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Magic Carpet was on Speedway near one of the El Molino restaurants, the one with the bull where the tropic zone kept getting painted blue, wasn't it?
Yep - you have it right, except the name is "Casa Molina," rather than the associated El Molinito restaurants. That Casa Molina in particular is the original, opened in 1947, and in my estimation is one of the best restaurant buildings in town, with it's three distinct dining areas including the "Redondo Room" in the back which is fantastic. The bar, though, is usually where I end up!
Yep - you have it right, except the name is "Casa Molina," rather than the associated El Molinito restaurants. That Casa Molina in particular is the original, opened in 1947, and in my estimation is one of the best restaurant buildings in town, with it's three distinct dining areas including the "Redondo Room" in the back which is fantastic. The bar, though, is usually where I end up!
We had many large family gatherings in that back room. Oh how I miss the good food in AZ!
We had many large family gatherings in that back room. Oh how I miss the good food in AZ!
When I lived in Pittsburgh I would relate to locals the goodness of the local food here and none of them believed me. Now that I'm back here, and they visit me, they are very impressed!
Speaking of old restaurants, though maybe not "good" restaurants, I found myself craving Vince's Italian the other day. It was located on Speedway at Arcadia and my family and I spent a good amount of time there in the 80's. I remember that my dad, a landscaper at the time, would use Barter Exchange dollars when we ate - do those types of organizations even exist any longer?
When I lived in Pittsburgh I would relate to locals the goodness of the local food here and none of them believed me. Now that I'm back here, and they visit me, they are very impressed!
Speaking of old restaurants, though maybe not "good" restaurants, I found myself craving Vince's Italian the other day. It was located on Speedway at Arcadia and my family and I spent a good amount of time there in the 80's. I remember that my dad, a landscaper at the time, would use Barter Exchange dollars when we ate - do those types of organizations even exist any longer?
Any time we head back home to visit family we always fill up on our favorites, especially mexican food. It just doesn't exist here in FL. People swear it does and go on about the latest mexican restaurant they've found but none have been to AZ. All of it is pretty bad here. I've lived in AZ, NM and TX and the best mexican food is in AZ.
My brother recently came to visit me here and loved how beautiful it is, kept saying how he wants to live here. I told him he would miss the food too much.
Longtime lurker here. Finally registered, and really enjoying the various threads. I have family in both Northern California AND Southern Arizona, and as a result spent a great deal of my childhood/teenage years spending roughly half the year in one state, and then the other. If pressed, it would be difficult to say which I remember the most fondly - suffice it to say, both states left indelible memories imprinted on my mind.
Well remember the flooding of 1983, and I'm usually met with incredulous reactions when I mention the torrential rains of that year ("Flooding? In Tucson?"), occasionally even from Tucsonans (usually relatively recent transplants). Also have very clear memories of the infamous "rock-throwing" incident from the early 80's. Was amused to find it referenced on a few "paranormal"-themed websites as a genuine example of poltergeist activity. Supposedly, the houses would be pelted with stones with no obvious source even when the area was being surveilled from the air by Sheriff Dept. choppers.
Anyhoo, since there was discussion of colorful Tucson characters earlier in the thread, I have a question of my own. Does anyone else remember an individual who always wore a brown plaid shirt and khakis (and was sometimes barefoot) who used to frequent the UofA area? He was probably in his mid-30's (and so, unlikely to be a "bohemian" college student). He had long, curly hair and a scraggly beard, and was constantly twisting his head (as though he had a neck cramp) and /or running his hand through his hair. This would have been the early 1980's, and as my sister worked near the campus, we would see him pretty much everyday. Apparently homeless, my parents even gave him change one morning while we were stopped at a red light. Used to see him walking the same stretch for several years, and I have only encountered one other person who remembers the guy, and provided an elaborate, convoluted (and probably apocryphal) backstory for him.
Thanks for all the enlightening conversation(s) going on here!
Magic Carpet was on Speedway near one of the El Molino restaurants, the one with the bull where the tropic zone kept getting painted blue, wasn't it? Am I remembering that right? I could be wrong but was Magic Carpet the mini-golf establishment that appeared in that episode of HEY DUDE?
Speaking of which, did you know that HEY DUDE is now available in its entirety on DVD? They call it five seasons, but they are 13-show seasons a la Nickelodeon. I love that little show! I'm enjoying the heck out of the DVD's.
Hi Wilma, unfortunately Magic Carpet was not bringing up any memories. Therefore nearby landmarks do not ring any bells either.
