Isn’t Chef’s Charmer is adorable with all the delightful remodeling? Oh my, the kitchen! Do you see what is waiting for you? A full-sized refrigerator and separate freezer, propane cooking, double ovens, large walk-in pantry and so much more. Like the furnishings? They are an option to make it so simple to move right in.
Click for the photos and all info then you’d better be quick! Just opened two new escrows today and we have so many showings of all these new listings.
Bonnie Phelps, Realtor-on-the-run!
760-533-1742 for calls or text – let’s get you in!
Just had a delightful visit with Lynn Martinez, the owner of this charming cabin. Her great grandfather, was named Guy Winks Wray. We don’t know the story of how his folks came up with that name. We are only guessing that when he was born, he was such a cute little guy, and did you see that? He winks!
Great Grandpa did go by ‘Winks’. He and he and his brother decided they wanted to have cabins on Palomar for their families to enjoy mountain life. They were well drillers and even had a candy store in San Diego. When they wanted a dose of big trees, spring water and and fresh air, they headed up to Palomar. This cabin was built first, then they had another built next door. Both show dates of 1923; oh my, that was a Century ago!
The families looked forward to every minute they could spend on Palomar. Lynn remembers back to when she was about 10 years old when her family started visiting the cabin so often. She and her brother and sister loved playing outside. (Guaranteed to be much more fun than any tablet or phone could ever be!) The cabin has two big bedrooms but the the kids had a blast pitching tents outside on the level ground by the kitchen. They looked forward to meeting up with their friends at other cabins and would hike, climb trees, and loved the square dances and fun fiddle music on Saturday nights at Bailey’s Dance Hall.
Click for the listing with lots of photos. You’ll recognize the big stone fireplace where you can still warm up with your family now a hundred years later.
Bonnie Phelps, Resident Realtor since the beginning of this Century! Oh my, how time flies!
The minute I posted this new listing yesterday for Wee Bit o’ Scotch, a neighbor, Danny Cruz sent me a photo he took. It looks like the cover of a magazine showcasing Most Enchanting Vintage Cabins in the Woods! He beautifully captured the cabin in the Winter of 2023; our biggest-snow-in-thirty-years.
Thank you Danny, it’s much appreciated and I just had to share!
Considering a fixer on Palomar? Wee Bit o’ Scotch just might check all the boxes. Almost 500 square feet, it looks very cute but there is really nothing it doesn’t need. Oh, because of the amount of love required, it does need to be a cash purchase. Click to see inside.
From the sisters who are letting the cabin go to new owners (Is that YOU?):
“Our family roots go back four generations on Palomar Mountain as Wee Bit o’ Scotch has been a getaway for over 9 decades. In 1931 our grandfather Wallace Stewart (a very fine Scotchman!) built the cabin. An early settler of Escondido, he and our Grandma Margaret would saddle the horses and ride up the Mountain with the children. You might still be able to see remnants of the hitching post under a large oak tree off to the side. (Next time you are in Escondido, pop by Grape Day Park. When our grandparents were building a new house, they donated their big two story Victorian home to the Historical Society and it is available to tour).
In the mid 50’s, our mom, Peggy Stewart inherited the cabin. At Escondido High School, Mom and her brother were pretty famous on Friday snow days for inviting friends to ditch school to be the first ones sledding on the fresh snow on Palomar. They’d light the kerosene lamps (that we have left for you), shoo away the mice (we’ve left those, too) and build a fire in the wood stove. The cabin would be warm in no time at all. We all used the outhouse until it fell down one day. Mom told the story about it being hauled down the mountain for one of the big bond fire evenings at the high school. A modern bathroom was added but that was 54 years ago and the roof has been leaking so you need to start over on a new idea for indoor plumbing.
Growing up, we enjoyed so many fun weekends with our cousins all piled in the back of the station wagon, traveling up to the cabin for parties and sleepovers. Thinking back, I don’t know how mom made all those amazing meals in that tiny kitchen. Our parties would always spill out onto the deck where we even slept sometimes. We have such fond memories playing on ‘Elephant Rock’, the giant granite boulder out front, climbing trees and hiking in the woods. Ah, life on the mountain was such a special part of our childhood.
We know the new owners will have to have lots of vision and skills to restore the cabin. We hope they have as much fun in that corner of the mountain that we did.” Heather and Dawn
Glad to take you on a fun adventure and show off this Wee Bit of Scotch!
