 2025 Claycord News & Talk
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QUESTION: What’s a memory from your hometown that always makes you smile?
Subscribe to our newsletter!
© Copyright 2007 – 2025 Claycord News & Talk
Going to the movies at the El Rey Theater (back when it showed clean movies).
They would always show a couple 3 Stooges short or Bugs Bunny cartoons before the feature. The only time I saw an X rated movie there was the day I turned 18 and a buddy of mine bought the tickets we saw “Sweet Sexteen” and “Naughty Neighbors” they were both comedies.
Bars on the windows and deadbolts keyed both ways on the doors so once they broke in they could not drag your stuff out (70’s Oakland 73rd ave) Moving away always brings a smile.
As a child, it was the Fun House at Playland at the Beach, and as a teenager it was racing
our cars on the Great Highway. For those of you that are unfamiliar with San Francisco, the Great Highway is 3.5 miles long and runs parallel to the ocean. Older teens and young adults would get together and race the length of the highway in their hot rods and muscle cars. The city took the fun out of it when they installed traffic lights, signs and obstacles diverting traffic. Later the city took down the traffic lights and permanently closed a big section of the highway and made it into the Sunset Dunes Park.
My mischievous and carefree days as a teenager are long gone now, and I grew into a responsible adult, but it was fun while it lasted.
Going fishing or dirt bike riding almost everyday during the summer – and often the rest of the year as well
The Santa Clara Valley being almost completely covered with fruit tree blossoms in the spring. That was when it was called the Valley of Heart’s Delight and the primary economy was agriculture. The orchards are now almost all gone and it’s now known as Silicon Valley. They used to sell airplane rides around the valley from San Jose Municipal Airport (now known as San Jose Mineta International Airport) to look at the blossoms of the mostly cherry, apricot and prune orchards.
I tried to think of something from my hometown that would make me smile, and to be honest, thought of nothing (meaning nothing about the town itself, certainly there were events that occurred, but the town had nothing to do with it). There were homes, strip malls, car dealerships and restaurants. Big whoop. The cornfield we cut through to get to school is long gone, and while a fond memory, it does not make me smile.
Son of Sam serial killer.
I was running around Brooklyn
unsupervised that summer.
Grandparents were supposed to be
watching me, but were not up to
the task, God Bless them both.
Thought I saw him a dozen times
and was staying just one step ahead.
I was 12, so my imagination may
have played a part.
Still had a blast.
It was my first serial killer so I
didn’t know how to act. 🤭
You should have had a dog to tell you what to do.
The annual Round-up Parade followed by the largest 3 day Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Round-up in the USA.
Professionals who want to go to the Grand National Rodeo cowboy at the the Round-up.
I was even named after a Cowboy who died at the Round-up. My Christian name, not my Nom de guerre. . .
Followed by the beginning of deer, pheasant and trout season.
Not sure if it makes me smile, but it makes me miss certain things. I grew up in the country, my dad was a Gardner and so I grew up with fresh vegetables, he grew white asparagus, all kinds of vegetables, the first crop of potatoes, were very small, deep yellow and very tasty, same with fresh green peas, carrots, much more. He also grew cantaloupes, much tastier than anything you can buy today. In our yard we had black and red current bushes, and gooseberries. We had a Gravenstein apple tree (I just bought some Gravenstein apples from Lunardi’s, they are my favorite apples. The little forrest next to our house had wild strawberries, they are tiny, but have an intense flavor, we would eat them with cream and sugar.
From the age of 3 yrs. to 11 yrs. old we lived in Martinez.
Really liked the house and neighborhood, … totally missed it and it has changed.
Favorite place to visit, kind of silly, was John’s(?) Deli in Martinez, now a liquor store.
Loved all the different dry pastas and deli meats to buy and take home.
My Dad always let me pick one thing, … it was ALWAYS the fresh homemade Ricotta, … 🙂
Photos of the old Park Theater in Lafayette! I spent many Saturday afternoons there with other kids enjoying the Saturday “Kiddy Mateine” Cheap candy, lots of cartoons and some good Cowboy and Scary movies! I think it was just 25 cents for a ticket! ….. always a packed house!