I never watched the program HEY DUDE. Is it a children's show? I ask being that it aired on Nickelodeon.
Being a Wildcat fan, I am sure you remember the success of Lute Olson's basketball teams, including winning the championship in 97. Do you remember when the Wildcats' football team beat No 1 Washington at Arizona Stadium using strictly a rushing attack? They just pounded the line until finally they were able to break the line for large gains late in the game. Their defense (the strength of that team) kept the Huskies quiet. It was in the early 90s.
Longtime lurker here. Finally registered, and really enjoying the various threads. I have family in both Northern California AND Southern Arizona, and as a result spent a great deal of my childhood/teenage years spending roughly half the year in one state, and then the other. If pressed, it would be difficult to say which I remember the most fondly - suffice it to say, both states left indelible memories imprinted on my mind.
Well remember the flooding of 1983, and I'm usually met with incredulous reactions when I mention the torrential rains of that year ("Flooding? In Tucson?"), occasionally even from Tucsonans (usually relatively recent transplants). Also have very clear memories of the infamous "rock-throwing" incident from the early 80's. Was amused to find it referenced on a few "paranormal"-themed websites as a genuine example of poltergeist activity. Supposedly, the houses would be pelted with stones with no obvious source even when the area was being surveilled from the air by Sheriff Dept. choppers.
Anyhoo, since there was discussion of colorful Tucson characters earlier in the thread, I have a question of my own. Does anyone else remember an individual who always wore a brown plaid shirt and khakis (and was sometimes barefoot) who used to frequent the UofA area? He was probably in his mid-30's (and so, unlikely to be a "bohemian" college student). He had long, curly hair and a scraggly beard, and was constantly twisting his head (as though he had a neck cramp) and /or running his hand through his hair. This would have been the early 1980's, and as my sister worked near the campus, we would see him pretty much everyday. Apparently homeless, my parents even gave him change one morning while we were stopped at a red light. Used to see him walking the same stretch for several years, and I have only encountered one other person who remembers the guy, and provided an elaborate, convoluted (and probably apocryphal) backstory for him.
Thanks for all the enlightening conversation(s) going on here!
Well I remember there was speculation that the rock throwing was the result of supernatural activity, but had no idea it was documented by several different paranormal activity websites. Your post gave me a more effective way to do Google searches. If you Google rock throwing, along with Tucson and 1983, the only hits you seem to get are the myriad of newspaper blurb stories or police blotter reports about teenagers and other vandals using stones as their weapon of choice. In the 32 years since the incident, many people have used rocks to do their damage in Tucson and 1983 could refer to a house number, model of struck vehicle, or year of birth of the perpetrator. In short, I needed that guidance to find stories of the incident.
My memory had been faded of the incident. It turns out the flooding overlapped the time span of the rock bombing. It is an even weirder story than I remember. The rocks were not just pebbles, but rather fist sized weapons that would force a hurler to be much closer to the target and presumably increase the likelihood of being spotted. Despite this risk, search parties and sheriff's helicopters never spotted anyone even though searches were conducted when the rock throwing was occurring. The target was only one house for the entire episode. The rocks were not thrown consistently one at a time, but several in a few seconds and then nothing for between 5-15 minutes. Very strange!
The colorful Tucson character that you mentioned is not someone I can say that I recall. If he was wandering the streets near the U of A for several years, it is very possible that I did see him on a number of occasions. Your story reminds me that Tucson was the first place I learned of the "Will Work for Food" cardboard sign scam. I first noticed a guy who carried that sign in front of the Tucson Mall and thinking "wow, he must be really destitute". A friend later revealed the tactic. The sign was supposed to have shock value and convey a desperate situation that made the passerby generous. As a result, the sign carrier was given money, sometimes in 5 or 10 dollar increments, without directly asking. He had no intention of doing any work. This was at a time when the minimum wage was three and change an hour. If he took home even twenty-eight dollars, that was the same amount a minimum wage worker grossed in an eight hour shift. It was not uncommon for the sign carrier to accumulate around $50 (tax free) for three hours (give or take). He was not desperate at all. One could still rent a studio apartment for less than $200 a month in 1980s Tucson.
I have gone off topic. It does not surprise me that a significant portion of the current Tucson population has no idea there was a severe flood in the 80s with so many transplants from around the country and world. Newcomers most likely just meet others who have recently migrated. I was interested in learning about Tucson's past while I still lived there and before the Internet. I found that the most useful information could be obtained from the long-term residents of the Old Pueblo. There was actually another flood in 1993, but not as severe.