What is waiting behind the gate? Glad you asked, please come inside. A very private, quality custom home is waiting for you. Be totally self-sufficient off grid, lookin out over your 77 acres to take-your-breath-away, beautiful views. 23,000 acres off in the distance is the Guejito Cattle Ranch and Vineyards so it is very rare to even see “sparkling city lights”. This is truly an escape from the cities to your peaceful paradise on Palomar Mountain. Click for lots of photos and please take a look at the video below.
That gate opens with a click of a button and let’s go explore!
Would you like this to be your view? Fabulous sunrises and sunsets. See all the way to cruise ships dotting the Pacific. How about coming inside to rustic open beams with and a warm wood fire in the brick fireplace? Three levels with three sleeping options are waiting for you.
Palomar is a higher elevation than Julian so our daffodils will bloom a few weeks later. Please stay tuned! Meanwhile, you might slip away to the Julian Farm for some of their fun events, just 50 minutes down the road.
Daffodil Days returning soon at Julian Farm and Orchard!! The farm reopens Friday March 1 for a limited time while the Daffodils are blooming. Open Friday, Saturday and Sundays- 10am-4pm. Click for their website.
Daffodil Days is a seasonal favorite at Julian Farm and Orchard and offers the largest U-pick daffodils in Southern California. Enjoy tractor-pulled hayrides, animal sanctuary including pigs, chickens, goats and more; axe-throwing, rock-climbing wall, haybale maze and plenty of picnic areas and yard games for the kids. Julian Farm and Orchard is located at 4381 Julian Hwy Parking is free, well-behaved leashed dogs are welcome.
I’m a writer in Palm Springs researching Robert Haley Asher, a Palomar Mountain pioneer, historian, poet, botanist, photographer and artist. I’m especially interested in his paintings. Mountain News editor Bonnie Phelps helped to preserve Asher’s legacy (along with archivist Peter Brueggeman) by rescuing his photos and his My Palomar manuscript. Asher was a skilled interpreter of the local landscape but few of his paintings have been found. If anyone has a forgotten Asher original stashed in a closet or under the bed, I’d appreciate any leads on his work to include with a forthcoming article. Asher lived on the mountain from 1903-1946, and sold postcards of his photographs to Palomar tourists.
He was part of a little-known Palomar Mountain art scene that included big names such as Maurice Braun (Asher took a class with him), Charles Fries and John Wesley Cotton. If you have information about Asher or the other artists who visited the mountain in the early days, I’d appreciate hearing from you at: annjapenga@gmail.com.
The painting of Asher’s Spruce Hill Camp, 1917, by John Wesley Cotton is from Peter Brueggeman’s archives, as is the Robert Haley Asher painting of two trees.
Yes, we have eagles on Palomar and guessing if there were some cameras tucked away in our forest, we’d have a similar peek of them nesting. Meanwhile, thanks to friend-of-Palomar, Robert Gonsett for sending this live cam our way:
FROM: Robert Gonsett <robert.gonsett@gmail.com>
Good Morning,
Hey, there is a live Webcam at Big Bear Lake showing nesting Bald Eagles. The eagles are high in a tree and right at home in the snow. What a neat use of technology to bring us these extraordinary live-action views — nighttime too.
According to KUSI-TV news, there are three eggs in the nest and the mother & father take turns laying on the eggs. The eagles are named Shadow and Jackie. A “changing of the guard” took place this morning as we watched.
When you get the video going, you should also have audio (“unmute” the stream if need be).
There are 11,527 computers “tuned into” this fascinating Webstream as I write this about 9:50 a.m.
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isa 40:31, ESV)
No snow on Palomar yet but click to check out the forecast! It changes constantly but at this very moment the potential for snowflakes add up to 14 inches!
Isn’t that a cute kid? My grandson had so much fun in his snow tunnel a couple years ago. The locals here might have a chance for snow fun sooner than we thought this week.
Just a nudge to make sure your firewood racks, propane tank and pantry are full. Get the snow shovels out, snow plow blades in place and maybe plan for a yummy pot of soup on the wood stove.
What am I doing on this rainy day? Thank you for asking! I’m enjoying watching the misty rain, in front of a warm fire, playing with photos and marketing fun for some brand new listings heading your way!
Palomar Mountain News 