Fred and I drove out to Elizabeth CO. We had never been out there or even on the backroads that took us there. It was a lovely drive. We found the Rambler Ranch back in the woods. A beautiful location. In the showrooms there weren't only cars, but lots of nostalgic nick nacks. This clock is one of the first things that caught Fred's eye. So apropos for Fred.
I found this interesting. Really?
There was a smaller warehouse that housed these really older cars. Several were in the midst of renovation. I think it was a sample of the kind of shape they get these cars and then renovate them into masterpieces.
The following cars were in the first building called the Nash Building. Look at the size of that steering wheel!
1957 - my birth year. Most of the engines in the cars here at Rambler Ranch were V8s, very powerful cars.
Look at the fabulous colors of the different cars.
I don't how they were able to squeeze so many cars into this space with each parked perfectly.
Most of the cars in this wearhouse had signs in the front window with make, engine size, mileage and sometimes the color. The names were very entertaining.
This was the closest Rambler stationwagon we could find that was like the Rambler Fred's Grandpa Howes owned. Fred's parents gave it to us when we got married. When Fred picked me up for our first date in this car, I was a little taken back......but when I sat inside it was pristine.
Taking a picture of Fred taking a picture.
Look at this fold down bed. Pretty inventive I would say.
So many cars and so many colors.
This is the interior of a 1965 Rambler. It looked a lot like the one my parents owned that I remember. I don't remember if ours was this fancy, but isn't it a beautiful interior?
I love this pearl rose color that was prevalent on a lot of cars from ealier years.
This looked just like the Chrysler New Yorker our family owned when we lived in Canoga Park in the late 1960s. It was a beast of a car. Very luxurious!
This AMC Eagle wagon was new in 1988 when Scott was born.
This is a new AMC Eagle on the market when Shannon was born in 1983.
This also is an AMC Eagle that came out the year Corinne was born in 1981.
I don't know what this is. There were no signs, but the showroom was basically Nash, AMC inventory.
Some wierd car with only three wheels.
These two cars reminded of the cars in Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters at California Adventure.
This one is just darling.
When Fred and I started dating, he said he would love to own a Black BMW. Well this guy is an predecessor of the BMW Fred had in mind.
To get inside the car, you lift the front of the car, like a reverse trunk.
One of the building displays is basically a home from probably the 60s. The rooms reminded so much of the homes my grandparents lived in.
Very impressive hair dryer going on here.
This dresser reminds me a lot of Grandma Daly's bedroom set. The furniture from these earlier time periods were so much more decorative in the trim work. Works of art rather than totally just style of today.
I can't imagine an orange kitchen. Even the wall phone is orange. It is cheery and bright.
A very modern appliance of the day. Water faucet, blender and an early form of the Kitchen Aid.
This was the jute box in the living room. I don't imagine too many people actually had one in their living room, but it certainly represents music from earlier times.
One speaker on the wall was their stereo system.
How is this for luxury. A small black and white tv and box fan. It does look familiar.
I find this really so lovely. Simple.
This dresser again reminds me of Delna's bedroom furnture. I just love the decor.
We never had a big console tv like this growing up. Very fancy.
This color scheme is pretty wild, but it definitely followed the orange theme of the kitchen.
I fell in love with this retro Pink Kitchen. I felt like I was in a life size Barbie Dream Home.
I do love pink. This kitchen looks nothing like what we see today, but holding it's own on being pretty
luxurious.
The Rambler Ranch is open only seasonally May through October from 10 am to 2 PM. If you are into old cars at all, you can spend the full four hours there. There is a $20 donation fee. We had such a good time reminiscing about our early lives. Seeing the marvelous inventive and beautiful cars through the ages. What wondorous machines and so beautifully detailed.