Welcome, Gigantopithecus! Glad to have you posting and not just lurking - WAY more fun!
This subject of the flood of 1983 always gets me going; I had moved from Tucson around 1970, but went back several times a year to visit my family. I think I mentioned before that I had little recollection of flooding, probably due to the fact that my mom was terminally ill in 1983 and my mind was elsewhere.
But I do recall a car being carried away by the floodwaters into the Rillito, just north of our family home, off Oracle Rd. This was less than a mile from where I grew up, and I remember distinctly my family being quite taken aback at the horror of this. I think there were 1 or 2 (women?) passengers in the car, and that the vehicle was not recovered until the following spring - I would guess that that would include the remains of the passengers as well? Do any of you remember this? I was disappointed not to find an AZ Daily Star article about it in one of Bonnie's books. So curious about this.
I wish I could say I also knew something more about the rock-throwing incidents - that is just bizarre! azmemories, can you tell me what area of town this took place in? If it was not near the family home or written up in the Star, chances are I never heard about it before reading it here. And I can't believe only one house was the target? I'm guessing no one was ever hurt, but that there was damage: broken windows, etc?? How scary would that be?!
I wasn't around for the plaid-shirt-guy near U of A but I do recall the panhandlers setting up shop in shopping center parking lots, and me tearing up at the thought of someone going hungry, and, thus, shelling out a few bucks. I'm sure alot of people were taken in by these scammers. They still get to me, here in SoCal, and I have a hard time driving away without forking over a donation for these pathetic-looking individuals.
Hope to have some time to Google later and see what you found azmemories.
Welcome, Gigantopithecus! Glad to have you posting and not just lurking - WAY more fun!
This subject of the flood of 1983 always gets me going; I had moved from Tucson around 1970, but went back several times a year to visit my family. I think I mentioned before that I had little recollection of flooding, probably due to the fact that my mom was terminally ill in 1983 and my mind was elsewhere.
But I do recall a car being carried away by the floodwaters into the Rillito, just north of our family home, off Oracle Rd. This was less than a mile from where I grew up, and I remember distinctly my family being quite taken aback at the horror of this. I think there were 1 or 2 (women?) passengers in the car, and that the vehicle was not recovered until the following spring - I would guess that that would include the remains of the passengers as well? Do any of you remember this? I was disappointed not to find an AZ Daily Star article about it in one of Bonnie's books. So curious about this.
I wish I could say I also knew something more about the rock-throwing incidents - that is just bizarre! azmemories, can you tell me what area of town this took place in? If it was not near the family home or written up in the Star, chances are I never heard about it before reading it here. And I can't believe only one house was the target? I'm guessing no one was ever hurt, but that there was damage: broken windows, etc?? How scary would that be?!
I wasn't around for the plaid-shirt-guy near U of A but I do recall the panhandlers setting up shop in shopping center parking lots, and me tearing up at the thought of someone going hungry, and, thus, shelling out a few bucks. I'm sure alot of people were taken in by these scammers. They still get to me, here in SoCal, and I have a hard time driving away without forking over a donation for these pathetic-looking individuals.
Hope to have some time to Google later and see what you found azmemories.
There were actually a couple of people who got hurt. A visiting uncle was knocked unconscious by an airborne rock and a member of the search party was struck in the jaw. This is perhaps the most bizarre moment of the whole episode. Members of the group claimed to hear rustling in the bushes and then out of frustration the men picked up rocks of their own and hurled them in the direction of the damaging stone.
A baby was struck, but that rock inexplicably fell softly on its arm and he/she was not hurt.
The Catalina foothills was mentioned, but the stories I read do not get too specific on the location. The only state outside of Tucson. This story had to be in the Star or Citizen. I remember the local news covering it and with each passing day it seemed to get more airtime and move closer to the top. Eventually the 10 O'clock news opened with their cameras in tow of the search party one evening.
The individual who investigated the possibility of a supernatural entity did have a conclusion and cited other cases of mysterious rock bombings. I am going to let you read the story and draw your conclusions about his opinion.
The rock throwing thing was always explained to me as a subtly modified potato gun and a bunch of kids throughout town figuring out how to build them, then building them, and then running around and trying them out. As in most cases involving kids, word spread fast and in those days - before such activity would be deemed terroristic by today's overzealous authorities - kids were willing to do an awful lot to cause minor destruction in the name of fun.
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